Given Soyinka\u27 s creative output, particularly his unique infusion of African folk traditions and mythology into his English language work, and equally important, his bringing in new life-blood into the language itself, the Nobel Prize was long overdue. In fact, Soyinka has been on the  short list  of candidates for several years. However, given the familiar history of predominantly Western recipients for the Nobel Prize in Literature over the past 85 years, the Nobel Committee has been lethargic in acknowledging a major writer from the African continent. (Some non-Western recipients of the Prize were India\u27s Rabindranath Tagore in 1913, Chile\u27s Pablo Neruda in 1971, Colombia\u27s Gabriel Garcia Marquez in 1982.

Katrak, Ketu H.

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Contributions in Black StudiesA Journal of African and Afro-American StudiesVolume 8 Article 3September 2008Cultural Politics and the Nobel PrizeKetu H. KatrakUniversity of Massachusetts AmherstFollow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cibsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Afro-American Studies at ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted forinclusion in Contributions in Black Studies by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contactscholarworks@library.umass.edu.Recommended CitationKatrak, Ketu H. (2008) "Cultural Politics and the Nobel Prize," Contributions in Black Studies: Vol. 8 , Article 3.Available at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cibs/vol8/iss1/3Ketu H. KatrakCULTURAL POLITICS ANDTHE NOBEL PRIZEO crODER 16, 1986 dawned with the announcement ofWole Soyinka as therecipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature. In contemporary worldliterature, this Nigerian writer's stature is highly significant both as acreative artist with a fierce sense of social responsibility, and as a human beingwhose "one abiding religion," in his own words, is "human liberty." Since the late1950' s, Soyinka has shown himself to be a man of vast creative energy. A prolificwriter, best known as a dramatist-master of satire, comedy, tragedy, politicalrevue-he is equally important in contemporary world literature as poet, essayist,autobiographer, editor, literary critic, commentator on the African world-view,actor-manager, and director. In its cititation, the 18-member Nobel Committeedescribed the creator of more than twenty major works as "one of the finestpoetical playwrights that have written in English," and also remarked that hiswriting was "full of life and urgency."Given Soyinka' s creative output, particularly his unique infusion of Africanfolk traditions and mythology into his English language work, and equallyimportant, his bringing in new life-blood into the language itself, the Nobel Prizewas long overdue. In fact, Soyinka has been on the "short list" of candidates forseveral years. However, given the familiar history of predominantly Westernrecipients for the Nobel Prize in Literature over the past 85 years, the NobelCommittee has been lethargic in acknowledging a major writer from the Africancontinent. (Some non-Western recipients of the Prize were India's RabindranathTagore in 1913, Chile's Pablo Neruda in 1971, Colombia's Gabriel GarciaMarquez in 1982.) One recognizes, of course, that the Nobel Prize in Literaturehas as much to do with politics as it does with literature. And, the history ofEuropean colonialism, the economic exploitation of African countries, thepropagation ofracist stereotypes which not only denied the worth of, but the veryexistence of African cultures and civilizations over almost two hundred years isoften conveniently obliterated. As Soyinka himself remarked on hearing aboutthe Prize: "African culture andcreativity have not always been properly perceivedby other cultures, Europe for example. But this award is a recognition which willmean much ... I do not, for a minute, consider that the Prize is just for me. It'sfor what I represent; I see it more as a historical gesture. I'm a part of the wholeCONTRIDlITIONS IN BLACK STUDIES, 8 (1986-1987),15-191Katrak: Cultural Politics and the Nobel PrizePublished by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst, 198616 Ketu H. Katrakliterary tradition of Africa. I see myself as part of a collective reality."A biographical overview of this manifold artist must begin with his Yorubaheritage, his rootedness in Yoruba culture and world-view. Soyinka, a Yoruba,belongs to one of the three main ethnic groups in Nigeria which are lbo, Yoruba,and}Iausa. Born in 1934 in Abeokuta, he was the son ofAyo andEniola who wereChristian converts. In his autobiography, Ake: the Years of Childhood, whichcharmingly depicts the first eleven years of his life, Soyinka describes his motheras "the Wild Christian" because she had the kind of faith which enabled her topour groundnut oil into a narrow-spouted bottle without spilling a drop! Hisfather, who was the head of the local missionary school which young Woleattended, is described as a man who could be on "first-name basis with God."Thus, from his childhood he was exposed to Christian ideas. Nonetheless,Soyinka himself never embraced the Christian religion; he feels more at homewith traditional Yoruba religion and is a personal devotee of the Yoruba godOgun who also figures prominently in his writings. Ogun is described by Soyinkaas "god of creativity, guardian of the road, god of metallic lore and artistry.Explorer, hunter, god of war ... custodian of the sacred oath."In addition to having had a Yoruba-Christian upbringing, Soyinka receiveda Western academic education. The latter began in pre-independent Nigeria ofthe 1930's and 1940's ruled by British colonizers; next, two years at the newlyestablished University College, Ibadan (1952-54), where his classmates inclu-ded Chinua Achebe, J.P. Clark, Christopher Okigbo, all of whom made theirmark later in Nigerian literature; then, a B.A. degree from the University ofLeeds(1954-57); followed by a year as Play Reader at the Royal Court Theatre inLondon (1958-59); and a retum to Nigeria in 1960 on a Rockefeller Fellowshipfor a study ofNigerian traditions and culture. Since 1960, Soyinka has stayed inNigeria except for some time spent in voluntary exile during troubled periods inhis country. He has served as Visiting Professor at the University of Cambridge,and more recently at Yale and Cornell universities. At the University ofCambridge in 1973, Soyinka gave a series of lectures on Literature and Societywhich, he remarked, "took place entirely in the Department of Social Anthropol-ogy." As he explains with biting humor in his Preface to Myth, Literature and theAfrican Worid: "Casual probing after itwas all over indicated that the DepartmentofEnglish (or perhaps some key individual) did not believe in any such mythicalbeast as 'African literature' ."Through his education Soyinka imbibed the Western intellectual tradition,but in his writing he comes across first and foremost as an African and as aYoruba, and itis from the base ofYorubaculture, his inspiration, thathe respondsto other literary and cultural traditions. His art is eclectic, a successful blend ofAfrican themes and traditional forms, and Western techniques. In his hands,African traditions assume meanings 'which are much wider than the ones2Contributions in Black Studies, Vol. 8 [1986], Art. 3https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cibs/vol8/iss1/3Cultural Politics and the Nobel Prize 17accepted within their geographical location. "We must not think that traditional-ism means raffia skirts," Soyinka once remarked in an interview, "It's no longerpossible for a purist literature for the simple reason that even our most traditionalliterature has never been purist."Just as Soyinka confronts African "traditionalism" in the narrow sense, healso recognizes the irony of using the English language-a lingering legacy ofcolonialism. However, he is never apologetic about this matter; rather, heproudly accepts the challenge ofmaking the English language "carry the weight"as his contemporary Chinua Achebe puts it, "of [his] African experience. But itwill have to be a new English, still in full communion with its ancestral home, butaltered to suit its new African surroundings ... The price a world language [whichhistory has forced down our throats] must be prepared to pay is submission tomany differentkinds ofuse." The role ofEnglish as a link language among peoplewith various indigenous languages is certainly a historical reality in post-colonialsocieties. Language itself becomes a weapon for writers like Achebe, Soyinka,and others from the Third World, to confront the disruptive remnants of coloni-alism and the negative continuation ofneo-colonial tendencies in our contempo-rary lives.Along with adapting the English language for his African experience, anartist like Soyinka successfully reinterprets literary forms, particulary drama.Radical revisions of traditional Western literary forms reflect significant changesin ideology, new ways of perceiving social reality, and new sets of relationshipsbetween the artist and his audience. Soyinka's artistic creativity enables him toquestion certain rigid parameters ofEurocentric literary forms (which are usuallyconsidered to be the "universal" norm), and to optimally use his Westerneducation to transform, transmute, even to distort European forms to suit his owncultural reality. In dramas such as A Dance ofthe Forests, The Road, Death andthe King's Horseman, Soyinka presents a new form: Yoruba tragedy whichdeparts in significant ways from Western tragic drama. In this form, ritual,masquerade, dance, music, mythopoeic language all work together towards thevery purpose of Yoruba tragedy which is communal benefit.Soyinka's contribution to Nigerian drama has gone beyond his achievementas a playwright, from the printed page to the boards of a stage, as actor-manager,and director. He has played a key role in professionalizing the English-languagetheater in Nigeria. When Soyinka returned to Nigeria in 1960 for the NigerianIndependence celebrations, he recognized that theater companies in existencewere mainly amateurish and imitative of Western drama, using conventionalstagecraft and acting techniques. Since A Dance ofthe Forests was a new kindof play, Soyinka needed actors who were equally at home with Yoruba cultureand fluent in the English language. So he formed "The 1960 Masks." Later, in3Katrak: Cultural Politics and the Nobel PrizePublished by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst, 198618 Ketu H. Katrak1963, he established "The Orisun Theater," the first English-language profes-sional theater company in Nigeria.The history ofEnglish-language professional theater in Nigeria in integrallyrelated to Soyinka's dramatic career. There is a clear correspondence betweenthe timing of his plays, the prevalent political clim'it.? and his choice of writingsatirical comedies such as The Trials ofBrother Jero (1963); Opera Wonyosi(1981); biting political revues such as Before the Blackout (1965); politicalsatires such asKongi's Harvest (1967); and his latest drama, A Play ofGiants (Afantasia on Idi Amin, 1984).Soyinka has the unique capacity not simply to write about social injustice inhis creative work, but whenever necessary, to meet the challenge and be anactivist. There is no contradiction between Soyinka the man actively involved inNigerian socio-political issues, and Soyinka the artist, imaginatively exploringmetaphysical matters in his creative work. Soyinka's active involvement inNigerian social and political life both in his theatrical work and in his personallife is a facet of the man indispensable to an understanding of his creative work.He is concerned with the quality of public life, and he speaks openly as theconscience of his nation. His open involvement leading to his incarcerationduring the Nigerian Civil War was a painful manifestation of his single-handedattempt to fight "the colossal moral failure" in the nation. Since he lived up to hisbelief stated in his prison notes, The Man Died, that "the man dies in all who keepsilent in the face of tyranny," the military government placed him in solitaryconfinement for eighteen months (1967-69). It is a testimony to the tenacity ofthe human mind that he endured this severe trial though every attempt was madeby the "little mind-bmchers" to liquidate him.His prison ordeal understandably made Soyinka bitter and cynical abouthuman nature and sceptical of the social effectiveness of the artist. On the eveof the Nigerian Civil War he had commented on "the stage of disillusionment atwhich the African writers found themselves." This disillusionment is darklyexpressed in the creative work which grew directly out of his harrowingexperience: a drama, Madmen and Specialists (1971) in which the tragic historyof humankind is epitomized in the recurrent phenonenon of war which leads to"the spiritual, psychic, physical, and symbolic" ravage of the human spirit. Theprison experience also inspired a collection of poems, A Shuttle in the Crypt(1972); a novel, Season of Anomy (1973); and The Man Died: Prison Notes(1972). In the very writing ofhis Prison Notes, Soyinka was able to move beyondpersonal anger and bitterness, and to recognize his ordeal as a part of what otherprisoners of conscience in various parts of the world have endured. "It isnecessary to keep in mind always," he remarks in The Man Died, "that we knowonly of those who have survived the inhuman passage ... [such] testimoniesshould become a kindofchain-letter hung permanently on the leaden conscience4Contributions in Black Studies, Vol. 8 [1986], Art. 3https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cibs/vol8/iss1/3Cultural Politics and the Nobel Prize 19of the world."After his prison experience, Soyinka re-embraced his "one abiding reli-gion-human liberty" with new fervor. In an interview soon after the publicationof The Man Died, he remarked, "I have a special responsibility because I cansmell the reactionary sperm years before the rape of the nation takes place." Healso reasserted his belief in the artist's social function "to use words and [literary]style ... to arrest the ears of normally complacent people. We must make surewe explode something inside them which is a parallel of the sordidness whichthey ignore outside ... A book, ifnecessary, should be a hammer, a handgrenadewhich you detonate under a stagnant way of looking at the world."Soyinka's deep and energetic concern for his country has remained unflag-ging over the past thirty years since the beginning of his literary career. He hasalways been a stem and uncompromising critic of social injustice whoever theperpetrators might be-Yakubu Gowon's military government was as roundlytaken to task in The Man Died, as was the more recent civilian government ofShehu Shagari, lambasted in Soyinka's directly satirical agit-prop sketchesentitled, Priority Projects (1982). The latter were produced in collaboration withthe Unife [University of Ife, Nigeria] Guerilla Theater. In 1983, in timelyresponse to the election rigging of Shagari' s "democratic" government, Soyinkabrought out a record disc entitled, "Unlimited Liability Company," featuringTunji Oyelana and the Benders. The dramatist who once described himself as a"frustrated musician," wrote the lyrics such as "Ethike Revolution," "I Love MyEthike Country," and set them to music.In 1985, Soyinka made open statements to the press in London andin the U.S.about the horrors perpetrated by Shagari's civilian government. "Make nomistake," he commented in an interview with the London Guardian (March 30,1985), "under Shagari, it was civil war." Soyinka has recently completed a filmentitled, "Blues for a Prodigal," which is severely critical of the Shagari regime."As hundreds turned up attheNational Theatre in Lagos forthe premiere the otherday," comments Michael Simmons of the Guardian, "security officers steppedin and took the reels. 'Blues for aProdigal,' as itis called, depicts real events, andspecifically the violent attempts to indoctrinate a naive young student. It amountsto an unambiguous indictment of what Soyinka now calls, 'the crude hammer-blow fascists and the looters' who made up the Shagari administration."Although Soyinka's vision has fluctuated over the years from despair tohope, ultimately he always returns to an assertion of life. "I love life, and thehuman community is mine," he remarked in a 1985 interview. With his passionfor human liberty and a deep concern for the quality of human life in his owncountry and for humankind as a whole, Soyinka's work has a profound signifi-cance in contemporary world literature.5Katrak: Cultural Politics and the Nobel PrizePublished by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst, 1986

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