By Prisca Sam-Duru
As Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, marks his 91st birthday, the 8th edition of the acclaimed “Timeless Memories: Elastic Effects of Wole Soyinka” project stands as a celebratory tribute to his extraordinary life, courage, and intellect.
Scheduled to take place from November 10–16, 2025, at Kongi’s Harvest Hall, Freedom Park, during the Lagos Book and Art Festival (LABAF), this year’s edition bears the compelling theme: “State Repression and Intellectual Defiance: Soyinka’s Struggle Against the Abacha Regime (1993–1998).”
Between 1993 and 1998, Nigeria was gripped by the iron rule of General Sani Abacha—a regime notorious for its suppression of civil liberties and violent crackdown on dissent. In that period of political darkness, Soyinka emerged as an unwavering symbol of resistance, risking exile, assassination, and constant surveillance in his outspoken fight for democracy and justice.
Timeless Memories VIII documents this era through an immersive, multi-layered experience that reinterprets Soyinka’s courage and commitment to truth. It features a powerful documentary, “Shadow and Silence: Soyinka vs Abacha,” with exclusive interviews, dramatized reconstructions, and rare archival footage. The exhibition includes evocative installations such as “The Safe House,” “Wanted Wall,” interactive escape route maps, an “Assassination Diary,” and a “Resistance Radio” audio experience. A graphic art book, “The Man Who Wouldn’t Bow,” illustrated by Nigerian artists, will make Soyinka’s story accessible to a new generation.
This edition of the project is curated by Dr.Oludamola Adebowale, the renowned archivist and curator who began the Timeless Memories project eight years ago as his unique tribute to Soyinka.
Through immersive exhibitions and installations, Dr. Adebowale has explored the vast body of Soyinka’s work, documenting his legacy with curatorial depth and innovation. With each edition, he has reimagined the “Wole Soyinka” narrative, preserving it as a living archive of resilience and brilliance.
Speaking ahead of the programme, Adebowale described Timeless Memories VIII as not just an exhibition, stating, “It is a powerful homage to a towering figure at 91 whose voice still echoes with urgency. It reminds us that ideas outlive bullets and that the spirit of resistance, once ignited, never dies.”
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