Biography
Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde Soyinka, better known by his pen name Wole Soyinka, is an internationally renowned Nigerian playwright, novelist, poet, and essayist. Born on 30 July 1934, he was the first African to be awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature, receiving the honor in 1986.
Wole Soyinka’s body of work is voluminous and varied, comprising plays, novels, poems and essays, all marked by his mastery of the English language. He is known for his sharp wit, penetrating observations and unwavering commitment to truth and justice. As such, he has become a true prophet for the African continent, offering profound insights into the multifaceted experiences of the continent.
Wole Soyinka’s writings are indispensable for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of African culture. His writing is both thought-provoking and moving, offering a window into the complexity and richness of the African experience.
Nigerian playwright
Wole Soyinka |
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 Wole Soyinka: History ‧ Biography ‧ Photos |
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| Wiki Events & About Data | |
| Full name: | Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde Soyinka |
| Stage name: | Wole Soyinka |
| Born: | July 13, 1934 (age 90) |
| Place of birth: | Abeokuta, Ogun, Nigeria |
| State of origin: | Ogun State |
| Nationality: | Nigerian |
| Height: | Do not have |
| Parents: | Samuel Ayodele Soyinka, Grace Eniola Soyinka |
| Siblings: | Atinuke Tinu Aina Soyinka, Femi Soyinka, Yeside Soyinka, Omofolabo Folabo Ajayi-Soyinka, Kayode Soyinka, Folashade Soyinka |
| Wife • Husband/wife: | Barbara Skeath, Olaide Idowu, Folake Doherty-Soyinka (d. 1989) |
| Girlfriend • Partner: | Do not have |
| The children: | Olaokun Soyinka, Morenike Soyinka, Makin Soyinka, Moremi Soyinka-Onijala, Iyetade Apampa, Peyibomi Soyinka-Airewele, Oretunlewa Soyinka, Amani Soyinka, Tunlewa Soyinka, Bojode Soyinka, Eniara Soyinka |
| Job: | Playwright • Novelist |
| Net worth: | 15 million dollars |
Early life
Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde Soyinka, better known by his pen name Wole Soyinka, was born into the fascinating and diverse community of Abeokuta, Nigeria, on July 30, 1934. He was a descendant of the Isara rulers. At the time, Nigeria was a British colony. He was the second of seven children.
His siblings were Atinuke Tinu Aina Soyinka, Femi Soyinka, Yeside Soyinka, Omofolabo Folabo Ajayi-Soyinka and Kayode Soyinka. His younger sister Folashade Soyinka died on her first birthday. The cultural and religious diversity of his upbringing, coupled with his early exposure to electricity and radio, undoubtedly contributed to the depth and complexity of his literary work.
The second of seven siblings, Soyinka Soyinka was born into a family with close ties to the founding fathers of Nigeria. His father, Samuel Ayodele Soyinka, was an Anglican minister and schoolmaster, while his mother, Grace Eniola Soyinka, was a political activist and devout Anglican. Although raised in a religious household that combined Yorùbá and Christian beliefs and practices, he eventually lost his faith as an adult.
The religious and cultural diversity of Wole Soyinka’s community, as well as his access to many forms of media, have undoubtedly influenced his work. His plays, novels, poems, and essays often incorporate elements of Nigerian folklore and mythology while also addressing pressing political and social issues. Wole Soyinka’s penetrating wit and unwavering commitment to truth and justice earned him the prestigious Nobel Prize for Literature, making him a true prophetess of the African continent.
Education
From an early age, Wole Soyinka showed a talent for writing and was awarded several awards for his writings while studying at Abeokuta Grammar School. In 1946, he was admitted to Government College in Ibadan, one of Nigeria’s top secondary schools.
He then pursued higher education at the University of Ibadan, University of London, from 1952 to 1954, where he studied English and Greek literature and Western history under the guidance of British literary scholar Molly Mahood, among others. In 1954, Wole Soyinka wrote and produced the radio play Keffi’s Birthday Treat for the Nigerian Broadcasting Service. He also co-founded the Pyrates Society, the first in Nigeria, while at university.
Wole Soyinka’s early education laid the foundation for his later success as a writer and political activist. His plays, novels, poems, and essays have earned him numerous awards and honors, including the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986. He continues to be a prominent and influential figure in Nigeria and around the world, using his work and voice to promote justice and freedom.
After completing his studies at University College Ibadan in 1954, Wole Soyinka embarked on a prolific and distinguished career as a writer and political activist. In 1959, he published his first collection of poems, Idanre and Other Poems, which brought him widespread acclaim and cemented his reputation as a leading voice in Nigerian literature.
In the 1960s, Wole Soyinka’s plays, such as The Trials of Brother Jero and The Lion and the Jewel, became iconic works in the Nigerian cultural scene. These works, which dealt with themes of corruption, injustice, and abuse of power, helped raise awareness of Nigeria’s challenges during the military dictatorship.
Throughout his career, Wole Soyinka has fearlessly used his writing and voice to fight for justice and freedom. His efforts have been recognized with numerous awards, including the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986. He remains a prominent and influential figure in Nigeria and beyond, using his extraordinary talents to inspire and empower others.
Personal life
A prominent writer and Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka has been married three times and divorced twice. His first marriage was to the now-deceased British author Barbara Skeath, whom he met at the University of Leeds in the 1950s. From this marriage he had two children: Olaokun Soyinka and Morenike Soyinka. In 1963, he married a Nigerian librarian named Olaide Idowu, and they had four more children: Makin Soyinka, Moremi Soyinka-Onijala, Iyetade Apampa (who has since died), and Peyibomi Soyinka-Airewele. He also had a son named Oretunlewa Soyinka from a previous marriage.
Wole Soyinka’s youngest daughter is Amani Soyinka. In 1989, he married Folake Doherty-Soyinka and together they have three sons: Tunlewa Soyinka, Bojode Soyinka and Eniara Soyinka. In 2014, Wole Soyinka revealed to the public that he was battling prostate cancer.
Wole Soyinka is a prolific writer who has published several novels, plays, and poems throughout his career. He is known for his political activism, often using his writing as a means of criticizing the Nigerian government. He was imprisoned for opposing the country’s military dictatorship in the 1960s and was later awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986.
In addition to his writing and activism, Wole Soyinka is also a respected scholar. He studied at the University of Leeds, earning a degree in English literature, and has since taught at various universities in Nigeria and abroad. He holds an honorary professorship at the Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria.
Despite his many accomplishments, Wole Soyinka remains humble and continues to use his platform to speak out against injustice. He continues to write and engage in political activism, remaining a respected figure in the Nigerian literary and political world.
Career
After earning his MA at the University of Leeds, Wole Soyinka turned to writing plays that combined European theatrical styles with those of his Yorùbá heritage. His first major play, The Swamp Dwellers, premiered in 1958, and the following year his comedy The Lion and the Jewel attracted some attention at the Royal Court Theatre in London.
Encouraged by this response, Wole Soyinka moved to London and secured a job as a playwright at the Royal Court Theatre. His plays continued to delve into the tension between progress and tradition in Nigeria. The Invention, his first play to be staged at the Royal Court Theatre, premiered in 1957. In addition to his plays, he published poems such as The Immigrant and My Next Door Neighbour in the Nigerian magazine Black Orpheus.
Wole Soyinka’s literary genius was celebrated in 1986 when he became the first African to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. He was praised as an individual “whose vast cultural vision and poetic resonance created the drama of existence.”
Reed Way Dasenbrock said that the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Literature to Wole Soyinka was “likely to be controversial but entirely deserved”. He also pointed out that this was the first time the Nobel Prize had been awarded to an African writer or any writer from the “new literature” in English that emerged from former British colonies.
In his Nobel Prize acceptance speech, “This past must address its present,” Wole Soyinka referred to Nelson Mandela and his struggle for freedom in South Africa. His speech was a direct criticism of the apartheid regime and the policy of racial segregation that the South African government imposed on the majority of its population. In 1986, he was also honored with the Agip Prize for Literature.
In August 2014, Wole Soyinka presented a recorded version of his speech, From Chibok with Love, to the World Humanist Congress in Oxford, organized by the International Humanist and Ethical Union and the British Humanist Association. The theme of the Congress was Freedom of Thought and Expression: Forging a 21st Century Enlightenment, and he was awarded the 2014 International Humanist Prize. He has also served as a resident scholar at the Institute of African American Affairs at New York University.
Net worth
Wole Soyinka is a famous Nigerian playwright, known for his works, which have won many awards, including the Nobel Prize for Literature. He is also an avid political activist, often taking a stand against the Nigerian government.
Wole Soyinka is believed to have a net worth of $15 million, which he has used to support various causes, such as the arts and human rights.
Social media
- Instagram Name: @Wolesoyinka
- Twitter Username: @Wolesoyinkacentre
Drama
- Keffi’s Birthday Gift
- Invented
- The Swamp People
- A quality of violence
- The Lion and the Pearl
- Jero’s Trials
- Dance of the Forest
- My Father’s Burden
- Strong breed
- Before the power goes out
- Kongi’s Harvest
- Road
- Madman and Expert
- Bacchae by Euripides
- Camwood on leaves
- The Transfiguration of Jero
- Death and the King’s Knight
- Wonyosi Opera
- Requiem for a Futurist
- A play of giants
- International Children
- From Zia with love
- Detainee
- The Calamity of Water Hyacinth
- Beatification ceremony for this boy
- Identification documents
- King Baabu
- Etiki Revu Wetin
- Alapata Apata
