ABEOKUTA, Nigeria – Nobel laureate, playwright, essayist, and poet, Wole Soyinka, turned 90, reaching a remarkable milestone in a life dedicated to art, activism, and the continual push for social change. The celebration, however, was uniquely understated, in keeping with Soyinka’s well-known habit of retreating from the public eye on his birthdays. “Usually, what I do on my birthdays, I disappear into the forest,” he revealed, chuckling about the personal tradition that has kept him grounded over the decades.
Despite his reluctance to mark the occasion with fanfare, the 90-year-old’s legacy stands as a testament to his unyielding drive to question narratives and provoke thought. Reflecting on his early years, Soyinka shared, “I was never satisfied with the way a story had been told by the elders to us. I remember this because my siblings, my peers would say, ‘No, no, no, we didn’t see it that way.’ And I would say, ‘I know, but this is the way I want it to go.’”
Soyinka, who humorously remarked that he doesn’t feel his age, still channels a youthful defiance and curiosity into his work. “That’s the annoying thing,” he said. “I don’t feel 90. I think I’ve just taken birthdays for granted.” His life, which he describes as a pursuit of solitude and creativity, is filled with the marks of a distinguished artistic career and a storied activism that once took him on a mission to “liberate southern Africa” during his student days.
The Nigerian literary giant’s Abeokuta home – or, as he proudly refers to it, “the autonomous republic of Ijegba” – is an eclectic sanctuary of reforestation and art. The space, which he describes as a “museum-cum-art gallery,” is adorned with modern pieces, symbolizing his connection to a younger generation of artists. He joked about his seemingly solitary existence, confessing, “I enjoy my solitude enormously… I think maybe secretly I long for company. And that’s why I accumulate all this.”
In his later years, Soyinka has maintained a dark humor about the future. Gesturing toward his property’s reforestation efforts, he quipped, “Having recreated nature, don’t I deserve to give it a name of my own? I think it’s only right.” When asked about the future, he replied with his characteristic wit, “Future? Future, I don’t want to be morbid, but, you know, that’s the future. But I’ve made arrangements for that within this state.”
As for his creative plans, Soyinka hinted that he might soon take a step back from the public sphere. “In terms of productivity, the immediate thing is to go on a vacation. Take a resolution…not to grant any more interviews. I’m glad we got this in.”
Inspiring Net 