I WROTE THE KING AND HORSEMAN IN TWO AND HALF DAYS- SOYINKA. (PHOTO).

 I wrote the King and horseman in two and half days -Soyinka

Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka on Saturday disclosed he wrote the book, the King and his horseman in two and half days.

He however said he had been nursing the idea for many years before deciding to put it into writing in a record time.

He spoke at the unveiling of CreaTent and Books of Aphorisms by one of his mentees, Mohammed Bello.

Soyinka, who cited the King and his Horseman as one of his best ever, said it is his creativity that made the book unique.

He explained that other people have written about the myth about the King and the horseman.

According to him: “Finally, I couldn’t help it anymore. So instead of committing, I found pleasure. Which is trying to restore a symbol that is standing right now, which has proved to me one of the most successful plays I’ve ever written.

“But the important thing, and that’s what I want to address, the important thing is that writing that play did not begin when I sat down. Right? No. Obviously, it had been there.

“You see yourself in the subconscious, and finally, it is ready. Many people would not believe that I wrote that play in two and a half days. Literally, a month and a half.

“That was the nature of it. The power to respond to it. Not necessarily immediately.”

He encouraged writers not to be discouraged when they are stuck.

He said: “And don’t worry if you wanted to write a play and it just didn’t come out and you had to do it. Go and do other things. Go and play soccer if you like.

“Go and listen to music. Go and see your friends. Have a party. Join a construction gang who occupy themselves with the community. Anything whatsoever.

“Inspiration is not mysterious. It’s a question of just opening your mind to take up what others are not. So I recommend this pamphlet.

“Teachers, students, would be creative people. And always remember that there’s a link between people who tend to separate the literary arts, the painting, the talking. The thing is different from technological savvy.”