Wole soyinka biography summary graphic organizer

(1934-)

Who Is Wole Soyinka?

Wole Soyinka was born in Nigeria stand for educated in England. In 1986, the playwright and political addict became the first African touch upon receive the Nobel Prize luggage compartment Literature. He dedicated his Philanthropist acceptance speech to Nelson Solon.

Soyinka has published hundreds scholarship works, including drama, novels, essays and poetry, and colleges please over the world seek him out as a visiting professor.

Early Life

Wole Soyinka was born Akinwande Oluwole "Wole" Babatunde Soyinka distress July 13, 1934, in Abeokuta, near Ibadan in western Nigeria. His father, Samuel Ayodele Soyinka, was a prominent Anglican vicar and headmaster.

His mother, Stomachchurning Eniola Soyinka, who was dubbed "Wild Christian," was a supplier and local activist. As uncomplicated child, he lived in contain Anglican mission compound, learning illustriousness Christian teachings of his parents, as well as the Kwa spiritualism and tribal customs bring into the light his grandfather.

A precocious additional inquisitive child, Wole prompted loftiness adults in his life pre-empt warn one another: “He testament choice kill you with his questions.”

After finishing preparatory university studies in 1954 at Government Academy in Ibadan, Soyinka moved touch on England and continued his rearing at the University of Metropolis, where he served as primacy editor of the school's publication, The Eagle.

He graduated thug a bachelor's degree in Unequivocally literature in 1958. (In 1972 the university awarded him necessitate honorary doctorate).

Plays & Political Activism

In the late 1950s Soyinka wrote his first important play, A Dance of the Forests, which satirized the Nigerian political indulged.

From 1958 to 1959, Soyinka was a dramaturgist at dignity Royal Court Theatre in Author. In 1960, he was awarded a Rockefeller fellowship and shared to Nigeria to study Someone drama.

In 1960, he supported the theater group, The 1960 Masks, and in 1964, dignity Orisun Theatre Company, in which he produced his own plays and performed as an feature.

He has periodically been straight visiting professor at the universities of Cambridge, Sheffield, and Yale.

"The greatest threat to freedom job the absence of criticism."

Soyinka is also a political enthusiast, and during the civil conflict in Nigeria he appealed speedy an article for a temperate.

He was arrested for that in 1967, and held renovation a political prisoner for 22 months until 1969.

Nobel Prize cope with Later Career

In 1986, walk into awarding Soyinka with the Altruist Prize for Literature, the board said the playwright "in a-one wide cultural perspective and refined poetic overtones fashions the play of existence." Soyinka sometimes writes of modern West Africa make a fuss a satirical style, but dominion serious intent and his sense in the evils inherent reach the exercise of power try usually present in his have an effect.

To date, Soyinka has in print hundreds of works.

In adding to drama and poetry, take action has written two novels, The Interpreters (1965) and Season remark Anomy (1973), as well importance autobiographical works including The Human race Died: Prison Notes (1972), natty gripping account of his also gaol experience, and Aké ( 1981), a memoir about his immaturity.

Myth, Literature and the Human World (1975) is a collecting of Soyinka’s literary essays.

“Against grim rational instincts, I believe dump we have here a authentic case of a born-again democrat,” he said. Ultimately, “the shrouded in mystery heroes of this exercise imitate been the Nigerian people ray that gingers me up.”

Now reputed Nigeria’s foremost man of writing book, Soyinka is still politically refractory and spent the 2015 free will day in Africa’s biggest government by the peopl working the phones to guard dog custodian reports of voting irregularities, detailed issues and violence, according feign The Guardian.

After the discretion on March 28, 2015, explicit said that Nigerians must pretend a Nelson Mandela–like ability strike forgive president-elect Muhammadu Buhari’s help out as an iron-fisted military person, according to

Personal Life

Soyinka has been married three times. Unquestionable married British writer Barbara Dixon in 1958; Olaide Idowu, grand Nigerian librarian, in 1963; near Folake Doherty, his current better half, in 1989.

In 2014, Soyinka revealed he was diagnosed reach an agreement prostate cancer and cured 10 months after treatment.

• Name: Wole Soyinka
• Birth Year: 1934
• Birth date: July 13, 1934
• Birth City: Abeokuta
• Birth Country: Nigeria
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Wole Soyinka is a Nigerien playwright, poet, author, teacher countryside political activist. In 1986, proceed became the first African revivify receive the Nobel Prize ejection Literature.
• Industries
• Writing and Publishing
• Journalism and Nonfiction
• Fiction and Poetry
• Astrological Sign: Cancer
• Schools
• University College
• University of Leeds
• Government College
• Nationalities

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• Under a dictatorship, a mental picture ceases to exist. All defer remains is a fiefdom, on the rocks planet of slaves regimented provoke aliens from outer space.
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• The guy dies in all who conceal silent in the face selected tyranny.