Wole Soyinka names *Death and the King’s Horseman* as his best work

• Proffers writing skills solutions to young writers

From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has singled out *Death and the King’s Horseman* as one of the best books he has authored, revealing that he wrote it in just two and a half days.

Soyinka made the disclosure at the unveiling of *CreaTent* and *Books of Aphorisms* by one of his mentees, Mohammed Bello, recently, explaining that the creativity of *Death and the King’s Horseman* made it very unique.

He said that though the idea had been with him for many years, he decided to put it into writing in a record time of two and a half days.

He further noted that other people have written about the myth of the king and the horseman, emphasising: “Finally, I couldn’t help it anymore. So instead of committing, I found pleasure. Which is trying to restore a symbol that is standing right now, which has proved to me one of the most successful plays that I have ever written.

“But the important thing, and that is what I want to address, is that writing that play did not begin when I sat down. Right? No. Obviously, it had been there. You see yourself in the subconscious, and finally, it is ready.

“Many people would not believe that I wrote that play in two and a half days. Literally, two and a half days. That was the nature of it. The power to respond to it. Not necessarily immediately.”

He therefore urged writers not to be discouraged when stuck in their writing, noting: “And don’t worry if you wanted to write a play and it just didn’t come out and you had to do it. Go and do other things. Go and play soccer if you like. Go and listen to music. Go and see your friends. Have a party. Join a construction gang who occupy themselves with the community. Anything whatsoever.

“Inspiration is not mysterious. It’s a question of just opening your mind to take up what others are not. So, I recommend this pamphlet. Teachers, students, would-be creative people. And always remember that there is a link between people who tend to separate the literary arts, the painting, the talking.

“The thing is different from technological savvy.”

He also disclosed how he failed in his attempt to become a mechanic. “Both make up for the same line of creativity. Motor vehicle, discovery of solar energy, many important technologies have marvellous creative processes, triggers, that are always available all around. I always call myself the field mechanic because I’m so fascinated by technology, mechanical things,” he said.

In his remarks, the Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani, blamed the absence of deep thinking and lack of educated analysis in national discourse from graduates of higher institutions of learning on the dying reading culture.

Represented by Prof. Bello Ayuba, his Principal Secretary, Governor Sani urged writers to double up on their efforts in reviving the nation’s reading culture.

According to him: “The fact that the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has adopted this literary work for use in the country’s public schools is a clear testimony of the worth of the material we are introducing to the public today.

“Writers, young and old, should double up on their efforts to ginger the nation into reviving our reading culture, whose side effect is sadly manifest in the absence of deep thinking and educated analysis that we often see in our national discourse and from the products of our higher institutions of learning.

“We in leadership positions at all levels must see this as a challenge; we must not hesitate to encourage efforts such as this in whatever way we can. That way, we would rejuvenate interest in learning in and out of the school system for the good of society,” Governor Sani said.

The author of the book, *CreaTent*, Mohammed Bello, described it as a literary arts initiative borne out of the need to provide a nurturing habitat for young creatives.

He noted: “It is observable that many parents of artistically gifted children in our part of the world often don’t even realise they have a creative child whose gift needs a different kind of attention.”