LITERARY PERSONALITY - WOLE SOYINKA

AWESOME FACTS YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT WOLE SOYINKA 

Wole Soyinka

1. His full name is AKINWANDE OLUWOLE BABATUNDE SOYINKA
2. He is the first African to win the Nobel Prize in Literature
3. He is a cousin of  late Fela Kuti
4. His father was a Priest in the Anglican Church and a Principal of a school
5. His mother was an activist within the Women's Liberation Movement
6. He has six children
7. He dedicated his Nobel Prize Award to South African freedom fighter Nelson Mandela
8. As a child, Soyinka was a chorister in the church and regularly attended church services
9. He became an atheist later in life
10. His mentor is Wilson Knight
11. In 1971, his book The Man Died was banned by a Nigerian court


12. In November 1994 Wole Soyinka fled from Nigeria to USA
13. In 1997, he was charged with treason by General Sani Abacha's government
14. Wole Soyinka has been married thrice and divorced twice - his first marriage was to a British writer Late Barbara Dixon, his second marriage was to a Librarian Olaide Idowu and his third marriage is to Folake Doherty
15. He has lost a child - her name was Iyetade
16. He and six other students founded the National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity) in 1952 at University of Ibadan - they are called "the magnificent seven"

National Association of Seadogs

17. He is suffering from prostrate cancer
18. He has written about 102 books
                    and...
19. He is a great cook *smiles*