Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde Soyinka Hon. FRSL, known as Wole Soyinka, is a Nigerian playwright, novelist, poet, and essayist in the English language. He was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature for his "wide cultural perspective and... poetic overtones fashioning the drama of existence", the first sub-Saharan African to be honoured in that category.
Sani Abacha ; was a Nigerian military officer and politician who ruled as the military head of state after seizing power in 1993 until his death in 1998. Abacha's seizure of power was the last successful coup d'état in Nigerian military history.
Death and the King's Horseman is a play by Wole Soyinka based on a real incident that took place in Nigeria during the colonial era: the horseman of a Yoruba King was prevented from committing ritual suicide by the colonial authorities. In addition to the intervention of the colonial authorities, Soyinka calls the horseman's own conviction toward suicide into question, posing a problem that throws off the community's balance.
Nigerian literature may be roughly defined as the literary writing by citizens of the nation of Nigeria for Nigerian readers, addressing Nigerian issues. This encompasses writers in a number of languages, including not only English but Igbo, Urhobo, Yoruba, and in the northern part of the county Hausa and Nupe. More broadly, it includes British Nigerians, Nigerian Americans and other members of the African diaspora.
Yoruba literature is the spoken and written literature of the Yoruba people, one of the largest ethno-linguistic groups in Nigeria and the rest of Africa. The Yoruba language is spoken in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo, as well as in dispersed Yoruba communities throughout the world.
Ake is an archaeological site of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization, located in the state of Yucatán, Mexico.
Kongi's Harvest is a 1970s Nigerian drama film directed by Ossie Davis. The film was adapted from a screenplay by Wole Soyinka adapted from his 1965 play of the same name. Soyinka, a Nigerian playwright, poet, and the first African to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986, also starred in the leading role as the dictator of an African nation.
The Port Harcourt Book Festival is an annual literary event in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, organised by the Rainbow Book Club and endorsed by the Rivers State Government since 2008. The Garden City Literary Festival, which is currently known as the Port Harcourt Book Festival was founded by Governor Amaechi of Rivers State, Hundreds of literary fans flock to the Garden City every year for this six-day event, which includes a book fair, writers' workshops, and a variety of other activities. In the past the Festival has been attended by recognized authors and has hosted a number of celebrities.
Ber Anena born and previously published as Harriet Anena is a Ugandan writer and performer, whose writing includes poetry, nonfiction and fiction. She is the author of a collection of poems, A Nation In Labour, published in 2015, won the 2018 Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa. The Economist described her poetry performance as "an arresting evocation of love and war".
Olaokun Soyinka is a Nigerian medical doctor and a former Ogun State commissioner for Health.
Tunji Oyelana is a multi-award-winning Nigerian musician, actor, folk singer, composer and once a lecturer at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Tunji Oyelana is of the Yoruba ethnic group and is a native of Nigeria. Most of Tunji Oyelana's songs are in Yoruba. In the early 1980s, he teamed up with Nigeria's first and only winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Wole Soyinka, to record a musical album that satirized the corruption of the Nigerian political elite. He was the musician for Stéphane Breton's 1994 film Un dieu au bord de la route. Oyelana is credited with having sold the most albums by a Nigerian High Life musicians. In 2012 he released A Nigerian Retrospective 1966-79, an album from Soundway Records. Apart from Fela Kuti and King Sunny Ade, Oyelana is regarded as one of the most played Yoruba musicians. He and Soyinka composed I Love My Country and, in 1996, were both charged with treason and forced into exile by Sani Abacha while touring internationally with Soyinka's play The Beatification of Area Boy. Oyelana, the leader of The Benders currently lives in the United Kingdom.
The Interpreters is a novel by Wole Soyinka, first published in London by André Deutsch in 1965 and later republished as part of the influential Heinemann African Writers Series. It is the first and one of the only three novels written by Soyinka; he is principally known as a playwright. The novel was written in English and later translated into a number of languages.
Laolu Akande is a Nigerian journalist, editor, scholar and lecturer. He was the spokesperson of the vice president of Nigeria 2015-'23, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN. Before he was named Vice Presidential Spokesperson, Akande was reporting for Empowered Newswire, a US-based news agency and was also a former North America Bureau Chief for The Guardian (Nigeria) in New York City, United States.
The Bacchae of Euripides: A Communion Rite is an adaptation by Wole Soyinka of the ancient Greek tragedy The Bacchae by Euripides.
Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth is a 2021 novel written by Nigerian playwright and novelist Wole Soyinka. It was released on 28 September 2021 by Bookcraft Africa.
The 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to the Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka "who in a wide cultural perspective and with poetic overtones fashions the drama of existence." He is the first African recipient of the prize.
Elesin Oba, The King's Horseman is a 2022 Yoruba-language Nigerian historical drama film directed by Biyi Bandele and distributed by Netflix, based on Wole Soyinka'sDeath and the King's Horseman, a stage play he wrote while in Cambridge, where he was a fellow at Churchill College during his political exile from Nigeria, and it is based on a real incident that took place in Yorubaland during British Colonial rule. The film stars Odunlade Adekola as the titular character, with Shaffy Bello, Brymo, Deyemi Okanlawon, Omowunmi Dada, Jide Kosoko, Langley Kirkwood, Joke Silva amongst others in supporting roles.
Of Africa is a book written by Wole Soyinka, a Nigerian playwright, novelist, poet, and essayist who is also the author of The Bacchae of Euripides (1969), Season of Anomy amongst others. The book was centered on Africa's culture, religion, history, imagination, and identity, examining how its past intertwines with that of others. He emphasizes Africa's intrinsic values, including its humanity, self-worth, and methods of environmental stewardship, encompassing both physical and intangible aspects. Despite acknowledging Africa's daunting challenges, Soyinka rejects defeatism, eloquently analyzing issues from historical significance to the rise of theocracy. He confronts complex topics like racial biases, inter-ethnic conflicts, and the impact of colonial-imposed borders on nationhood. Soyinka's examination reimagines Africa's place in the reader's mind, charting a path toward a future defined by peace and self-empowerment.
A Play of Giants is a play by Wole Soyinka, Africa's first Nobel Prize winner in 1986. "A Play of Giants" is a satire that takes aim at dictators in Africa, including the notorious Idi Amin. Set at the New York embassy, the play ingeniously portrays a gathering of dictatorial African leaders, highlighting their absurdities and follies as they attempt to navigate cooperation and decision-making. Through sharp wit and clever dialogue, the play offers a scathing commentary on power, politics, and the human condition, inviting audiences to reflect on the nature of tyranny and its impact on society. It was published on January 1, 1984.
Alapata Apata, a satirical play by Wole Soyinka mocking Nigerian politics through the story of Alaba, a retired butcher. As Alaba adjusts to his newfound leisure, the play exposes the absurdities of power dynamics and political manipulation in Nigeria. With humor and wit, Soyinka critiques corruption and hypocrisy, offering a sharp commentary on governance while entertaining readers with its humorous portrayal of characters and situations.
