Wole Soyinka has gone from political prisoner to Nobel Laureate in Literature, in an astonishing life filled with vastly diverse experiences. His writing career has been similarly diverse, spanning multiple genres. His poetry, essays, plays and novels, brimming with wit and rage, have borne witness to the tragedy and triumphs of his native Nigeria, as he tenaciously seeks to promote the voice for the African experience across the continent and into the diaspora. In a special Stratford appearance, Soyinka, 87, joins CBC’s Nahlah Ayed to discuss Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth, his first novel in fifty years, and his seminal work Death and the King’s Horseman, which will be a highlight of the Stratford Festival’s 2022 season. This is a not-to-be-missed event with a skilled storyteller at the height of his powers.

In photo: Wole Soyinka

Photography by Glen Gratty.