Temitope
Temitope Akinola
Nigeria's Prof. Wole Soyinka has lost his bid to become Oxford's Professor of Poetry to British poet, Simon Armitage, Vanguard reports.
There had been early indications that Soyinka might emerge the winner of the contest when he got the highest number of nominations, but things changed just about a month to the election. One of his major supporters, Lord Bragss withdrew his support claiming that the Old Professor may lack the physical strength to do the work and that Soyinka who turns 81 next month has not written much poetry in recent times.
Armitage had 1,221 votes while Soyinka had 301 votes. Prof. Wole Soyinka who is the first African writer to win the Nobel Prize for literature is a respected playwright and political activist.
There had been early indications that Soyinka might emerge the winner of the contest when he got the highest number of nominations, but things changed just about a month to the election. One of his major supporters, Lord Bragss withdrew his support claiming that the Old Professor may lack the physical strength to do the work and that Soyinka who turns 81 next month has not written much poetry in recent times.
Armitage had 1,221 votes while Soyinka had 301 votes. Prof. Wole Soyinka who is the first African writer to win the Nobel Prize for literature is a respected playwright and political activist.
