Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has revealed that he has made preparations for his eventual passing. Soyinka, who turned 90 on July 13, 2024, and whose birthday was celebrated worldwide, made this statement during an exclusive interview with Larry Madowo, host of CNN’s African Voices Changemakers and Playmakers series. The interview aired on Saturday, September 21, 2024.
Towards the end of the discussion, where Soyinka reflected on topics such as writing, activism, his time in prison, and his 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature, Madowo asked, “Now that you have your own legal piece of earth here, what is your new future?”
In response, Soyinka, while not wanting to sound morbid, suggested that his future involved his eventual transition, adding that he had already made arrangements for this within his estate.
Surprised by the answer, Madowo laughed and said, “That’s the most morbid answer anyone has ever given me. You’ve made arrangements for your death?”
Soyinka calmly replied, “Many people don’t like to hear it. As I always say, I won’t avoid it here either. Everyone knows what we’re talking about; it’s where we’re all headed. It’s a future for everyone.”
Madowo attempted to lighten the mood, interjecting, “But before you die…”
Soyinka later shifted to a more pragmatic response, explaining that his immediate plan was to take a vacation and refocus on personal enjoyment rather than public commitments.
“In terms of productivity, the immediate thing is to go on a vacation. I plan to make a formal resolution—judicially attested—not to grant any more interviews or engage in writing, but to simply resume activities that once gave me pleasure, which I had rigorously set aside to pursue my vocation. I’m not going to dwell on it.
“I also plan to just travel as a tourist somewhere, anywhere in the world, for a week or two. I’m really looking forward to that,” Soyinka concluded.
