20 Shocking facts you need to know about Wole Soyinka (With Pictures)

2. Wole Soyinka’s first son has a black belt in Karate

Wole Soyinka’s first son, Olaokun Soyinka is the former commissioner of health of Ogun state, Nigeria. He has a black belt in Karate and is the result of the marriage between Soyinka and his first wife British multicultural educationist, Barbara Dixon. He is also a practicing medical doctor.

3. Wole Soyinka has been married to three wives

Soyinka has been married three times and divorced twice. He has children from his three marriages. His first marriage was in 1958 to the late British writer, Barbara Dixon, whom he met at the University of Leeds in the 1950s. Barbara was the mother of his first son, Olaokun. His second marriage was in 1963 to Nigerian librarian Olaide Idowu,[35] with whom he had three daughters, Moremi, Iyetade (deceased), Peyibomi, and a second son, Ilemakin. Soyinka married Folake Doherty in 1989, to whom he is currently married.