Nigerian Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka: Europe has forgotten history lessons

Born in 1934 in Nigeria, Soyinka became the first Black African to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986. His win partially restored recognition of the African continent in the art world, despite the disparity between the value of the award and the suffering endured by the region at the hands of European colonialists.

Soyinka completed his undergraduate studies in Ibadan, Nigeria and then in Leeds, England, where he obtained his PhD in 1973.

After two years of working with the Royal Court Theatre in London as a playwright, he returned to Nigeria in 1960, where he began teaching literature and theatre at universities.

He also established the theatre group "The 1960 Masks", then the "Orisun Theatre" in 1964, under which he presented some of his own works. A year later, he published his first English-language novel, "The Interpreters."

Soon after, he was imprisoned. Soyinka was held captive during the Nigerian Civil War – from 1967 to 1969 – for penning an article calling for a cease-fire. In his novel "The Man Died", he recounts his experience in solitary confinement.

Soyinka became best known as a dramatist and poet; one of his most celebrated endeavours was rehabilitating traditional Nigerian theatre and "Yoruba folk operas."

Today, he has more than 20 plays and comedies to his name. Amongst his most prominent titles are "The Lion and the Jewel," "Madmen and Specialists," "Death and the King's Horseman," "A Dance of the Forests," "The Road," and "Kongi's Harvest."

He also adapted foreign plays to an African context, including Euripides' "Bacchae," Bertolt Brecht's "The Threepenny Opera," and Jean Genet's "The Blacks."

His poetry collections, including "Idanre and Other Poems," "A Shuttle in the Crypt," "Ogun Abibiman," and "Mandela's Earth and Other Poems," have been held in high regard.

As an educator, Soyinka has taught at some of the world's top universities, including Yale, Cornell, Harvard, Sheffield, and Cambridge.

Passing the torch: The prize returns to the motherland

Thirty-five years after Soyinka was awarded his historic Nobel Prize, Tanzanian-born writer Abdulrazak Gurnah, who received his education in England, much like Soyinka, became only the second Black African to win the prestigious Nobel Prize for Literature in 2021.

But Soyinka doesn't think that this recognition stems from an attempt by the Swedish Academy to bridge a huge diversity gap in its prizes.

"I was very pleased that the prize has returned to Africa," says Soyinka.

"I don't believe in geographic quotas because the Western readers that the Swedish Academy represents are beginning to notice the wealth of art productions on the African continent – and not just in literature. The Prize's mission is to surprise and educate us at a global level so that we understand that wonders are everywhere."

As a fierce defender of freedom, Soyinka is convinced that it is his responsibility to preserve his own voice, even as "human meaning increasingly dissipates."

As for the value that new generations can find in his work, Soyinka states: "I hope they're able to better analyse the acquisition of power in terms of democratising information, behaviours, and ideas.

"I hope they learn to strike a balance between what I call 'internet culture' and the art of storytelling. I hope they understand that not the whole world depends on social media, and that there is an alternative in the timeless culture of literature and art."

A satire, a whodunit, or an absolute necessity?

"Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth," referred to by some critics as Soyinka's greatest novel yet, is the writer's third novel, and his first in nearly half a decade. (During these long years, there were plays, poems, memoirs, and "A Humanist Ode for Chibok, Leah," a lengthy poem dedicated to Leah Sharibu, who was kidnapped – and never released – by Boko Haram.)

The book takes place in an imaginary version of Nigeria, populated by unscrupulous preachers, corrupt businessmen, and politicians involved in the smuggling of human body parts for use in mysterious rituals.

Filled with historical documentation and dark humour, the book's pessimism, inherent to the circumstances in Soyinka's country, begins to clear up under fragments of hope, which reflect the writer's unwavering belief in his homeland's development and stability.

But why write this novel, and why now?

"All the turbulent experiences of the last few years, my imprisonment, the increasing contradictions in society, the dehumanisation or gradual dissipation of what I call humanity… they have all acquired a new dimension that requires another tool to convey my fears and anxieties," says Soyinka, in conversation with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. 

He adds: "I am not a novelist, and fiction is not my favourite genre, but I realised I needed to return to this tool of expression to reflect my fears and concerns.

"Nigeria is not the 'land of the happiest people on Earth,' as the title sarcastically conveys, despite the World Happiness Report placing the country at the top a few years ago. How is that possible?

"When I read the news, I couldn't believe my eyes. I remember exclaiming: 'So, I'm in the wrong country, and I have to go find this Nigeria, because I don't know it.' At the same time, it was gratifying to see that someone, somewhere within these borders, was experiencing some form of happiness."

For some critics, "Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth" is difficult to define from a genre standpoint: is it a condemnation of a society dominated by corruption, fundamentalism, violence, and intolerance? Or, perhaps, it is a satirical whodunit filled with conspiracies?

"It doesn't surprise me much that it is defined as a detective story. I've always wanted to write one, and this story gave me the chance," Soyinka remarks.

"But otherwise, it is hard to explain. It is as if you find yourself in an environment that grieves you and confuses you so much that you don't even know where to start."

He had to ask himself what to tackle first. "Material corruption? Growing disdain for human life? Indifference to the basic values of friendship and family?"

In the end, he found it difficult to do what he wanted to do, whilst dismissing the political and social reality that surrounded him, including "justice, freedom, and violence" or, in short, "humanity".

"This is the only way I can have peace of mind to dedicate myself to what I love. I need the things around me to be at least tolerable to write," he says.

Immigration and the world's failures

Immigration has become a touchstone of the political and social debate in Europe and particularly Italy, which reflects the "dramatic and utter failure of African leaders across the continent," according to Soyinka.

"If resources were well managed, job opportunities were created, and initiatives and productivity were developed in all areas of life, we would not have seen our young generations getting lost in the desert or drowning in the Mediterranean. This is a problem that should awaken the conscience of leaders and prompt them to unite to find a common solution," he says.

"I must add that European countries seem to have forgotten the lessons that history taught them as well. It has become clear that African immigrants are treated with far more xenophobia and discrimination than Ukrainian refugees, who are welcomed in Europe in an orderly and supportive manner.

"We must not forget that the same atrocities that Russia is committing now in Ukraine have been committed in the African continent for decades, which contributed to this rise in immigration."

Soyinka adds that "Europe must shoulder its responsibilities."

"(Europe) has not only contributed to the 'underdevelopment' of Africa, but has also driven those creative talents that could contribute to their countries' economies away from their homelands. Some of the waves of immigration we are witnessing today are a distant effect of European colonialism and behaviour in Africa.

"Therefore, the two sides must meet in the middle, even if it took a whole year of discussions, experiments, and trial and error, to ultimately create favourable conditions in Africa and give opportunities to the continent's human resources instead of wasting them as has happened so far."

Soyinka's great dream of an African renaissance is shared by many, including leaders such as the late Nelson Mandela. Yet the dream remains seemingly unfulfilled.

"Everything that is said in the West about the future of Africa is said by those who bear great responsibility for what is happening there. It is true that Africa is a failed promise. But I can only answer for myself, regarding my dream and the dream of my generation," says Soyinka.

"We had a big dream, and it failed. Even today, many of our youth decide to study and work abroad, but later choose to return home to try and give an opportunity to the African renaissance. I am sure that in about 15 years, Africa will reach a level of development that many today consider impossible."

The Corriere della Sera asks Soyinka whether Orunmila, the Yoruba people's wandering deity of divination, could be considered the god of immigrants, and what he would have to say about what the future will bring.

"I'm afraid I don't have Orunmila's talents," Soyinka replies, "but I believe that he would use the same language that Christ used: 'I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.'"

More from the fair

The Turin International Book Fair also announced the finalists for the Strega European Prize, which was launched in 2014 on the occasion of the Italian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

As the European equivalent of the Strega Prize — considered to be Italy's most prestigious literary awards — the Strega European Prize celebrates novels translated into Italian by a European author, who has received national recognition in his or her home country.

The five nominees were "V13" by Emmanuel Carrère, "Rombo" by Esther Kinsky, "L'orecchio di Kiev" by Andrej Kurkov, "Strega" by Johanne Lykke Holm, and "Pietra e ombra" by Burhan Sönmez.

Carrère won the award for "V13".