Paystack:
People don't even regard noble prize in literature and arts

Those ones are useless Nobel prize just like the Noble peace prize.

Like Sheldon cooper in Big Bang theory will say "Real Nobel prize are those in physics and sciences"

Soyinka was gifted a noble prize because of memoirs from prison, I also respect him sha for bringing glory to Nigeria and black people in general

When drop-out nwa boys turned 2x2 shop traders begin to tell you that the opinions of global academic giants aren't correct....

KoshCAD:
Ode, this place is a US university, you think he's your mumu story telling Achebe who only jealous of Soyinka till death

Should you not be ashamed of yourself?

You are posting images of Soyinka, a supposedly literary giant trying to ingratiate himself self to the parents of white school children?

Chinua Achebe spent decades in the US as the preeminent doyen of literature supervising doctoral and post-doctoral dissertations and I can bet you that he saw no reason in viewing lecturing a predominantly white audience as some of achievement and validation.

He saw himself as equal if not above the white establishment and vehemently said it on countless occasions that he care less for an award that required him to debase himself as a black man just to be found worthy of winning it....

EmperorCaesar:


Bro, I'm smart enough to know that the only fact here is Soyinka won a well deserved Prize and Achebe didn't

That's a universal fact

Plus, you aren't smarter than all those who sat to deliberate, nominate and give him the award as they don't even know him personally but just his works

For a Nobel Prize award, my education is a waste if I think the opinion of a random fellow matters more than that of the organizers of the historical award, especially in thr academic field

Let's be logical please...

In your mind you are smart

In your mind your oluwole education is not a waste abi?

maestroferddi:
Ogbeni leave this place and read!

What transpired between Chinua Achebe and the Academy which confers the Nobel Prize is not secret....He is not the only figure who was overlooked in what he should have won effortlessly.

You think the Nobel Prize in Literature is the beginning and end of existence because you are technically a what is termed an intellectual philistine and literary dinosaur.

Google up recent winners of the award and you will see writers in such genres like children's books and even song writing which is making the prize more or less a mockery.

Bob Dylan won the prize in 2016 for writing lyrics of songs and yret you appear ready to kill yourself on top of ...

Shut up, why Achebe no win am in his life time.

BentizilL0:
Respect to Achebe but Soyinka is above his level... 💯

You are a cultis that why you like white pig soyinka

EmperorCaesar:
These guys actually think their opinion matters In things like this

The world doesn't care at all

That anyone could even try to rubbish the Nobel Prize award shows the quality of education in the East

You can have issues with Soyinka but to talk down the award shows a high level of daftness and unintelligent

Once the winner is not from them, it is rubbish.

Very insecure tribe.

ObaOfBeninNahMu:
Who is comparing Wole Soyinka (free born) to one useless Godforaaken Osu born chinua achebe (of cursed memory)?

Omoale that's your father's name

KoshCAD:
Shut up, why Achebe no win am in his life time.

You see your life?

Now that your simple-mindedness has been laid bare for all to see you have defaulted to asking a banal if not silly question....

James Ngugi wa Thiong'o authored Weep Not Child, a classic novel referencing the struggle against colonialism in Kenya....He happens to be over 80 years of age and has apparently ticked every box needed to win the award...

But he has been denied it despite global outcry....Do the mathematics and you can then get the memo...

Wole Soyinka Betray Other Africans Just To Get The Nobel Price.

In 1986, when African writers decided to boycott the Nobel Prize for the apparent discrimination from the Royal Academy (up until then, no African was considered good enough for the prize), Soyinka showed up as a betrayer of the African collective cause and got the award

.....Soyinka might have a Nobel Prize, but that is not surely a comment on his social value as a writer. Even Abdulrazak Gurnah who was awarded the prize in 2021 said he thought it was a joke. Nobody knew him and he knew he did not deserve it.

In contrast, Ngugi wa Thiong'O has consistently been ignored by the Royal Academy, even though everyone in the literary field knows he is supposed to have long won it on merit. To put things in perspective, he taught Gurnah way back, and has taught many other greats

Ngugi's sin is that he would never bend to the Western ideologies, and he has canvassed on different occasions for African writers and indeed, writers from the Orient, to develop literature in their languages, instead of enriching metropolitan languages.

The West hates people like Ngugi, and can never reward them with their treasured literary prizes like the Nobel. To be an African writer deserving of the award, you have to have no hurtful opinion about the West. It is basically politics by the institutions of World Lit.
Achebe cut the perfect figure for the prize, and it was not surprising that he got it in 1986. Canonised writers like Achebe who took on Greene and Conrad could not have been rewarded for questioning the jaundiced representation of Africans in Western literature

Beebling:


You are a cultis that why you like white pig soyinka

Your bitterness gets grade

maestroferddi:
See this one...

Go to the Quora you are alluding to and type " controversies of the Nobel Prize" you will see countless topics and comments about the subjectiveness of the award.

The Nobel Prize for Literature became a joke when a Bob Dylan won it while a literary colossus like James Ngugi wa Thiong'o who like Achebe is being overlooked and ignored to being what the Western elements who determine the awardees consider "rebelious and independent-minded".

Oponu, controversy my foot.

When Desmond Tutu won it, it is not controversy

When Mandela won it, it is not controversy.

It is because Wole Soyinka, a Yoruba man won it that only you igbo know the controversy.

Jealous him from now to you perish, his name will remain in their list of winners.

Very insecure tribe.

maestroferddi:
You see your life?

Now that your simple-mindedness has been laid bare for all to see you have defaulted to asking a banal if not silly question....

James Ngugi wa Thiong'o authored Weep Not Child, a classic novel referencing the struggle against colonialism in Kenya....He happens to be over 80 years of age and has apparently ticked every box needed to win the award...

But he has been denied it despite global outcry....Do the mathematics and you can then get the memo...

Keep quiet,

Talk about your so called Achebe.

Did he tick every boxes to win it and they did not give him.

The fact is Achebe does not worth being given nobel prize and that is final.

If it pains Una, you all can create your own in ala Igbo and go give him in his grave.

Where is he? Where is that evasive coward?

EmperorCaesar where have you run away to again this time? You know you cannot escape me unless you deactivate 🤪

Haha 😄

KoshCAD:
Oponu, controversy my foot.

When Desmond Tutu won it, it is not controversy

When Mandela won it, it is not controversy.

It is because Wole Soyinka, a Yoruba man won it that only you igbo know the controversy.

Jealous him from now to you perish, his name will remain in their list of winners.

Very insecure tribe.

I just dey pity your grievous ignorance....

Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela won The Nobel Peace prize which is awarded for humanitarian and charity causes and not the Nobel Prize for Literature....

BTW, spare some time to read up the Nobel Prize...I believe it will help/extend your repetoire of knowledge

gistray:

But that's the truth

Soyinkas work didn't exceed 10 pages at most.
He only gets inspired under the influence of cannabis or Igboh

But he won a Nobel prize.

Show us Achebe, who his work pass 10million pages his own nobel award.

KoshCAD:
Keep quiet,

Talk about your so called Achebe.

Did he tick every boxes to win it and they did not give him.

The fact is Achebe does not worth being given nobel prize and that is final.

If it pains Una, you all can create your own in ala Igbo and go give him in his grave.

Are you dense or something?

I stated above that Achebe made it abundantly clear that he was prepared to sacrifice his individuality as black man in order to win the award.

He was a man of principle that 1,000 Nobel Prizes could make to change his views and philosophy,,,,

Makavelli001:
I think the comparision of Wole Soyinka and Chinua Achebe is mischievous at best.

There is no comparison really.

I like to think that what makes someone a SPECTACULAR writer is their ability to tell stories that finds a home in your heart.

I left secondary school MANY YEARS AGO, and I can tell you, that there are literatures I read back then, that I can still remember today... I can remember the dialogues... Incidents...Names... And even the pictures I created in my mind of what I think the writer was trying to portray.

I only read Wole Soyinka because I needed to pass my literature exams.
I remember how we had to debate The Lion and the jewel in our literature class... Soyinka portrayed Africa like a helpless continent that needed western civilization to survive.
I have never opened any of his books since after secondary school.

But I have read Things fall apart by Chinua Achebe more than 10 times.
I have read The Concubine by Elechi Amadi more than 15 times.

I mean, from start to end.

I have replayed different scenarios and different endings in my head.

I have thought about A Things Fall Apart where Ikemefuna did not die...
A concubine where Ihuoma's children didn't hunt lizards on the very day Ekwume came visiting...

These are memories that will remain with me forever because a writer dared intrude my subconscious and made a home there.
.
.
.
I will chose to read Efuru by Flora Nwapa over any of Woke Soyinka "finest works".

There are at least 10 African writers who I'll read first before I pick any Wole Soyinkas books, like;
Ngugi wa Thiongo
Cyprian Ekwensi
Mongo Beti
Buchi Emecheta
Aye Kwei Armah
Etc.

And No, my submission is NOT because of the politics of "ANYWHERE BELLE FACE' Wole Soyinka has subjected himself to, which has made him a nuisance/laughing stock right now, it's just how I have always felt about his works.
I never connected to ANY of his books, I had to struggle to read, to relate, or even understand them and I have read over 200 books from African writers series alone.

Many Nigerians will easily remember Ikemefuna and Okonkwo more than they can remember any character in Wole Soyinka's books, this is because of RELATABILITY, a writer speaking to the reader in a familiar language.

Chinua Achebe is NIGERIA'S GREATEST LITERARY EXPORT to the world and there is a reason he is called THE GODFATHER OF AFRICAN LITERATURE...

I mean, THINGS FALL APART alone has been translated into 57 Languages!!!

It is not news that the reason why Achebe was snubbed for a Nobel Prize for literature was because he was too committed in his support of African culture and the oppressed, instead of using his platform to serve the interests of big powers in the west who were and are still our puppet masters.

Like the late Nelson Mandela once said; paraphrased, Achebe is the writer in whose company the prison walls fell down.

Achebe is THE GOAT.
There is NO COMPARISON.
Kapish?

Achebe is not a GOAT and will tell you how foolish you are to embrace the ILLUMINATI phrase of Goat.

Otherwise everything else you wrote makes sense

maestroferddi:
I just dey pity your grievous ignorance....

Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela won The Nobel Peace prize which is awarded for humanitarian and charity causes and not the Nobel Prize for Literature....

BTW, spare some time to read up the Nobel Prize...I believe it will help/extend your repetoire of knowledge

I don't care the category with which they won it.

Don't tell me, I know it already.

The fact is they won it.

If your Achebe is good enough, he would have won it

He cared about the award when he was alive, it is because he did not win it that he started ranting how he doesn't care.

KoshCAD:
Achebe wished he could achieve like soyinka in life

To snap picture with white people now na achievement?

Even Chimamada do this type of meetings every other day

maestroferddi:
Are you dense or something?

I stated above that Achebe made it abundantly clear that he was prepared to sacrifice his individuality as black man in order to win the award.

He was a man of principle that 1,000 Nobel Prizes could make to change his views and philosophy,,,,

Sharap mugu,

Achebe care about the award, he was just not good enough to win it.

All these you claiming he said is because he doesn't win it.

Stop jealousy of Soyinka because he's a Yoruba man.

He has won it and nothing anyone of you can do about it.

Paystack:

To snap picture with white people now na achievement?

Even Chimamada do this type of meetings every other day

I don't have time for you.

Bring your father's achievements let see.

KoshCAD:
I don't care the category with which they won it.

Don't tell me, I know it already.

The fact is they won it.

If your Achebe is good enough, he would have won it

He cared about the award when he was alive, it is because he did not win it that he started ranting how he doesn't care.

Achebe and Soyinka no be mate my boy.

Soyinka only got recognition after the works of Achebe brought limelight to Africa

KoshCAD:
I don't have time for you.

Bring your father's achievements let see.

Google is your friend.

Every major ranking websites or organization in the world ranks Achebe over Soyinka.

Achebes works setup the foundation for Soyinka just like Isaac Newton help create a niche for Albert Einstein

Paystack:
People don't even regard noble prize in literature and arts

Those ones are useless Nobel prize just like the Noble peace prize.

Like Sheldon cooper in Big Bang theory will say "Real Nobel prize are those in physics and sciences"

Soyinka was gifted a noble prize because of memoirs from prison, I also respect him sha for bringing glory to Nigeria and black people in general

Don't glory in error
It was "Ake" that won him the Nobel laureate

pharmagba:

Don't glory in error
It was "Ake" that won him the Nobel laureate

It was out of pity after spending time in jail

Beebling:
Wole Soyinka Betray Other Africans Just To Get The Nobel Price.

In 1986, when African writers decided to boycott the Nobel Prize for the apparent discrimination from the Royal Academy (up until then, no African was considered good enough for the prize), Soyinka showed up as a betrayer of the African collective cause and got the award

.....Soyinka might have a Nobel Prize, but that is not surely a comment on his social value as a writer. Even Abdulrazak Gurnah who was awarded the prize in 2021 said he thought it was a joke. Nobody knew him and he knew he did not deserve it.

In contrast, Ngugi wa Thiong'O has consistently been ignored by the Royal Academy, even though everyone in the literary field knows he is supposed to have long won it on merit. To put things in perspective, he taught Gurnah way back, and has taught many other greats

Ngugi's sin is that he would never bend to the Western ideologies, and he has canvassed on different occasions for African writers and indeed, writers from the Orient, to develop literature in their languages, instead of enriching metropolitan languages.

The West hates people like Ngugi, and can never reward them with their treasured literary prizes like the Nobel. To be an African writer deserving of the award, you have to have no hurtful opinion about the West. It is basically politics by the institutions of World Lit.
Achebe cut the perfect figure for the prize, and it was not surprising that he got it in 1986. Canonised writers like Achebe who took on Greene and Conrad could not have been rewarded for questioning the jaundiced representation of Africans in Western literature

Stop this childish nonsense
The West hates this, the west hates that
Yet they gave Nelson Mandela

pharmagba:

Stop this childish nonsense
The West hates this, the west hates that
Yet they gave Nelson Mandela

They gave it to him with a white man by his side my boy.

To tell you the award 🥇 is shyte

That award was created by one individual Alfred Nobel who didn't know what to do with his ill gotten wealth

Senioreddy:
Mehn guy you dey yarn wella.

Ngugi wa Thiongo
Cyprian Ekwensi
Mongo Beti
Buchi Emecheta
Aye Kwei Armah

These are the real scholars.
Nigeria today is a replica of 'The beautiful ones are not yet born'. I also know that one day what happened to the political elites in that novel, will happen in Nigeria.

That book "The beautiful ones are not yet born is truly prophetic.
Imagine how the author predicted the political parties names correctly.
How he talked about the merger to form a political party called ADC. It was so beautiful.
I was fixated on reading those peice of artistry maser piece.

raskymonojendor:

It was the same hate, bitterness, and anger achiebe took to his grave. It's encoded in their genes.

You talk too much...

Most of you from the are enjoying the dividends of Achebe's patriotism but you know not. Do you know what it means to be bitter?

You think because the white bearded cultist won a Nobel laureate makes him better than most African artists?

You are too young to point such finger at an accomplished man like Achebe.

All these nonsense would have been laid down if your grandfather Awolowo allowed the Eastern region to break away as agreed but he became an opportunist just to gain meager favour which has led your region no way.

Shut up if you don't know what to say!

melow666:


Your argument is flawed, There are text books in literature for beginners and experts but a story is a story, you can choose to tell your story in a convoluted lingua, but it is still a story just made difficult by difficult grammer. Secondly, you are quite wrong in thinking that difficulty level influences winning the Nobel price. Some of the winners of this price are Ernest Hermingway, Rudyard Kipling and I enjoy their works as I do Achebe, they do not use fancy languages or egotistic diction, just plain old English. The Nobel prize is based on your work and the sentiments of people towards you. Achebe was confrontational, Soyinka was more predictable. When it comes to their work each are renown. Things fall apart by Achebe is the foremost work of African Literature. It was novel at its time because it contested the notion of Africans either portrayed in two ways, Innocent and childlike, the white man's burden, half devil but mostly child as put by Rudyard Kipling in his work, 'the white man's burden' or Babarians and cannibals dancing fervently, leaping and gyrating in front of large fires set against a moonless night as portrayed in "heart of darkness" by Joseph Conrad. These were the two traditional set pieces of African culture and people in western written African set prose. The continent itself was seen as wild and unforgiving, dark and damp, sullen and cruel, set to drive these Africans mad. Achebes work shattered this perception, it didn't side with either the white man nor the African, it presented the African and hid culture as people trying to make sense of the world around them and it's changes. It presented the African as a person with his own values, good and bad, flawed and whole, a culture with rules, a land that nourishes and curses, a cultures with its flaws and asks the reader to be the judge. It presents a neutral view of the African and his culture.

I love reading books, I have tried to read some of wole soyinka's books but I could not immerse.
Achebes things fall apart have been translated to more than 50 languages and is compulsory in schools in USA and India. These had bridged the chasm between cultures, people in these climes seeing the African as a person with culture with its own values, not a character moved to act by the non physical forces hiding in shrubs after the African sunset.

So you can write book to bridge gaps and tell a story of your people or you can write your book to impress people about your grasp and grip of their language and they might be nice enough to give you an award. Infact conquering the white man with how adept you can conjugate grammer in his language.

Well, I quite respect your submissions but I don't wholly agree with you.

Walahi, if for the next 100years, tribal war no happen for Nigeria, come have my two balls

seunowa:


Well, I quite respect your submissions but I don't wholly agree with you.

To summarize, Achebe writes to tell a story, Soyinka writes with big grammer to showcase his dexterity of the English language and maybe win awards.