The organisers of the Soyinka 90th Anniversary Essay Competition, The Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange (WSICE), have announced the 90 finalists for the 2024 essay competition for senior secondary school students.
The essay contest is one of many activities to celebrate Mr Soyinka, who will turn 90 on July 13.
Over the past 15 years, the competition has received more than 10,000 entries from students aged 12 to 17.
This year, students wrote on the topic “The Many Lives of an Irrepressible Patriot, Humanist and Rights Activist.”
A press release issued by WSICE on Monday said 90 finalists were chosen for their exceptional writing skills, creativity and insightful perspectives.
Teju Kareem, the Executive Producer of WSICE, also announced that this year’s scholarship and gift prizes will exceed N10 million.
Giving details of how the 90 finalists were chosen, WSICE, in its statement, noted that the students were evaluated by a panel of judges based on originality, coherence, depth of analysis and relevance to the topic.
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While all 90 finalists have distinguished themselves, judges will still determine the top three entries to recognize the most outstanding contributions.
Other activities
Meanwhile, Soyinka's 90th birthday will be celebrated with a series of events, taking place from 13 to 16 July in Nigeria and from 19 to 27 July in London.
A promotional session will be held in collaboration with the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL) at the University of Lagos on July 11.
Also on July 13 at the June 12 Cultural Centre in Abeokuta, a stage play titled “The Noble Warrior – Eni Ogun” written by Aiyeko-ooto Onadele and produced by Adubiifa Network Company in collaboration with WSICE will be presented.
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The play explores themes of bravery and struggle, in tune with Soyinka’s legacy. Also, from July 12-14 and July 19-21, Live Theatre Lagos will present Soyinka’s classic play, “The Lion and the Jewel”, at various venues in Lagos.
Soyinka, born 13 July 1934, is a renowned Nigerian playwright, novelist, poet and essayist. In 1986, he became the first sub-Saharan African to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.