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Theater, in a variety of forms and contexts, can make, and indeed has made, positive political and social interventions in a range of developing cultures around the world. In this book a distinguished team of theater historians and dramatists explore how theater has a dynamic and often difficult relationship with societies and states, arguing positively that theatrical activity can make a difference. The collection begins with a foreword by Wole Soyinka and, throughout the volume, specially chosen plays, projects and movements are examined in countries such as Brazil and Argentina, Nigeria, Eritrea and South Africa, India and the Caribbean. ... Read more

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Lectures delivered by the Nobel Prize Winner, Wole Soyinka ... Read more

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In the Cauldronof Religions
Soyinka's persistent examination of the religious motif comes to a head in this play in which the prospect of religious harmonyamong the major world religions is thwarted by the misfortunes of Godspeak, the protagonist, who faces the riddle of the living dead. ... Read more

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This evocation of Nigeria before and during World War II has been written by the first African to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. It is a follow-up to "Ake: The Years of Childhood". ... Read more

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The keenly awaited new play from the Nobel prize-winner A naked satire on the rule of General Abacha in Nigeria, the play chronicles the debauched rule of General Basha Bash who takes power in a coup and exchanges his general's uniform for a robe and crown re-christening himself King Baabu. In the manner of Alfred Jarry's Ubu Roi, Soyinka develops a special childish language for his cast of characters who have names like Potipoo and General Uzi. Weaving together burlesque comedy, theatrical excess and storytelling, King Baabu has already been coined as a pet name for the despot par excellence. "We turn Guatu into kingdom, ruled by kings. Nobody complain any more. General Basha Bash is dead. Long Live King Baabu." ... Read more

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A new collection of poetry from a Nobel-prize winning author. Written during a period of enforced exile from his native Nigeria, these poems offer a traveler's perspective on the closing years of the twentieth century. ... Read more

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A powerful poetic journey
"Samarkand and Other Markets I Have Known" is an 80-page collection of poems by Wole Soyinka.The author bio at the beginning of the book notes that in 1986 the Nigerian-born Soyinka became the first African writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Overall this book has a global, multicultural and multifaith vision.Soyinka writes about writers and writing itself, personal struggle, economic injustice, etc.His writing has an elegant muscularity; his voice is learned and serious, passionate and politically engaged.

I felt that some of the longer poems didn't quite hold up all the way through.But there are some really stunning standouts in the entire collection."Doctored Vision," about a poet's consultation with an optician, is an amazing narrative poem that is rich in symbolic potential."Twelve Canticles for the Zealot. . ." is a powerful exploration of religious intolerance and violence.

Overall, this is a worthwhile volume by a poet who I see as a kindred spirit to Walt Whitman, Audre Lorde, and Pablo Neruda.If you want to be a real citizen of the world, I recommend you read Soyinka. ... Read more

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The tragic drama of Nigeria's leading playwright, Wole Soyinka, is the focus of this in-depth study. Ketu H. Katrak explores Soyinka's concept of the tragic experience as it relates to Yoruba culture and analyzes the unique features of his theory of tragedy which blends Yoruba traditional drama with Western tragic forms. Opening with a biographical overview of Soyinka's life and career, Katrak addresses the major issues presented by Soyinka in his essay on tragedy, "The Fourth Stage." These include the origin of tragic feeling, the components of the tragic experience, and the concretization of these abstract notions in the Yoruba god Ogun. The author demonstrates that it is through these themes and the elements of ritual and myth that Soyinka imparts communal values to his work, ultimately achieving a metaphysical level of expression. Katrak also discusses the element of the death of the protagonist in a number of Soyinka's plays and how it is beneficial for the community. The history of a community, a nation, and mankind, as it appears in other Soyinka plays, is also discussed. Throughout the work, the study of Soyinka's drama is balanced with an analysis of dramatic structure and stagecraft. Included are interviews and discussions with many of Nigeria's academicians, as well as with Soyinka himself. ... Read more

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The book reconsiders Soyinka's contribution to the debate about African identity, exploring the various elements constituting his distinctive aesthetic and apprehension of African culture. It concentrates on his plays, his fiction and poetry and investigates his views on the relationship between myth, history, and modernity, primarily highlighting his conception of the nature of African post-colonial society and power. ... Read more