Quotes by Dramatists

But the ultimate lesson is just sit down and write. That's all. Wole Soyinka

Sit Down Lesson Write Ultimate Just

But when you're deprived of it for a lengthy period then you value human companionship. But you have to survive and so you devise all kinds of mental exercises and it's amazing. Wole Soyinka

You Amazing Value Kinds Mental Devise Period Exercises Survive Human Lengthy To Survive Deprived Then Companionship

Even when I'm writing plays I enjoy having company and mentally I think of that company as the company I'm writing for. Wole Soyinka

Writing Enjoy Think Having Mentally Company Even Plays

I don't really consider myself a novelist, it just came out purely by accident. Wole Soyinka

Myself Accident Consider Out Purely Came Just Really Novelist

I found, when I left, that there were others who felt the same way. We'd meet, they'd come and seek me out, we'd talk about the future. And I found that their depression and pessimism was every bit as acute as mine. Wole Soyinka

I'm not one of those writers I learned about who get up in the morning, put a piece of paper in their typewriter machine and start writing. That I've never understood. Wole Soyinka

Morning Writing Typewriter Paper Machine Those About Writers Never Put Piece Learned Understood Up Get Who Start

One thing I can tell you is this, that I am not a methodical writer. Wole Soyinka

You Tell One Thing Writer Am Methodical Thing

There's a kind of dynamic quality about theater and that dynamic quality expresses itself in relation to, first of all, the environment in which it's being staged; then the audience, the nature of the audience, the quality of the audience. Wole Soyinka

Nature Quality First Relation Kind About Environment First Of All Audience Itself Being Staged Dynamic Which Theater Then Expresses

Well, first of all I'll say that I come alive best in theater. Wole Soyinka

Best First Say Alive Come First Of All Well Theater

Looking at faces of people, one gets the feeling there's a lot of work to be done. Wole Soyinka

Work People Feeling Looking Faces Lot Gets Done

African film makers are scraping by on a mere pittance. Wole Soyinka

Mere Makers Scraping African Film Film-Makers

In Africa, those who have money - businessmen and banks - do not believe in film. Wole Soyinka

Money Believe Those Africa Banks Who Businessmen Film

Rwanda, which is one of the younger independent states in Africa, must be regarded as a model of how great human trauma can be transformed to commence true reconstruction of people. Human trauma can lead to stunted growth and mass withdrawal. Wole Soyinka

Being the first black Nobel laureate, and the first African, the African world considered me personal property. I lost the remaining shreds of my anonymity, even to walk a few yards in London, Paris or Frankfurt without being stopped. Wole Soyinka

When I write plays, I'm already seeing the shapes on stage, of the actors and their interaction, and so on and so forth. I don't think I've ever written one play as an abstract piece, as a literary piece, floating in the air somewhere, to be flushed out later on. Wole Soyinka

An excessive amount of my time is taken with political involvement. It's unavoidable; that's my temperament. Wole Soyinka

Time Political Temperament Unavoidable My Time Excessive Taken Involvement Amount

You always assume for some strange reason that you need three meals a day. Wole Soyinka

Day You Strange Three Assume Some Always Meals Reason Need

I'm not sure I'm trying to communicate a message. I'm just trying to be part of the movement away from the unacceptable present. Wole Soyinka

Communicate Unacceptable Part Message Sure Trying Just Movement Away Present

The Lagos of my childhood was a well-laid-out maritime city. Wole Soyinka

Maritime City Childhood

Politics, I believe, is a full-time occupation. Wole Soyinka

Politics Believe Occupation Full-Time