Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, has said he was disappointed by a comment made by the late renowned novelist, Prof Chinua Achebe, shortly after he (Soyinka) won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986.

In a conversation with an American-based Nigerian novelist, Okey Ndibe, which was aired on Channels Television’s Book Club, Soyinka said he considered the particular remark by Achebe uncalled for and disappointing.

Ndibe had, during the conversation with Soyinka, recalled how Achebe, at one time, said, “The Nobel Prize did not make one the Asiwaju of African Literature.”

He then asked Soyinka how he took that statement at the time.

Responding, Soyinka said, “The subject was not even literature when he (Achebe) made that statement and so I was disappointed that he created a nexus between my normal sociopolitical life and my normal way of articulating an opinion.

“It was almost like because I won the Nobel Prize, I have no right to offer, to do what I used to do before all my life. I responded to it, even though I wanted to make light of it. I was a little bit disappointed and I didn’t see the necessity; that particular subject, which was under contention, didn’t relate to literature. So, it was like, oh, am I now to carry this burden for the rest of my life? That people will think I am doing what I used to do before simply because I now have a Nobel Prize.”

Asked what he felt about how literary enthusiasts often segregate themselves into either Soyinka camp or Achebe camp, Soyinka said it boiled down to “ignorance”.

“Everybody feels they have a right to pronounce authoritatively, not only on the products but on the producers of the products and their positions in society,” he said.

The playwright said he would never speak about the works of other professionals, such as architects, musicians, doctors, lawyers. etc, the way people “pontificate on literature.”


https://punchng.com/i-was-disappointed-by-achebes-comment-on-my-nobel-prize-soyinka/?amp=1

Ok

There will be a bloody E-war here. Come in with your ak47 while I stay by the side and watch while sipping henekien mixed with origin.

u had to wait till after his death so he can't defend himself,to mudsling him.. He probably bantered about that,as good friends esp intellectuals always do.. or u mean to say he didn't congratulate and felicitate with you at all when u won the Laurel??


common shoyinka don't make some of us who still have respect for you because of your sturdy youthful episodes to start having another think.


That was an unfair swipe at a dead man.. an old friend for that matter

Hm

mightyhazell:
u had to wait till after his death so he can't defend himself,to mudsling him.. He probably bantered about that,as good friends esp intellectuals always do.. or u mean to say he didn't congratulate and felicitate with you at all when u won the Laurel??


common shoyinka don't make some of us who still have respect for you because of your sturdy youthful episodes to start having another think.


That was an unfair swipe at a dead man.. an old friend for that matter

Achebe took a swipe at Awolowo 20 something years after Awolowo's death by blaming a man who couldn't defend himself of genocide.

Ok.

Wole Soyinka should not be surprised.

Whoever envies another confesses his superiority!!!

I wasn't there, I don't really know what was said and why but from what I learned, the argument wasn't even about literature but something in the area of sociopolitics and Achebe made that banter to suggest that Soyinka's political views/actions weren't necessarily always correct just because he was a well established writer. It might have been just a banter or a statement meant to just strengthen his own argument but being an established writer himself, he should have chosen other ways to do that because regardless of the intentions, this could easily sell as jealousy.

I personally admire Achebe's writing skills much more than Soyinka's but this statement is/was a No-No for me.

See them up there casting stone already at the noble man without understanding the article. The statement Achebe made was proffered before Shoyinka by the interviewer hence his response to it. He was not the one who brought it up. Read the article again.

Iamgrey5:
Achebe took a swipe at Awolowo 20 something years after Awolowo's death by blaming a man who couldn't defend himself of genocide.

Truth!

Ndibe had, during the conversation with Soyinka, recalled how Achebe, at one time, said, “The Nobel Prize did not make one the Asiwaju of African Literature.”


Lol, this statement from Achebe is actually envy or jealous.
He wouldn't say that if he won the prize.

.

Soyinka definitely wouldn't have said that if reverse was the case.

But the interviewer should have allowed the dead sleep.

Okey Ndibe had, during the conversation with Soyinka, recalled how Achebe, at one time, said, “The Nobel Prize did not make one the Asiwaju of African Literature.”

Envy no be small thing.

Ajuwon ko se wi lejo. (He pass me is not easy to admit, so you will have to beef and remain envious)

mightyhazell:
u had to wait till after his death so he can't defend himself,to mudsling him.. He probably bantered about that,as good friends esp intellectuals always do.. or u mean to say he didn't congratulate and felicitate with you at all when u won the Laurel??


common shoyinka don't make some of us who still have respect for you because of your sturdy youthful episodes to start having another think.


That was an unfair swipe at a dead man.. an old friend for that matter

Same Achebe you're trying to defend rote a book alomst 2 decades after the death of Awolowo.. Does that makes everything Achebe wrote about Awolowo in his book titled "There was A Country" true?

He did not mudsling Achebe...He was asked about how he felt by that statement and he responded accordingly.

mightyhazell:
u had to wait till after his death so he can't defend himself,to mudsling him.. He probably bantered about that,as good friends esp intellectuals always do.. or u mean to say he didn't congratulate and felicitate with you at all when u won the Laurel??


common shoyinka don't make some of us who still have respect for you because of your sturdy youthful episodes to start having another think.


That was an unfair swipe at a dead man.. an old friend for that matter

mightyhazell:
u had to wait till after his death so he can't defend himself,to mudsling him.. He probably bantered about that,as good friends esp intellectuals always do.. or u mean to say he didn't congratulate and felicitate with you at all when u won the Laurel??


common shoyinka don't make some of us who still have respect for you because of your sturdy youthful episodes to start having another think.


That was an unfair swipe at a dead man.. an old friend for that matter

I don't think soyinka asked for mudsling here, he simply replied to a question


Ndibe had, during the conversation with Soyinka, recalled how Achebe, at one time, said, “The Nobel Prize did not make one the Asiwaju of African Literature.”

He then asked Soyinka how he took that statement at the time.

If only Achebe is still alive.May his soul RIP.

mightyhazell:
u had to wait till after his death so he can't defend himself,to mudsling him.. He probably bantered about that,as good friends esp intellectuals always do.. or u mean to say he didn't congratulate and felicitate with you at all when u won the Laurel??


common shoyinka don't make some of us who still have respect for you because of your sturdy youthful episodes to start having another think.


That was an unfair swipe at a dead man.. an old friend for that matter

Please read the article before comment, it will not kill you. Soyinka is responding to a question directed to him.

Not surprised, Achebe was a disgruntled, hateful and bigoted biafran and he carried all that garbage straight into his grave.

In the art of chest beating, pulling others down is a virtue to behold.

Iamgrey5:
Achebe took a swipe at Awolowo 20 something years after Awolowo's death by blaming a man who couldn't defend himself of genocide.

everybody knew about awolowos role in the war.. it was not a secret..

chinua and wole were like 5 and 6.. no one saw this coming

Please don't turn this into a tribal war. Thanks in advance.

mightyhazell:
everybody knew about awolowos role in the war.. it was not a secret..

chinua and wole were like 5 and 6.. no one saw this coming

Did Achebe make the statement credited to him or not ?

Iamgrey5:
Did Achebe make the statement credited to him or not ?

Ask again one more time

Even in death Achebe and his work has gone where Soyinka can never reach. Forget favouritism and quota system nonsense

Father of modern day cultism has cancelled your Cowbell prize. Keep the great man out of your mouths

Otutu1:
Even in death Achebe and his work has gone where Soyinka can never reach. Forget favouritism and quota system nonsense

Father of modern day cultism has cancelled your Cowbell prize. Keep the great man out of your mouths

Lol!

Wole Soyinka is a complete man.

The Igbo man and hate. It is Quota system because Wole Soyinka won the Nobel Laureate but would have been merit based if Acehbe had won it.