Ake to Stockholm: Exhibition celebrates 40 years of Soyinka’s Nobel Prize

Curator of Timeless Memories: Elastic Effects of Wole Soyinka, Oludamola Adebowale, has unveiled plans for the project’s eighth edition, which will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Nobel laureate’s Nobel Prize in Literature.

Themed Ake to Stockholm, the 2026 edition will feature an archival exhibition, a documentary film, an illustrated comic book and artistic presentations exploring Soyinka’s literary journey and the significance of his historic achievement.

The programme will form part of the 27th Lagos Book and Art Festival (LABAF), in partnership with the Committee for Relevant Art (CORA). The flagship exhibition is scheduled to run from 16 to 29 November at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos.

Speaking at a press conference to unveil the programme, Mr Adebowale said the initiative goes beyond celebrating Soyinka’s Nobel Prize to examining the experiences, intellectual influences and struggles that shaped his journey to international recognition.

In 1986, Soyinka became the first African writer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, marking a historic moment for African literature on the global stage.

According to the curator, the theme traces the journey from Ake, Abeokuta, where Soyinka spent his formative years, to Stockholm, Sweden, where he received the prestigious award.

He said the project seeks to preserve the historical materials and ideas that illuminate Soyinka’s life and work while making them accessible to audiences across generations.

Launched in 2019, Timeless Memories: Elastic Effects of Wole Soyinka is an annual curatorial initiative that explores the writer’s life, literary contributions and intellectual legacy through archival research, exhibitions and public engagement.

Exhibition, showcasing archival materials

The exhibition at Freedom Park will feature archival photographs, historical documents, and visual narratives that document Soyinka’s literary journey and the circumstances surrounding his Nobel recognition.

The organisers said the exhibition would encourage visitors to reflect on the relationship between literature, history and cultural memory, as well as the continuing relevance of Soyinka’s ideas on freedom, justice, political responsibility and human dignity.

A short documentary film will also explore the Nobel milestone through archival materials and recorded testimony.

The programme will include an illustrated comic book aimed at younger audiences, presenting Soyinka’s life and literary journey in a format designed to encourage greater engagement with Nigeria’s literary heritage.

Mr Adebowale said the different storytelling formats were intended to make history accessible to new generations while preserving it.

Examining Soyinka’s literary archives

Another major component of the programme is an international panel discussion titled From Nobel to Posterity: Archiving Wole Soyinka’s Literary Legacy.

Hosted by the Section on Literary Archives of the International Council on Archives, the discussion will bring together archivists and scholars to examine how to preserve, document, and make laureate Soyinka’s literary records accessible for future research.

The session will also consider how literary archives shape how future generations understand writers and their contributions to world literature.

The contemporary art programme will feature The Rebel Series (WS in 1986) at Adegbola Gallery. The exhibition, featuring artist Adewale Kolawole John and curated by Adebowale, will offer an artistic interpretation of Soyinka and the period surrounding his Nobel Prize.

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Speaking ahead of the programme, Mr Adebowale said the project was intended to preserve the stories and ideas that help explain Soyinka’s place in history.

He added that the collaboration with LABAF and CORA would provide a platform for extending conversations about the writer’s legacy to a wider audience.

The eighth edition comes as Nigeria’s literary community marks four decades since Mr Soyinka’s Nobel Prize, renewing attention to the historical experiences and creative achievements that have shaped African literature.