He writes with his adult voice, but maintains the childs perspective and understanding. In his nobel lectured on december 8, soyinka stated. This is the story of wole s childhood memories of the town and its people. He was privileged to have access to radio and electricity at home as his father, samuel ayodele soyinka s held prominent position as an.
This research should unveil on one hand, the difficulties in translating yorubaspecific styles in the source text, and on the other hand suggests ways by which these problems can be solved. The years of childhood vintage international by prof. Wole soyinka was a bright, curious child and his account of his early childhood in the town of abeokuta in western nigeria is enchanting. Akinwande oluwole wole soyinka is a nigerian writer, notable especially as a playwright and poet.
Nigerian playwright and political activist wole soyinka received the nobel prize for literature in 1986. His father is essay, headmaster of the local equivalent of an elementary school, a man who delights in arguing. Aka is the western nigerian town where soyinkaone of black africas finest writersgrew up, the son of englishspeaking, christianized parents. It is what makes ake, in addition to its other great virtues, the best available introduction to the work of one of the liveliest, most exciting writers in the world today. The years of childhood pages 2528 mr olagbajus bachelor house behind the school became a second lunchhour home. See all books authored by wole soyinka, including death and the kings horseman, and ake.
The years of childhood gives us the story of soyinkas boyhood before and during world war ii in a yoruba village in western nigeria. Author wole soyinka relates his childhood, beginning from the tender age of three. Woles father, samuel ayodele soyinka, was a prominent anglican minister and headmaster, while his mother, grace eniola soyinka, was a shopkeeper and local activist. The narrative moves effortlessly from very early recollections to the point at. Jul 03, 2014 wole soyinka hatched from the egg of impunity. Soyinka received his nobel prize for literature from swedens king carl gustaf on december 6, 1986. A relentlessly curious child who loved books and getting into trouble, soyinka grew up on a. The political turbulence of these years framed soyinkas adolescence and early adulthood, which he chronicles in his most recent autobiographical work, ibadan, the penkelemes years, a memoir. The years of childhood was awarded an anisfieldwolf award in 1983. Soyinka s rich and evocative prose tells the tales of his schooldays and adventures, recollecting fears and dangers, and always sensitive to the surprises of childhood. The years of childhood by wole soyinka librarything. Wole soyinka is a nigerian writer, poet and play writer.
This vivid, exuberant book is the authors account of his childhood in colonial nigeria. Download file pdf ake the years of childhood wole soyinka recognizing the quirk ways to get this books ake the years of childhood wole soyinka is additionally useful. The years of childhood which can be read as an extended metaphor for growing up or, more specifically, growing up in a small town in western nigeria and becoming a worldrecognized author and nobel prize winner. He was awarded the 1986 nobel prize in literature, the first african to be honoured in that category. Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. His favourite food appeared to be the pounded yam, iyan, at which i soon became his keen accomplice. A member of the yoruba people, soyinka attended government college and university college in ibadan before graduating in 1958 with a degree in english from the university of leeds in england. Sep 05, 2010 wole soyinka was a bright, curious child and his account of his early childhood in the town of abeokuta in western nigeria is enchanting. The years of childhood by wole soyinka africa book club. Publication date 1983 topics soyinka, wole, authors, nigerian. The years of childhood is author wole soyinka s autobiographical account about events in his childhood between about 1934 and 1945 in the town of ake in presentday nigeria. Wole soyinka, in full akinwande olu wole soyinka, was born on july, 1934.
Soyinka seems fated to bridge elements in our world which. Wole soyinkas life is one of the rare, riveting biographies of our time. He sometimes wrote of modern west africa in a satirical style, but his serious intent and his belief in the evils inherent in the exercise of power usually was. Wole soyinka born july th, 1934 wole soyinka, in full akinwande olu wole soyinka, was born on july, 1934, in abeokuta, nigeria. This is the ideal circle of autobiography at its best. The years of childhood, nigerian writer wole soyinka tells the story of the first eleven years of his life.
Nobel prize winning author wole soyinka recalls his early years in 30s40s nigeria. A dazzling memoir of an african childhood from nobel prizewinning nigerian novelist, playwright, and poet wole soyinka. Another african, desmond tutu, won his nobel peace prize two years earlier in 1984. The years of childhood is author wole soyinkas autobiographical account about events in his childhood between about 1934 and 1945 in the town of ake in presentday nigeria. Wole soyinka poems, quotations and biography on wole soyinka poet page. The years of childhood article pdf available in the journal of commonwealth literature 471.
Wole soyinka, in full akinwande oluwole soyinka, born july, 1934, abeokuta, nigeria, nigerian playwright and political activist who received the nobel prize for literature in 1986. The years of childhood gives us the story of soyinka s boyhood before and during world war ii in a yoruba village in western nigeria. Central to the memoir is soyinka s father who happened to be a headmaster with an eccentric behaviour, his mother, known as wild christian and his siblings. He was born in 1934 in abeokuta, near ibadan, into a yoruba family and studied at university college in ibadan, nigeria, and the university of leeds, england. The years of childhood as a precocious yet studious youth, but ransomekuti implies that if he is to have an impact, wole must resist the urge to immerse himself solely in the world of books and academia. You have remained in right site to start getting this info. The years of childhood is a memoir by nigerian writer wole soyinka that was first published in 1981. The years of childhood by wole soyinka september 5, 2010 by danny yee 2 comments.
He is a spiritual writer not in the sense of spiritual matters but in the sense of the level of magic he conjurs with his words. Ake the years of childhood gives us the story of soyinka s boyhood before and during world war ii in a yoruba village in western nigeria called ake. Ake, is the nigerian town where wole grew up a boy. Aug 02, 2019 ake by wole soyinka pdf the eldest son of a primaryschool headmaster and a devout christian mother, wole soyinka lived a comfortable life in the ake parsonage in abeokuta. He is the son of a very strict headmaster and wole is expected to act appropriately at all times. The africa society profile of nobel laureate wole soyinka. Wole soyinka biography, age, children, family, house. His life course has brought him from deaths door as a political prisoner in solitary confinement to the hallowed halls of harvard, yale, and leeds. The years of childhood wole soyinka a dazzling memoir of an african childhood from nobel prizewinning nigerian novelist, playwright, and poet wole soyinka. Watson institute for international and public affairs 154,689 views 1. The years of childhood gives us the story of soyinkas boyhood before and during world war ii in a yoruba village in western nigeria called ake.
He writes with his adult voice, but maintains the childs perspective and understanding throughout, the one exception a nostalgic contrasting of streetfronts then and now. Wole soyinka was a bright, curious child and his account of his early childhood in. A relentlessly curious child who loved books and getting into trouble, soyinka grew up on. The first volume of wole soyinka s acclaimed series of autobiographical works. Soyinkas father is a school headmaster, and his mother is a devoted christian who comes from a prominent tribal family. There is a wonderful chapter in wole soyinka s ake. Ake the years of childhood gives us the story of soyinkas boyhood before and during world war ii in a yoruba village in western nigeria called ake. Chief among the political movements mentioned in ake is the egba womens union, in which movement soyinka s mother is an active participant. A critique of uffelmanns german translation of soyinkas. This is the story of woles childhood memories of the town and its people. A relentlessly curious child who loved books and getting into trouble, soyinka grew up on a parsonage. The years of childhood by wole soyinka pdf, epub, fb2. The years of childhood by wole soyinka pdf download.
He is born and raised on a parsonage compound in a. The years of childhood is a memoir which tells an engaging story of the early phase of his life as a child. The years of childhood, was published in 1981 and followed by. Ake is an autobiography of wole soyinkas early life in nigeria. This was his first journey beyond ake,morewhen he was 4 years old, spurred by insatiable curiosity and the beat of a marching drum, wole soyinka slipped. The years of childhood is author wole soyinkas autobiographical account about events in his childhood between about and in the town of ake. His father is essay, headmaster of the local equivalent of an elementary. Read all poems of wole soyinka and infos about wole soyinka. Soyinkas father is a school headmaster, and his mother is a devoted christian who comes from a.
The years of childhood is concerned with political movements and with efforts to empower the people of ake and of nigeria as they struggle against oppressive government forces. In 1981, his first autobiographic work, ake, the years of childhood. Son of a middle class christian family his father is a headmaster, the flavour of yoruba society is nonetheless vividly evoked throughout, whether its his pagan grandfather cutting his ankles in a coming of. Ritual scarification and autobiographical forms in wole soyinkas ake. This is one of the bestknown plays by africas major dramatist, wole soyinka. Akinwande oluwole babatunde soyinka was born on the th of july, 1934 at abeokuta, near ibadan in western nigeria. Avaliable format in pdf, epub, mobi, kindle, ebook and audiobook. Wole soyinka biography childhood, life achievements. Read this biography to learn more about his childhood, life, achievements and timeline. Wole soyinka was born in the city of abeokuta, nigeria, which was then a part of the british empire. Wole soyinka books list of books by author wole soyinka.