Just a few days back, Reno Omokri set the social media ablaze when he placed Achebe's works over Soyinka. It wasn't funny, especially among the Yoruba folks who were Soyinka's kinsmen. Reno's post, despite how flattering it was for achebe's enthusiasts, was uncalled for anyway.

There are facts however, that shouldn't be dismissed in this discussion.

1. Soyinka is an undisputed literary icon in the world, same goes for Achebe.

2. Soyinka's literary strength lies in poetic abstractions while Achebe's literary strength lies in simplifying complexities.

3. Soyinka is first a poet-playwright, while Achebe is firstly a novelist cum poet. They both have been recognized internationally in these subgenres.

4. The Nobel Prize for literature is an outstandingly prestigious prize, while honorifics like "father of modern African literature" are based on global impact of ones work about Africa.

5. No prize or honorific determines who is above who in literature.

6. Soyinka conveyed African literature through Eurocentric appeals while Achebe conveyed African literature through Afrocentrism.

7. Soyinka's work has this persuasive charm while Achebe's works was unapologetically assertive.

summarily, Achebes works are more popular than Soyinka's work because most nations on earth can relate to its themes of forced societal change through colonization, while Soyinka works aestheically compares Yoruba worldview to European worldview, no wonder Soyinka is a professor of comparative literature.


CBC: lalasticlala

Nice post

You forgot to add or maybe u intentionally left it out that "Wole Soyinka writes poem, prose and drama, while chinua Achebe mastery was in prose"

RealLordZeus:
You forgot to add or maybe u intentionally left it out that "Wole Soyinka writes poem, prose and drama, while chinua Achebe mastery was in prose"

Achebe is also an award winning poet. he won the prestigious Magaret Wong prize in the 50s and Commonwealth poetry prize in the 70s. He has written many poems (e.g beware soul brother) you could see some in his last book, there was a country. His prose "things fall apart" has been adapted into drama. however, his strength lies in both prose and poetry.

Soyinka's prose "the interpreters" isn't well known nor received. So as I stated earlier, his firsts are poetry and drama.

superlightning:


Achebe is also an award winning poet. he won the prestigious Magaret Wong prize in the 50s and Commonwealth poetry prize in the 70s. He has written many poems (e.g beware soul brother) you could see some in his last book, there was a country. His prose "things fall apart" has been adapted into drama. however, his strength lies in both prose and poetry.

Soyinka's prose "the interpreters" isn't well known nor received. So as I stated earlier, his firsts are poetry and drama.

I don't know how you come of the opinion that " The interpreters" isn't well known more received, what was stated by literary critics was "it's difficult to understand due to the style and thus not receiving the attention it's worth and not what you postulated here and that is only one of his two prose, and yes, I agree he is incomparable with Achebe in terms of prose, they are not even in the same league. Achebe is far greater cos as I said earlier , that's where his strength lies but overall, u just have to give it to Soyinka.
Have u ever wonder while Leonardo da Vinci was and still more respected than Micheal Angelo despite the latter being a better artist( my opinion),it is simply because of his ability to excelled at many things!

Secondly, saying that Soyinka works aestheically compares Yoruba worldview , let's just leave it here

Btw! Did your read is autobiography "Ake"
It might change your opinion

You are more biased towards Chinua Achebe


Woke soyinka is a guru in all genre of literature and not only eurocentric as postulated by you.Also, Nobel prize in any field is the highest world recognized award one can ever received in a field.


Do you know that wole soyinka is also a director,producer and actor.WOLE SOYINKA IS A LITERATURE PERSONIFIED!

Chinua Achebe is just a very good writer!
WOLE IS GREATER WHEN IT COMES TO LITERATURE....The committee that awarded him Nobel prize knows what they are doing and they don't care about what others think.

Basic123:
You are more biased towards Chinua Achebe


Woke soyinka is a guru in all genre of literature and not only eurocentric as postulated by you.Also, Nobel prize in any field is the highest world recognized award one can ever received in a field.


Do you know that wole soyinka is also a director,producer and actor.WOLE SOYINKA IS A LITERATURE PERSONIFIED!

Chinua Achebe is just a very good writer!
WOLE IS GREATER WHEN IT COMES TO LITERATURE....The committee that awarded him Nobel prize knows what they are doing and they don't care about what others think.

my dear brother, the Nobel prize, despite its prestige, is a Eurocentric prize, that is why literati like Leo Tolstoy, Ernest Hemingway, Chinua achebe, etc whose works didn't blend with eurocentrism were ignored.

Secondly, between Achebe and Soyinka, non outshines the other in terms of works, but in terms of popularity, it is Achebe. Even Soyinka himself was quoted saying a literature enthuasist ran to him in excitement, when asked which of his works he has read, the man said "Things fall Apart".

till date, chinua Achebe's triology (especially "things fall apart"is often ranked as one of the best reads in the world.

NB: Nobel prize is not the best or highest prize on earth. speak with facts and not emotion.

superlightning:


my dear brother, the Nobel prize, despite its prestige, is a Eurocentric prize, that is why literati like Leo Tolstoy, Ernest Hemingway, Chinua achebe, etc whose works didn't blend with eurocentrism were ignored.

Secondly, between Achebe and Soyinka, non outshines the other in terms of works, but in terms of popularity, it is Achebe. Even Soyinka himself was quoted saying a literature enthuasist ran to him in excitement, when asked which of his works he has read, the man said "Things fall Apart".

till date, chinua Achebe's triology (especially "things fall apart"is often ranked as one of the best reads in the world.

NB: Nobel prize is not the best or highest prize on earth. speak with facts and not emotion.

My dear,you are the one speaking with emotion here.

so many non Europeans have won the Nobel prize,woke soyinka inclusive!

we are talking of literature not books!

Wole soyinka is a poet,drama writer, novelist,actor and stage director.He is an embodiment of literature!

Basic123:

My dear,you are the one speaking with emotion here.

so many non Europeans have won the Nobel prize,woke soyinka inclusive!

we are talking of literature not books!

Wole soyinka is a poet,drama writer, novelist,actor and stage director.He is an embodiment of literature!

Exactly what I've been trying to pass to the OP.
He's being sentimental

Chinua Achebe is true to his pen but soyinka is more of politics.

Osagyefo98:
Chinua Achebe is true to his pen but soyinka is more of politics.

It shows you know nothing about LITERATURE and wole soyinka itself.

we are talking about literature not ordinary writing.

superlightning:


my dear brother, the Nobel prize, despite its prestige, is a Eurocentric prize, that is why literati like Leo Tolstoy, Ernest Hemingway, Chinua achebe, etc whose works didn't blend with eurocentrism were ignored.

Secondly, between Achebe and Soyinka, non outshines the other in terms of works, but in terms of popularity, it is Achebe. Even Soyinka himself was quoted saying a literature enthuasist ran to him in excitement, when asked which of his works he has read, the man said "Things fall Apart".

till date, chinua Achebe's triology (especially "things fall apart"is often ranked as one of the best reads in the world.

NB: Nobel prize is not the best or highest prize on earth. speak with facts and not emotion.

If Achebe, not Soyinka, had won the prize your conclusions about the Nobel Prize will be different.

Many of you praise Ngozi Okonjo Iweala for her Eurocentric ideals and recognition around the world. Do you not?

When it is Ibo, Eurocentric is good, when it is others, Eurocentric is irrelevant.

Its the same mindset that make your brothers create parallel trade unions when leadership of mainstream organizations is occupied by non-Ibos. You have a problem taking orders from non-Ibos....but complain that you are barred from leadership. It shouldnt be too difficult to understand the root reason for your exclusion in affairs.

Basic123:

My dear,you are the one speaking with emotion here.

so many non Europeans have won the Nobel prize,woke soyinka inclusive!

we are talking of literature not books!

Wole soyinka is a poet,drama writer, novelist,actor and stage director.He is an embodiment of literature!

1. when I said "Eurocentric", I didn't mean "non-european". They both mean different things.

2. both Achebe and Soyinka are embodiments of literature. there is no genre of literature that is better than the other.

3. in terms of popularity and reach, its Achebe. remember, he is often called "father of modern African LITERATURE", because of "things fall apart" and "criticism on Joseph Conrad's narrative about Africa"

for instance, the link posted below tries to explain what an embodiment of "LITERATURE" is. you don't have to be everything before you are being honored as the "father of modern African LITERATURE"

https://face2faceafrica.com/article/celebrating-life-literary-giant-chinua-achebe-works

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://qz.com/africa/1480548/chinua-achebes-things-fall-apart-at-60-and-african-english/&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwj-0MGjqqDiAhXQbVAKHdyoCsU4ChCpAgglKAAwCQ&usg=AOvVaw1IVFtx8Vgk7womsp3c0h-u

as I stated earlier, Achebe and Soyinka are both embodiments of literature.

I don’t know why you guys always derive pleasure in comparing people, what do you stand to gain.

This is especially common with the Igbo folks on here, I’m not trying to be tribalistic but this is not making sense any longer.

You don’t need to downplay anybody to suit your narrative, both men have their strength and weakness. Soyinka was a Nobel laureate winner because the committee saw something in his works that made them award that to him. That is not a Nigerian award where nepotism or corruption exists, he was given on merit.

Achebe might have deserved it also, but most times we don’t always get the right credit for our work in life, it’s not only Achebe , but a lot of other fine writers around the world.

Stop trying to talk down on other people because they are not of your kind. Everyday on Nairaland you guys will keep pushing stories on here to show you’re better than other people or comparing yourselves to other people, ya’ll have low self esteem.

I know the OP motive might be just for educational purpose but most of the guys commenting will take it for a Yoruba vs Igbo intellectual comparison.

MetaPhysical:


If Achebe, not Soyinka, had won the prize your conclusions about the Nobel Prize will be different.

Many of you praise Ngozi Okonjo Iweala for her Eurocentric ideals and recognition around the world. Do you not?

When it is Ibo, Eurocentric is good, when it is others, Eurocentric is irrelevant.

Its the same mindset that make your brothers create parallel trade unions when leadership of mainstream organizations is occupied by non-Ibos. You have a problem taking orders from non-Ibos....but complain that you are barred from leadership. It shouldnt be too difficult to understand the root reason for your exclusion in affairs.

I have never ever downplayed Soyinka's Nobel prize. His works are one of the G.O.A.T just as that of achebe. What am saying is that his works on African literature is EUROCENTRIC. pls get my point.

superlightning:


1. when I said "Eurocentric", I didn't mean "non-european". They both mean different things.

2. both Achebe and Soyinka are embodiments of literature. there is no genre of literature that is better than the other.

3. in terms of popularity and reach, its Achebe. remember, he is often called "father of modern African LITERATURE", because of "things fall apart" and "criticism on Joseph Conrad's narrative about Africa"

for instance, the link posted below tries to explain what an embodiment of "LITERATURE" is. you don't have to be everything before you are being honored as the "father of modern African LITERATURE"

https://face2faceafrica.com/article/celebrating-life-literary-giant-chinua-achebe-works

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://qz.com/africa/1480548/chinua-achebes-things-fall-apart-at-60-and-african-english/&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwj-0MGjqqDiAhXQbVAKHdyoCsU4ChCpAgglKAAwCQ&usg=AOvVaw1IVFtx8Vgk7womsp3c0h-u

as I stated earlier, Achebe and Soyinka are both embodiments of literature.

True but literature is a description for genre of works in written arts, which include published books, poems, creative works, and can range from simple composition to a more noble range having superior merit to become classic.

Unlike Achebe's, a panel of reputable Judges with exposure in the field reviewed works from all over the globe and gave Soyinka the trophy for the most superior in the art of written works. With the award he beat scholars even of European descent. Its not a competition between Soyinka and Achebe.....its between Soyinka and the world, and he won it!

Now you are bitter that Yoruba won award for superiority in literature around the globe.

How many times has Achebe's work been nominated for Nobel Literature Prize?

Nobel prizes are not based on popularity. It's not a popularity contest. Literary work is very subjective and you have the most subjective experts agreeing that Soyinka's work deserves the award and Achebe's not so deserving in spite of the popularity of his great work.

Let it end there. The two friends didn't butt heads while Achebe was alive.

superlightning:


I have never ever downplayed Soyinka's Nobel prize. His works are one of the G.O.A.T just as that of achebe. What am saying is that his works on African literature is EUROCENTRIC. pls get my point.

Is the alphabet Achebe wrote the texts of his books in not Eurocentric? Did he write his works in Ibocentric alphabets, or Latin styled alphabets?

Get a grip and stop opening thread on issues you cannot win.

kayfra:
Nobel prizes are not based on popularity. It's not a popularity contest. Literary work is very subjective and you have the most subjective experts agreeing that Soyinka's work deserves the award and Achebe's not so deserving in spite of the popularity of his great work.

Let it end there. The two friends didn't butt heads while Achebe was alive.

Reno Omkri loves to wind them up. He knows what makes them tick. Everytime he writes nonsense on tweeter they jump on it.

MetaPhysical:


True but literature is a description for genre of works in written arts, which include published books, poems, creative works, and can range from simple composition to a more noble range having superior merit to become classic.

Unlike Achebe's, a panel of reputable Judges with exposure in the field reviewed works from all over the globe and gave Soyinka the trophy for the most superior in the art of written works. With the award he beat scholars even of European descent. Its not a competition between Soyinka and Achebe.....its between Soyinka and the world, and he won it!

Now you are bitter that Yoruba won award for superiority in literature around the globe.

How many times has Achebe's work been nominated for Nobel Literature Prize?

you keep citing the Nobel prize as though it is the ultimate prize. it isnt. the prize (amongst other literature prizes) is not what makes the literature, rather it is the literature that makes the prize.

Africans, Asians, Americans, Arabs can also start their own mouthwatering legacy prize like the swede named Alfred Nobel did for Europe. Its a good and honorable thing, but it doesn't necessarily determine what should be literature and what shouldn't.

MetaPhysical:


Is the alphabet Achebe wrote the texts of his books in not Eurocentric? Did he write his works in Ibocentric alphabets, or Latin styled alphabets?

Get a grip and stop opening thread on issues you cannot win.

speaking English DOES NOT make you Eurocentric.

take it easy bro, you are getting emotional.

kayfra:
Nobel prizes are not based on popularity. It's not a popularity contest. Literary work is very subjective and you have the most subjective experts agreeing that Soyinka's work deserves the award and Achebe's not so deserving in spite of the popularity of his great work.

Let it end there. The two friends didn't butt heads while Achebe was alive.

you are right. it is not based on popularity. it is based on subjectivity, and in this case, subjective eurocentrism.

superlightning:


1. when I said "Eurocentric", I didn't mean "non-european". They both mean different things.

2. both Achebe and Soyinka are embodiments of literature. there is no genre of literature that is better than the other.

3. in terms of popularity and reach, its Achebe. remember, he is often called "father of modern African LITERATURE", because of "things fall apart" and "criticism on Joseph Conrad's narrative about Africa"

for instance, the link posted below tries to explain what an embodiment of "LITERATURE" is. you don't have to be everything before you are being honored as the "father of modern African LITERATURE"

https://face2faceafrica.com/article/celebrating-life-literary-giant-chinua-achebe-works

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://qz.com/africa/1480548/chinua-achebes-things-fall-apart-at-60-and-african-english/&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwj-0MGjqqDiAhXQbVAKHdyoCsU4ChCpAgglKAAwCQ&usg=AOvVaw1IVFtx8Vgk7womsp3c0h-u

as I stated earlier, Achebe and Soyinka are both embodiments of literature.

Achebe is not!

LITERATURE IS BEYOND PROSE AND POEM!

superlightning:


you keep citing the Nobel prize as though it is the ultimate prize. it isnt. the prize (amongst other literature prizes) is not what makes the literature, rather it is the literature that makes the prize.

Africans, Asians, Americans, Arabs can also start their own mouthwatering legacy prize like the swede named Alfred Nobel did for Europe. Its a good and honorable thing, but it doesn't necessarily determine what should be literature and what shouldn't.

How many times has Achebe's works been a contender on the Nobel Award list? Answer that.

Basic123:

Achebe is not!

LITERATURE IS BEYOND PROSE AND POEM!

Nardine Gordimer, a NOBEL LAUREATE herself from south Africa, called Achebe the father of modern African "literature".

Achebe's works impacted NELSON MANDELA (a Nobel peace prize laureate), Maya Angelou, and other African greats.

let's put sentiments aside, Achebe did a job no one in his era would comfortably do - fight back racism against africa with the pen. he inspired a new generation of writers all over the world especially among Africans.

Soyinka is sincerely great. his works are charming and 'non-aggressive' towards europe. and he deserves a Nobel prize for it.

superlightning:



Nardine Gordimer, a NOBEL LAUREATE herself from south Africa, called Achebe the father of modern African "literature".

Achebe's works impacted NELSON MANDELA (a Nobel peace prize laureate), Maya Angelou, and other African greats.

let's put sentiments aside, Achebe did a job no one in his era would comfortably do - fight back racism against africa with the pen. he inspired a new generation of writers all over the world especially among Africans.

Soyinka is sincerely great. his works are charming and 'non-aggressive' towards europe. and he deserves a Nobel prize for it.

I knew it would come to this eventually. Soyinka was soft, Achebe was brave.

Is Ngozi soft for her Eurocentric appeal, and is it the softness that advances her internationally?

superlightning:


you are right. it is not based on popularity. it is based on subjectivity, and in this case, subjective eurocentrism.

You can't use eurocentrism to shade Soyinka's achievement. Knock it off

Soyinka is not just the first African to win the prize, he is also the first black in the world to win it.

Many scholars around the world have written and compared Yoruba culture and civilization to Greek. So it should be quite expected that someone like Soyinka who is adept at demistifying myths through his works would appeal to Judges looking for classics and mastery of written arts in literature.

The superiority of Soyinka to Achebe is rooted in the superiority of Yoruba as a classic civilization. Soyinka was a modern mouthpiece to share it with the world.

What claassic did Achebe share? None! Thats why he remains a popular writer but not a master creator like Soyinka.

MetaPhysical:



I knew it would come to this eventually. Soyinka was soft, Achebe was brave.

Is Ngozi soft for her Eurocentric appeal, and is it the softness that advances her internationally?

my brother, its NOT about who is brave or who is a coward (if that's what you mean).

its about approach. Achebe was forward and assertive while Soyinka was cunning and persuasive.

You don't have to make wrong assumptions.

MetaPhysical:



I knew it would come to this eventually. Soyinka was soft, Achebe was brave.

Is Ngozi soft for her Eurocentric appeal, and is it the softness that advances her internationally?

my brother, its NOT about who is brave or who is a coward (if that's what you mean).

its about approach. Achebe was forward and assertive while Soyinka was cunning and persuasive.

You don't have to make wrong assumptions. pls don't.