Nobel Laureate and renowned playwright, Professor Wole Soyinka, has disclosed that he has made arrangements for his eventual passing. The 90-year-old literary icon, who reached the milestone on July 13, 2024, made this revelation during an exclusive interview with Larry Madowo on CNN’s African Voices Changemakers and Playmakers series.
The interview, which aired on Saturday, September 21, 2024, delved into Soyinka’s rich legacy as a writer, activist, and political commentator. Among the many topics discussed were his illustrious career, the time he spent in prison, his literary achievements, and winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986. However, towards the close of the conversation, Soyinka made an unexpected statement regarding his personal preparations for death.
When Madowo asked, “Now that you have your own legal piece of earth here, what is your new future?”, Soyinka responded with an air of finality, saying, “I don’t want to be morbid, but my transition is my future. I’ve made arrangements for that within the estate.”
Madowo, visibly caught off-guard, burst into laughter and remarked, “That is the most morbid answer anybody has ever given me. ‘I have made arrangements for my death?’” In response, Soyinka emphasized the inevitability of death, noting that, “Many people don’t like to hear it… In fact, CNN, everybody knows what we’re talking about. It’s where we are all headed. It’s a future for everybody.”
While his response may have startled Madowo, Soyinka’s candid reflection on death serves as a stark reminder of his lifelong philosophical outlook. Having lived through numerous personal and political challenges, including imprisonment during Nigeria’s civil war, Soyinka has always faced the harsh realities of life head-on. For him, acknowledging death is merely another aspect of understanding the human condition.
Despite his musings on death, Soyinka quickly pivoted the conversation to his more immediate, and far more uplifting, plans. Madowo, trying to steer the conversation away from its morbid tone, interjected with a lighthearted, “But before you die…,” prompting Soyinka to offer a more grounded response about his current and future activities.
Soyinka shared that he is looking forward to taking a well-deserved vacation, away from his demanding public life. “In terms of productivity, the immediate thing is to go on a vacation. Take a resolution — which will be attested judicially — not to grant any more interviews, certainly not writing, but to resume activities that gave me pleasure and that I consciously cut off to pursue my vocation.”
The legendary writer added that while he plans to slow down professionally, he has no intention of remaining idle. “I’m not going to sit idle,” he said. One of his personal goals is to travel the world as a tourist, a role he has seldom had the luxury to embrace given his long career of activism, writing, and lecturing. “I would also like to get into a vehicle, somewhere in the world, and sit for a week or two as a tourist. I’m looking forward to that,” Soyinka stated.
Soyinka’s 90th birthday was widely celebrated across the world, marking a career that has spanned more than six decades. In recognition of his numerous contributions to literature and social justice, he was recently awarded a national medal of honor by the President of Cuba, further solidifying his status as an international figure of great influence.
Soyinka’s revelations during the CNN interview not only offered a glimpse into his thoughts on mortality but also highlighted the balance he continues to seek between reflecting on his legacy and enjoying the present. Even as he contemplates his “transition,” the Nobel Laureate remains determined to live his life fully, with a spirit that has always embraced both the personal and the political.
Throughout his life, Soyinka has been known for his fearless defiance against tyranny and injustice. From challenging military regimes in Nigeria to advocating for democracy and human rights globally, his activism has made him a revered, if at times controversial, figure. His body of work, which includes plays, essays, poems, and novels, explores complex themes such as identity, oppression, and freedom. These works have earned him not only the Nobel Prize but also countless accolades from institutions and governments around the world.
As he enters the later years of his life, Soyinka’s reflections on death do not come as a surprise to those familiar with his philosophy and outlook on life. For him, death is not something to be feared but rather an inevitable chapter in the human journey—one that he has already begun to prepare for.
In the meantime, the Nobel Laureate intends to continue making the most of his time, traveling, engaging in activities that bring him joy, and, perhaps most importantly, leaving behind a legacy of courage, creativity, and unyielding commitment to justice.
