Winner of the Nobel Prize 
Winner of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Nonfiction


Soyinka tells the story of his boyhood, before and during World War II, in a western Nigerian town called Ake.

“Unquestionably Africa’s most versatile writer and arguably her finest.” —The New York Times Book Review

“A brilliant imagist who uses poetry and drama to convey his inquisitiveness, frustration and sense of wonder. . . .” —Newsweek

“A lovely, magical book. . . .” —The Washington Post
  • WINNER | 1986
    Nobel Prize
  • WINNER | 1983
    Anisfield-Wolf Book Award
© Glen Gratty
WOLE SOYINKA was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986. Born in Abeokuta, Nigeria, in 1934, he is an author, playwright, poet, and political activist whose prolific body of work includes The Interpret­ers, his debut novel that was published in 1965, and Death and the King's Horseman, a play that was first performed in 1976. So­yinka was twice jailed in Nigeria for his crit­icism of the Nigerian government, and he destroyed his U.S. Green Card in 2016 when Donald Trump was elected president of the United States. View titles by Wole Soyinka

About

Winner of the Nobel Prize 
Winner of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Nonfiction


Soyinka tells the story of his boyhood, before and during World War II, in a western Nigerian town called Ake.

“Unquestionably Africa’s most versatile writer and arguably her finest.” —The New York Times Book Review

“A brilliant imagist who uses poetry and drama to convey his inquisitiveness, frustration and sense of wonder. . . .” —Newsweek

“A lovely, magical book. . . .” —The Washington Post

Awards

  • WINNER | 1986
    Nobel Prize
  • WINNER | 1983
    Anisfield-Wolf Book Award

Author

© Glen Gratty
WOLE SOYINKA was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986. Born in Abeokuta, Nigeria, in 1934, he is an author, playwright, poet, and political activist whose prolific body of work includes The Interpret­ers, his debut novel that was published in 1965, and Death and the King's Horseman, a play that was first performed in 1976. So­yinka was twice jailed in Nigeria for his crit­icism of the Nigerian government, and he destroyed his U.S. Green Card in 2016 when Donald Trump was elected president of the United States. View titles by Wole Soyinka

Three Penguin Random House Authors Win Pulitzer Prizes

On Monday, May 5, three Penguin Random House authors were honored with a Pulitzer Prize. Established in 1917, the Pulitzer Prizes are the most prestigious awards in American letters. To date, PRH has 143 Pulitzer Prize winners, including William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Josh Steinbeck, Ron Chernow, Anne Applebaum, Colson Whitehead, and many more. Take a look at our 2025 Pulitzer Prize

Read more

Books for LGBTQIA+ Pride Month

In June we celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual + (LGBTQIA+) Pride Month, which honors the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan. Pride Month is a time to both celebrate the accomplishments of those in the LGBTQ+ community and recognize the ongoing struggles faced by many across the world who wish to live

Read more