Soyinka, Wole
Soyinka, Wole ( 1934 – ),Nigerian dramatist and probably Africa's most versatile author, educated at the universities of Ibadan and Leeds. He was play reader at the Royal Court Theatre, London, where his The Swamp Dwellers ( 1958 ), The Lion and the Jewel and The Invention (both 1959 ) were produced. These already demonstrated his development from simple Nigerian village comedies to a more complex and individual drama incorporating mime and dance. Back in Nigeria from 1960 , a variety of university posts and the opportunity of producing and acting in his own plays gave him the self-confidence to undertake even more daring innovations, e.g. in A Dance of the Forests ( 1960 ), a half-satirical, half-fantastic celebration of Nigerian independence. Soyinka's first novel, The Interpreters ( 1965 ), captures the idealism of young Nigerians regarding the development of a new Africa—possibly...
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