Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has asked the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), to suspend its planned celebration of the 50th anniversary of his prison notes, ‘The Man Died’.
ANA had, at the weekend, announced that it was planning a five-city celebration to mark the 50th anniversary of the book next year.
Soyinka, Africa’s first Nobel Laureate was jailed without trial by the Federal Government at the start of the Nigerian Civil War. He spent 22 months in jail for allegedly conspiring with Biafra leader, the late Chief Emeka Ojukwu to secede from the country.
The prison notes, published in 1972 but re-issued in 2014 by BookCraft is an account of his arrest and interrogation as well as efforts made to incriminate him. It also documents the searing mental effects of solitary confinement.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the book, ANA had said it would hold an international conference themed ‘Literature in the Cause of Governance-50 Years After Wole Soyinka’s THE MAN DIED’ from January to July next year.
Activities including readings, essay competition for students, paper presentations and drama adaptations will happen in Ekiti, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Akwa Ibom and Ogun states.
Prof Gbemisola Remi Adeoti of the Department of English, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife was designated chair of the organising committee.
But in a statement on Tuesday, Professor Soyinka said he had asked ANA to suspend the celebration because of issues including the COVID-19 pandemic, and the leadership crisis in the body.
Prof Soyinka’s statement reads: “For the avoidance of any doubt, I wish to confirm that I initiated the request to the National Executive of the Nigerian Association of Authors to put off the commemoration that is being planned for a 50th anniversary of my prison memoirs THE MAN DIED.
“This is only partly due to the current unsettled social conditions caused by the COVID pandemic, still ruthless in its disruption of the literary and other creative lives of numerous colleagues and institutions. Even more pertinent is my conviction that the Association of Nigerian Authors, just emerging from the worst crisis of its existence, requires to devote more time and energy to consolidating, and bringing back all members into a unified fold.
“I have been profoundly encouraged by the efforts made by the Advisory Body and other “Elder Pens” of the association. I remain confident that ANA will emerge stronger and steadier than ever before, and resume its peerless contribution to the cultural life of the nation.”
