Wole Soyinka and Rewards of Setting Forth at Dawn

The flurry of festivities commemorating Wole Soyinka’s 90th birthday are more about his earthly accomplishments than his long life. Okechukwu Uwaezuoke writes

Since Wole Soyinka’s “nobelisation,” as the iconic author playfully calls the turning point of his literary career in his 2006 memoir You Must Set Forth at Dawn, the mystique that is associated with winning such a prestigious prize as the 1986 Nobel Prize for Literature has endured for so long and does not appear to be going away anytime soon. Soon enough, he realised that this is an honour that comes with a price: lifelong fame! 

Of course, it is not as though this comes as a surprise to him. He, after all, reminisces in the 626-page book about how Gabriel Garcia Marquez, a fellow member of the pantheon of all-time literary greats, hinted at this when they met in Cuba the next year. According to the account, the iconic Colombian author asked how Soyinka was coping with the spotlight of global attention. Soyinka quipped that it was tough, but he’d survive—until the next “beauty queen” (aka Nobel laureate) came along and stole the spotlight. Marquez, with a knowing smile, warned him, “It never ends, my friend. It never ends.” 

Years—decades, actually—have since flitted by, and it really hasn’t ended. Now, the man who wrote his first important satirical play, A Dance of the Forests, in the late 1950s, has just sauntered into the nonagenarian lounge. Expectedly, hardly any allusion to him or his literary accomplishments fails to include the seminal laurel, which has become an integral part of his literary DNA, for it seems impossible to mention him without it. Meanwhile, the accolades have not stopped piling up, like confetti trailing behind him, celebrating a life that has been a masterclass in wit, wisdom, and wordsmithery.

It is against this backdrop that an observer of the literary scene could begin to fathom the festive frenzy surrounding Soyinka’s blowing out the flames on his 90th birthday cake candles. For instance, a slew of recent events—among which was a spectacular bash in Rabat, Morocco, on July 9, courtesy of the Royal Academy of Morocco and PAWA (acronym for Pan African Writers Association)—have since tripped over each other to commemorate the occasion. Speaking of the Moroccan fiesta, dubbed “A Celebration of Wole Soyinka @ 90,” it featured a symposium that crackled with intellectual zest, poetry readings, and a gala night. Also at the event, Professor Soyinka received a prestigious gold medal from the WOW Prize, presented by Margarita Al, President of the World Organisation of Writers. The purpose of the award was to recognise his important contributions to the advancement of international literature. 

Noteworthy among the commemorative events was the much-heralded and trumpeted strictly-by-invitation screening of the feature film The Man Died, a feature film inspired by Soyinka’s prison notes and produced by Femi Odugbemi and directed by Awam Amkpa, on Friday, July 12, in Lagos. If the organisers referred to last Friday’s showing of the screenplay at the Onikan-based MUSON Centre as a “special premiere screening,” it was done so in a nod to the festive atmosphere. As for the real red carpet premiere, it should hold on to a yet-to-be-announced date.

Kicking off this series of events on Saturday, July 6, is the first of the planned weekly readings of the CORA (or the Committee for Relevant Arts), which have been complemented by exhibitions and film screenings. This literary extravaganza, dubbed The Soyinka Season, runs throughout July at Freedom Park on Lagos Island. The festivities began with a reading of excerpts from Ake: The Years of Childhood and held a reading of another Soyinka’s work, Ibadan, The Penkelemes Years, yesterday, July 13. It continues with readings from other works: You Must Set Forth at Dawn (July 20) and Isara: A Voyage Around Essay (July 27).

Among other events, which has kept Soyinka’s name trending in recent times, there has been an international symposium themed: Eni Ogun: An Enduring Legacy, which was organised by the Nigerian Academy of Letters on Tuesday, July 11, at the F. Ade-Ajayi Auditorium of the University of Lagos. Yesterday (July 13), the seventh edition of the “Timeless Memories: Elastic Effects of Wole Soyinka” series, conceptualised and curated by Oludamola Adebowale, launched at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos Island. This special tribute celebration, which runs until the end of July, takes the form of an immersive exhibition series, delving into Professor Soyinka’s works through engaging experiences. This year’s edition, titled The Man Who Defied Tyranny, draws inspiration from his Prison Notes, The Man Died (1971). The exhibition features powerful audio and video installations where Soyinka himself narrates his chilling prison ordeal and remarkable survival during 22 months of solitary confinement (1967–1969). 

Also yesterday, fans of the literary legend gathered at The Farm in Ado Ekiti, courtesy of former senator and journalist Babafemi Ojudu. Amidst readings of Soyinka’s works, they imbibed copious quantities of wine from Omioloye Farm and South African wineries. Meanwhile, the 15th annual Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange (WSICE2024) kicked off, running from July 13 to 27. The event, tagged WS90/WSICE2024, is divided into two segments: July 13–16 (virtual and onsite) in Nigeria and July 19–27 in London, England. Its theme, “E.N.I.O.G.U.N.,” represents Engaging National Interest in Good Governance, Understanding, and Nation-Building. According to the organisers, the theme encapsulates Wole Soyinka’s lifelong dedication and struggles as a nationalist, patriot, and humanist, reflected in his extensive literary works and unwavering public engagement over the past seven decades.

Then, on Tuesday, July 16 at 2 p.m., Arojah Royal Theatre, in partnership with the Nigerian Copyright Commission, Korean Cultural Centre, and Klub98 Initiative, will host the annual Kongi’s Harvest event at the Korean Cultural Centre, Rivers House, Abuja. This grand celebration of Wole Soyinka’s legacy will feature a dynamic blend of talks, performances, and a special screening of the movie Ebrohimie Road: A Museum of Memory.

Ninety years of the earthly life of the man, born Akinwande Oluwole “Wole” Babatunde Soyinka, resound with a legacy that, as literature spans genres and as political activism, saw him express his passion for justice. In retrospect, his parents—a prominent Anglican minister and headmaster, Samuel Ayodele Soyinka, and a shopkeeper and local activist, Grace Eniola Soyinka, also known as “Wild Christian”—deserved the credit for instilling in him a sense of purpose that proclaims the benefits of hard work from the rooftops.