Akinwumi Isola | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1939-12-24)December 24, 1939 |
| Died | February 17, 2018(2018-02-17) (aged 78) Ibadan, Nigeria |
| Alma mater | University of Ibadan |
| Occupations |
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| Known for | Writing in and promoting theYoruba language |
| Awards | National Merit Award Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters |
Akinwumi IsolaListenⓘ(24 December 1939[1][2] – 17 February 2018) was aYoruba playwright, novelist, actor, dramatist, culture activist and scholar.[3] He was known for his writing in, and his work in promoting, theYoruba language.[4] As an actor, he was known for;
Isola was born inIbadan in 1939. He attended Labode Methodist School andWesley College. He then studied at theUniversity of Ibadan, earning a B.A. in French.[5][6]
He was appointed professor at Obafemi Awolowo University in 1991. Isola wrote his first play,Efunsetan Aniwura,[7] during 1961-62 while still a student at the University of Ibadan. This was followed by a novel,O Le Ku. In 1986, he wrote and composed thecollege anthem that is currently sung inWesley College Ibadan.[8][9][10]
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, "my target audience are Yorubas", Isola also wrote inEnglish[11] and translated to Yoruba.[4] He spent his lifetime producing works that promoted the Yoruba language.[12]
On May 4, 2015, his bookHerbert Macaulay and the Spirit of Lagos was staged at the Performing Arts Theatre of theUniversity of Ilorin inKwara State. It was directed by Adams Abdulfatai Ayomide for the annual season of plays festival.[13]
In 2000, in recognition of his immense contributions, he was awarded the National Merit Award and appointed a Fellow of theNigerian Academy of Letters. He was also a visiting professor at theUniversity of Georgia.[14][12]
Isola was married and had four children.[15] He died on 17 February 2018 in Ibadan,Oyo State, aged 78.[16]
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