- By Halimah Olamide
Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka has been honoured in Morocco ahead of his 90th birthday which comes up on July 13.
Soyinka, playwright, essayist, poet and activist, had won the globally celebrated Nobel Laureate for Literature in 1986.
On Monday, the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco awarded him the Gold Medal for, according to the academy, “his contribution to the development of world literature”.
The award was presented by Margarita Al, President of the World Organization of Writers (WOW).
World Organization of Writers (WOW) was officially registered on December 25, 2023 and the founders are the International Union of Non-Governmental Organizations “Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly”, as well as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, poet Alexandra Vasilyevna Ochirova and the Chairperson of the Literary Council of the Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly, poetess Margarita Al.
The organisation aims to unite the creative efforts of writers from all over the world, their social potentials in the fight for the future of the global humanitarian sphere, in which culture, literature and traditional spiritual values should play a key role in ensuring peace and stability on the planet.
In his speech, Soyinka expressed appreciation for the celebration, emphasised its role in strengthening cultural ties between Morocco and West Africa.
Soyinka explained historical parallels, pointing to the deep ties between Morocco and Senegal, exemplified by his friendship with the late Senegalese president, Léopold Senghor.
Soyinka is due to be celebrated in Nigeria on Saturday July 13 with a lecture by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.