13 July 1934 
Cancer 
Wole Soyinka,
Playwright,
Nigeria
Before glory
He won several prizes for his writing while at Abẹokuta Grammar School and studied at University College in Ibadan from 1952-54.
About Wole Soyinka
The first African to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, he wrote A Dance of The Forests and the poetry collection The Ballad of the Landlord.
Family Life
His father Samuel was an Anglican minister. He married Folake Doherty-Soyinka in 1989 and he has five children.
Friends and colleagues
He dedicated his Nobel Prize to South African freedom-fighter Nelson Mandela in his acceptance speech in 1986.
Fast facts
He was imprisoned for 22 months during a civil war in Nigeria and wrote a significant amount of material criticizing the Nigerian government during that time.
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