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Nairaland Forum / Entertainment / Literature / Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today (40079 Views)
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Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by Nobody: 9:47am On Jul 13, 2017 |
Happy birthday sir. Many more years in Jesus name |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by ajl: 9:48am On Jul 13, 2017 |
NwaAmaikpe: Because Achebe deserve the Nobel prize doesn't mean that Soyinka doesn't deserve one. Both are literary giants, and each has his space. You Igbo people? ? I wonder how you all reason. "A" will always be "A"...you can't replace "A" with "B". 4 Likes |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by LordOfNaira: 9:48am On Jul 13, 2017 |
NwaAmaikpe: Politically motivated in what sense? You can't just make accusations without backing them up with facts. Let me educate you a little bit: We can never know the nominees of the 1986 Prize (Which Soyinka won) until 50 years from then (that would be 2024). One of the laws of the Nobel Committee is never to reveal the nominees until after fifty years. So, there is no assurance that Achebe was even on the list of nominees for the 1986 Prize which Soyinka won. Also, you cannot win the prize until you have made the nominees list at least 2 times. There is no assurance that Achebe ever made the list. At least, you have to make the list first before even thinking of winning the Prize. Soyinka won the Prize at a time when the Prize was criticized for being Eurocentric. What this means is that the Nobel Committee had not seemed to value Literature written by people outside Europe and America. So, there is no doubt that Soyinka won it on merit. The Nobel Prize Committee has been criticized for sometimes giving the Prize to undeserving writers. In 2004, a Committee member resigned after the award was given to a writer he felt was undeserving. Check Soyinka's name on the website page of the Nobel Prize on this article and you would see that he falls in the same list with the greats like TS Elliot and W.B Yeats who deserved their wins. Read articles on those who have criticized the Nobel Prize. None of them has faulted Soyinka's win. And no one has ever mentioned Achebe as deserving it. The only other African who has been given consideration is the distinguished professor Ngugi Wa Thiong'O. Finally, the Prize is most of the time given based on the strength of your body of works. Many believe that Achebe's best work in terms of literature is Anthills of the Savannah and as at 1986, he had not written the book. As at 1986, Achebe had only written 4 novels, with Things Fall Apart and Arrow of God being his major work while Soyinka had written two strong novels (The Interpreters was even favoured over No Longer At Ease in terms of texture) and several plays. He had also successfully made adaptations of Bacchus and then Brecht's famous opera. 9 Likes 2 Shares |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by stagger: 9:50am On Jul 13, 2017 |
NwaAmaikpe: Do you know how many great writers Africa has produced? Mongo Beti, Flora Nwapa, Ngugi wa Thiong'o (formerly known as James Ngugi whose book A Grain of Wheat was used as reading text in my school back in the day), and a host of them. When was Things Fall Apart written? You probably do not know. 1958 and 1986 is a long time. The Nobel selection committee do not care a hoot about who is an IPOB wailer or an Afonja. I am sure you know this. 9 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by StreetzHuztle: 9:51am On Jul 13, 2017 |
Dicksonpal: !yohA to you. 1 Like |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by Ulomoney(f): 9:51am On Jul 13, 2017 |
Dicksonpal: That one don die since na. You think say I be afonja wey dey see spirit. ![]() |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by Teegelop(f): 9:55am On Jul 13, 2017 |
Happy birthday Prof |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by kokomilala(m): 9:58am On Jul 13, 2017 |
Happy birthday to Kongi! The first black Nobel laureate.A man who demystified the error that English is exclusive preserve of white people.His written and spoken word attest to how much grasp he got old of the English language. Some people have argued that Chinua Achebe was a better writer.No,he wasn't.But Things Fall Apart ranks as the greatest African novel of the last century;is on the list of 100 greatest books ever written in the English language.Prose or the novel was Achebe's greatest strength On the other hand,Wole Soyinka is a playwright,poet,less of a novelist and a rounder writer than Achebe. Soyinka clinched the Nobel prize in 1986.For me,I think Achebe deserved the prize in his lifetime,but he was snubbed by the Nobel Institute. Soyinka,in one form or another is William Shakespeare reincarnate.Interestingly,they share the same intials,WS.Both infused poetry into playwriting with the immediacy that their times required. And for those profiling Soyinka as the pioneer of cultism in Nigeria or Nigerian universities,I think they are contradicted by the limited understanding of our culture.Cultism or whatever fraternity that people belong predates Wole Soyinka.So,it was only a question of time before they found their way into our institutions whether Soyinka and like minds fraternized or not. 1 Like |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by Nobody: 10:03am On Jul 13, 2017 |
gensteejay: While I can not question your line of reasoning, I can ask you few questions: Are you aware that marijuana is an organic plant ? How would you know the benefit without smoking it ? Why not ask Wole Soyinka about it ? You took your time to re-post the disadvantages of weed, while totally ignoring to post the numerous advantages of the natural plant which was created by your God for healing of nations. Could it be that Wole Soyinka can not research on marijuana before smoking it in his long fruitful life ? I think we have questions for Wole in regards to Weed. I do not want to hear the repeated mumbo jumbo about mind altering effects, cos poverty does much more than mind altering to the unread. 5 Likes |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by Nobody: 10:04am On Jul 13, 2017 |
john4reala: So they don't do Confraternity in USA and other developed countries right,,, he created it as a normal group but some miscreant hijacked it and soiled the image how is that his fault for God sake. |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by Tman104(m): 10:09am On Jul 13, 2017 |
Happy birthday Sir |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by kokomilala(m): 10:13am On Jul 13, 2017 |
The person who claimed to have read all of WS's is moving ahead of his shadows.Have you read and listened to his series of lectures at Reith Lectures,BBC in 2004,titled,CLIMATE OF FEAR:QUEST FOR DIGNITY IN A DEHUMANIZED WORLD?A series of five lectures that spanned five weeks and five venues.A most insightful dive into dictatorship anywhere in the world;an expose on the relishing of power,whose moment was seized by any quasi state-terrorists;the quest for dignity,and the most dangerous being on earth-the fanatic These lectures would lay bare Soyinka's heart to you as a humanist. 1 Like |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by mysteryman2014: 10:13am On Jul 13, 2017 |
NwaAmaikpe: Comparing Wole and Chinua is like comparing death and sleep, miles apart. Wole is the greatest ever from Africa continent as a contemporary writer 3 Likes |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by gotnel: 10:14am On Jul 13, 2017 |
Billyonaire:Marijuana is a herbal medicine, it has it advantage when consumption is moderate. Marijuana is not harmful when not abuse. Marijuana became a bad medicine because people abuses it, and the bad sides of the good Herb became more pronounced than the good sides |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by cristianisraeli: 10:15am On Jul 13, 2017 |
cultist!!!!..the man that started the cult cancer eating our youths today..happy by day!!! |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by purplekayc(m): 10:20am On Jul 13, 2017 |
What's his latest book? |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by Bobby808: 10:22am On Jul 13, 2017 |
NwaAmaikpe:Soyinka is one of the fake and artificial Nigerians. I still trust Gani even though he is late. Since Apc and Buhari killed this country in every ways, this prof. without man, wife etc. has not said anything about Buhari. He is shameless. He also took so many millions of Naira from Amaechi to celebrate his birth days, thereafter, he turned against GEJ and his faimily. These are some of the men without an inch worth, claiming to be a man with substance. |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by nuattitude: 10:33am On Jul 13, 2017 |
Yoha, my Typhoon-blasted and Weather-beaten Cap'n Blud of Tortuga ! I bid you many more ruff Sayles ahead until you join the fore-gone terrors of the High Seas ! |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by GeneralOjukwu: 10:35am On Jul 13, 2017 |
LordOfNaira: Err. .. I am not sure if my post shows clearly that I consider Soyinka a better writer than Achebe. Even if preferred Ake to Lion & the Jewel (both by Soyinka) I hope we are on the same side ![]() I am referring to " the question I keep asking YOU people". 3 Likes |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by Nobody: 10:35am On Jul 13, 2017 |
Billyonaire:Not all organic plants are beneficial or poisonous. It depends on the toxicity level of the poisonous substances in plants; this and some other factors will determine whether people consume the plants or not. Apart from medical practitioners, who can administer organic plants containing harmful substances safely; an organic plant could be termed "poisonous" if the risks of its constituent chemical substances far outweigh its benefits. A sane human being would normally avoid such plants since its effects are clear, but because some other plants like cannabis (from which marijuana is produced) have pernicious effects, people use them as they mayn't be able to detect their harmful effects on the body. This is why in making some life choices such as smoking marijuana, one should consider the viewpoint of health experts, not people like Wole Soyinka, who are experts in literature and are not perfect. No human is perfect. Wole Soyinka, though he is a man I hold in high regard, is not my role model. So I am not leading my life based on his convictions or moral ideals. The man is not an authority on health issues related to drug use. So mentioning his name here has no weight in this kind of discussion. 1 Like |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by Nickymezor(f): 10:47am On Jul 13, 2017 |
Hapi bufday to u sir, Ur truly a great man. Kip aging gracefully. |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by Nobody: 10:52am On Jul 13, 2017 |
banmee:With names like captain blood abi? Of course everyone will claim their intentions are perfect. Ayes have killed thousands but still go around shouting freedom fight and emancipation. See leave story. I've seen these people to the core so don't tell me what I know. |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by DozieInc(m): 11:01am On Jul 13, 2017 |
Happy Birthday Sir. |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by DarkRebel69: 11:04am On Jul 13, 2017 |
banmee: The perchant for evil is perhaps drowned only by the infinite waters of their infinite sea of ignorance. Prof. Soyinka formed the Pirates primarily to serve as the voice of oppressed students, an organization that would fight for students' rights and curtail the indiscriminate harassment of students – especially sexual harassment of female students by lecturers, which by the way was rife in that era. The secondary reason I think was to carve out a small, intimate circle of intellectuals and high-flying scholars who would meet occasionally for group-study, to bandy ideas, and even to socialize together - as is done in those Beta Theta Pi confratenities. Even the likes of Nelson Mandela while in college converged on occasion with Yusuf Dadoo and other African and Indian students for the purpose of transacting ideas about different political ideologies, and for honing the tools of their political activism. I see no reason why some ignorant gargoyles would come here to spew applesauce about a man who was betrayed into believing that Nigerians would be civilized enough to not upend the course of a well-meaning innovation. It's even worse knowing that these self-same gargoyles would still be incapable of measuring up to the white-haired professor if they had ten pathetic lives to live. 3 Likes |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by inimitkel(m): 11:06am On Jul 13, 2017 |
Wow! It's professor Soyinka's BD as well as mine and Mrs Foluke Adeboye...any love for the trio icons? ![]() 1 Like |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by banmee(m): 11:09am On Jul 13, 2017 |
DarkRebel69: Like play like play, this guy sabi English pass me. For Nairaland? Wedonsa. 2 Likes |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by banmee(m): 11:11am On Jul 13, 2017 |
ismokeweed: Exposure and education are two indespensable ingredients for a well informed and successful life. Guy you need to step up. |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by DarkRebel69: 11:17am On Jul 13, 2017 |
banmee: You no serious. Who English epp? ![]() Omo, Baba Soyinka don dey old ooo. Him self don dey near grave, and I don vow say I must meet this man, nay, this legend, before him die. How e go be now? ![]() ![]() |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by Dicksonpal: 11:22am On Jul 13, 2017 |
Ulomoney:Lool Omo Igbo be careful ooo... |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by Dicksonpal: 11:26am On Jul 13, 2017 |
ismokeweed:not capital, lobber.... Blood is for family link, meaning brothers... If u a a red hl I will call u blood..... Whwre do u hear about pirates counting scores in institutions sef! |
Re: Wole Soyinka Celebrates His 83rd Birthday Today by Vladdo: 11:29am On Jul 13, 2017 |
john4reala:.. yes he is a COURSE. Medicine or Law.. smh 1 Like |
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