Akinwunmi Isola

Professor Akinwunmi Isola (24 December 1939[1][2] – 17 February 2018) was a Nigerian playwright, novelist, actor, dramatist, culture activist and scholar[3]. He was known for his writing in, and his work in promoting, the Yoruba language.[4] As an actor, he was also known for Agogo èèwò (2002), Efunsetan Aniwura (1981) and Efunsetan Aniwura (2005).[5]

Akinwunmi Isola
Born(1939-12-24)December 24, 1939
Ibadan, Nigeria
DiedFebruary 17, 2018(2018-02-17) (aged 78)
Ibadan, Nigeria
NationalityNigerian
Alma materUniversity of Ibadan
Occupation
  • Playwright
  • novelist
  • actor
  • scholar
Known forWriting in and promoting the Yoruba language
AwardsNational Merit Award
Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters

Early life and career

Isola was born in Ibadan in 1939, attended Labode Methodist School and Wesley College. He studied at the University of Ibadan, earning a B.A. in French.[6][7]

He was appointed Professor at the same University in 1991. Isola wrote his first play, Efunsetan Aniwura,[8] during 1961-62 while still a student at the University of Ibadan. This was followed by a novel, O Leku. In 1986, he wrote and composed the college anthem that is currently being sung in Wesley College Ibadan[9][10].[11]

He went on to write a number of plays and novels. He broke into broadcasting, creating a production company that has turned a number of his plays into television dramas and films. Though he claimed that "my target audience are Yorubas", Isola also wrote in English[12] and translated to Yoruba.[4] The award-winning writer spent his lifetime producing works that promoted the Yoruba language.[13]

On May 4, 2015, his book Herbert Macaulay and the Spirit of Lagos was staged at University of Ilorin, Kwara state at the Performing Arts Theatre. It was directed by Adams Abdulfatai Ayomide, for the annual season of plays festival.

In 2000, in recognition of his immense contributions, he was awarded the National Merit Award and the Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters. He was a visiting professor at the University of Georgia.[14] Nigerian playwright, dramatist and actor, Professor Akinwumi Ishola died aged 78.[15]

Personal life

Akinwunmi Isola was married and had four children.[16]

Death

Akinwunmi Isola died on 17 February 2018 in Ibadan, Oyo State, aged 78.[17]

gollark: "If you didnt do anything wrong, then you shouldnt be worried" only works if you cast "not being happy with things" as "wrong", as well as "being associated with people who did "wrong" things", and expect that people will just never care about politics.
gollark: I agree that that can sometimes be a problem, but it also means people can actually suggest improvements or dislike things without fearing for their lives.
gollark: People might disagree with how you run things and that's really not a good reason to imprison/whatever them.
gollark: Or just anyone who happens to be *related* to dissidents, to some extent anyone made worse off by some poor decision made somewhere, someone who is *taken* to be a dissident even if they aren't somehow, people who are living in fear of being considered one, etc.Also, I do care about said dissidents, soooo...
gollark: The world is very interconnected these days so stuff happening elsewhere affects me somewhat. And I do also care about suffering being caused, even if that doesn't directly affect people in my country.

References
  1. Nichols, Lee (20 February 1981). "Conversations with African Writers: Interviews with Twenty-six African Authors". Voice of America – via Google Books.
  2. "Google Groups". groups.google.com.
  3. pmparrotng.com https://pmparrotng.com/2018/03/24/akinwunmi-ishola-oyo-ana-ready-to-hold-special-literary-session/. Retrieved 2020-05-29. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. Chima Anyadike; Kehinde Ayoola. Blazing the Path: Fifty Years of Things Fall Apart. African books Collective. ISBN 978-9-78-081-18-46. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  5. "Akinwunmi Ishola". IMDb. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  6. Bona, Sheriff (2018-02-17). "Nigerians pay tributes to popular Yoruba playwright Akinwunmi Isola". TODAY. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
  7. "Renowned Yoruba playwright, Prof Akinwunmi Isola, is dead » Tribune Online". Tribune Online. 2018-02-17. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
  8. "I misrepresented Efunsetan Aniwura in my book". The Punch. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  9. "FEATURE: Remains of Prof. Akinwumi Isola laid to rest". www.pmnewsnigeria.com. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  10. "Ibadan-born Foremost Playwright, Akiwunmi Ishola, Dies at 79". InsideOyo.com. 2018-02-17. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  11. "Renowned Yoruba playwright, Prof Akinwunmi Isola, is dead » Tribune Online". Tribune Online. 2018-02-17. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  12. PEN America 13: Lovers. PEN America Center. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  13. "Akinwunmi Isola: Life & times of pioneer Yoruba classical literature". Vanguard News. 2018-03-04. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  14. "Citation on Professor Akinwunmi Isola" (pdf). Nigerian National Merit Award. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  15. "Akinwunmi Isola: Life & times of pioneer Yoruba classical literature". Vanguard News. 2018-03-04. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  16. "Akinwunmi Isola: Life & times of pioneer Yoruba classical literature". Vanguard News. 2018-03-04. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
  17. "Professor Akinwunmi Isola is dead". Lailasnews. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
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