Africa’s first Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka is 86 today. He won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1986 at 52 and has written many plays and novels including Death and the King’s Horseman, The Lion and the Jewel, Trials of Brother Jero and his memoir You must set forth at Dawn amongst many others.
Born to an Anglican family on July 13, 1934 to a headmaster father and activist mother, he described his family aptly in ‘Ake’ where he referred to his mother, Grace Eniola Soyinka as a wild Christian. He is now a devoted Ogun deity worshipper.
He has been thrice married and is currently married to Folake Soyinka nee Doherty with the marriage blessed with children.
He has been a critic of both civilian and military governments in Nigeria and is the founder of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
He is indeed arguably Africa’s greatest writer alive and is affectionately known as Kongi.
Happy Birthday to a living legend!
Source@https://africanbard.com/2020/07/13/prof-wole-soyinka-is-86-today/