9. Akinwande “Wole” Soyinka
PHOTOGRAPH BY REX FEATURES/ASSOCIATED PRESS
A Nigerian writer notable for his plays and poems, in 1986 Akinwande “Wole” Soyinka was the first African to be awarded the Nobel Prize in literature. Soyinka bases his writing on the mythology of his own Yoruba tribe and connects his plays to traditional African theater, dance, and music. Though he primarily considers himself a playwright, he has written novels and several volumes of poetry. After earning his doctorate in the United Kingdom, he worked at the Royal Court Theatre in London, where he wrote and produced plays. He later returned to Nigeria to study African drama, start an acting company, and teach literature and drama at the country’s universities. For decades a strong proponent of Nigerian democracy, his works often focuses on his criticism of Nigeria’s many military dictators. He has been imprisoned and exiled, fleeing Nigeria in 1994 for the United States. Soyinka, who will turn 80 in July 2014, has taught at numerous U.S. universities, including Cornell, Emory, and Loyola Marymount.
