So, this month I’m participating in the Afrocentric April Booksta Tour on Instagram. This tour highlights African books and authors. Today is day 20, and the prompt is an author new to you.
Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde Soyinka (Wole Soyinka) was born on July 13th, 1934, in western Nigeria and was the first African to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986. He is best known as a playwright but has written poetry, novels, and essays. He went to school in Nigeria and the UK, eventually receiving his doctorate at the University of Leeds. While in the UK, he worked in the Royal Court Theatre in London. He eventually returned to Nigeria, where he taught literature and drama. His gifts have no boundaries; he is a writer, actor, and even a political activist. In fact, his political activism in Nigeria landed him in solitary confinement for 22 months (1967-1969). In addition, he has been a visiting professor at several universities, including Yale, Cambridge, and many others.
Are you wondering why I’m highlighting such a renowned and prolific writer? Because I have never read any of his works – imagine! Perhaps, this is the perfect time to read his earlier novels. And when I say “perfect time,” I mean sometime this year because my tbr pile is enormous, lol.
So, reader, have you heard of him before? What’s a new author you discovered this year?
Bookish Naija Gal 