Wikipedia

Femi Osofisan

Babafemi Adeyemi Osofisan Listenⓘ (born June 16, 1946), known as Femi Osofisan or F.O., is a Nigerian writer and theatre critic, noted for his critique of societal problems and his use of African traditional performances and surrealism in some of his plays.[1] A frequent theme that his drama explore is the conflict between good and evil. He is a didactic writer whose works seek to correct his decadent society. He has written poetry under the pseudonym Okinba Launko.[2]

Femi Osofisan
Born
Babafemi Adeyemi Osofisan

(1946-06-16) June 16, 1946 (age 80)
Erunwon, Ogun State, Nigeria
Pen nameOkinba Launko
OccupationProfessor, Playwright, Poet
Alma materUniversity of Ibadan;
Sorbonne, Paris
Notable awardsThalia Prize
Website
Official website

Education and career

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Babafemi Adeyemi Osofisan was born in the village of Erunwon,[3] Ogun State, Nigeria, on June 16, 1946, to Ebenezer Olatokunbo Osofisan, a school teacher, lay reader and church organist, and Phoebe Olufunke Osofisan, a schoolteacher.[4] His last name, Ọ̀sọ́fisan, signifies that his paternal ancestors were artists and artisans who worshipped the god of beauty and ornaments, Ọ̀ṣọ́. Osofisan attended primary school at Ife and secondary school at Government College, Ibadan. He then attended the University of Ibadan (1966–69), majoring in French and as part of his degree course studying at the University of Dakar for a year, and going on to do post-graduate studies at the Sorbonne, Paris.[5]

Beyond playwriting, Osofisan built an academic career as a teacher, critic, and literary scholar. He taught at the University of Ibadan, where he contributed significantly to the study of theatre arts and mentored generations of students, writers, and performers.[6]

He subsequently held faculty positions at the University of Ibadan, where he retired as full professor in 2011. He is currently a Distinguished Professor of Theatre Arts, Kwara State University, Nigeria.[7]

His contributions to theatre extend beyond writing into directing, adaptation, translation, and performance studies, making him a prominent figure in Nigerian theatrical practice and criticism.[8]

Osofisan is Vice President (West Africa) of the Pan African Writers' Association.[9]

In 2016, he became the first African to be awarded the prestigious Thalia Prize by the International Association of Theatre Critics,[10] the induction ceremony taking place on 27 September.[11]

Writing

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Osofisan has written and produced more than 60 plays.[12][13] He has also written four prose works: Ma'ami, Abigail, Pirates of Hurt and Cordelia, first produced in newspaper columns, in The Daily Times and then The Guardian. His prose work, Ma'ami, was adapted into a film in 2011. Several of Osofisan's plays are adaptations of works by other writers: Women of Owu from Euripides' The Trojan Women;[14] Who's Afraid of Solarin? from Nikolai Gogol's The Government Inspector; No More the Wasted Breed from Wole Soyinka's The Strong Breed; Another Raft from J. P. Clark's The Raft; Tegonni: An African Antigone from Sophocles′ Antigone,[15][16] and others.

Osofisan in his works also emphasizes gender: his representation of women as objects, objects of social division, due to shifting customs and long-lived traditions, and also as instruments for sexual exploitation; and his portrayal of women as subjects, individuals capable of cognition, endowed with consciousness and will, and capable of making decisions and effecting actions.[17] His inspiration is based on his hometown and his society.[18]

In 2013, drawing inspiration from Cao Yu's Thunderstorm and juxtaposing its narrative with contemporary events in his homeland, Osofisan wrote the play All for Catherine, which concerns class struggle, neocolonialism in China's activities in Africa and the anti-Chinese sentiment growing among Africans.[19]

Selected works

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  • Kolera Kolej. New Horn, 1975.[20]
  • The Chattering and the Song. Ibadan: Ibadan University Press, 1977.[21][22]
  • Morountodun and Other Plays. Lagos: Longman, 1982.[23]
  • Minted Coins (poetry), Heinemann, 1987.[24]
  • Another Raft. Lagos: Malthouse, 1988.[25]
  • Once upon Four Robbers. Ibadan: Heinemann, 1991[26]
  • Twingle-Twangle A-Twynning Tayle. Longman, 1992.[27]
  • Yungba-Yungba and the Dance Contest: A Parable for Our Times, Heinemann Educational, Nigeria, 1993.[28]
  • The Album of the Midnight Blackout, University Press, Nigeria, 1994.[29]
  • "Warriors of a Failed Utopia? West African writers since the 70s" in Leeds African Studies Bulletin 61 (1996), pp. 11–36.
  • Tegonni: An African Antigone. Ibadan: Opon Ifa, 1999.[30]
  • "Theater and the Rites of 'Post-Negritude' Remembering". Research in African Literatures 30.1 (1999): 1–11.
  • "Love's Unlike Lading: A Comedy from Shakespeare". Lagos: Concept Publications. 2012[31]
  • "One Legend, Many seasons". Lagos: Concept Publications. 2001[32][33]
  • All for Catherine, an adaptation of Thunderstorm by Cao Yu[34]

Themes and style

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Femi Osofisan's dramatic works are widely noted for their engagement with political power, class struggle, and social justice. Literary scholars have described his plays as interventions in postcolonial African discourse, often using theatre as a medium for questioning systems of oppression and social inequality.[35]

A recurring feature of Osofisan's work is his adaptation and reinterpretation of historical narratives, myths, and oral traditions, particularly those rooted in Yoruba performance culture. Rather than reproducing inherited stories unchanged, he frequently reworks them to foreground contemporary political and social concerns.[36]

Scholars have also noted the influence of epic theatre and Brechtian dramaturgy in his plays, especially in his use of satire, audience distancing, music, and collective performance as devices for encouraging critical reflection.[37]

Legacy and Influence

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Osofisan is regarded as one of the most influential dramatists in modern African literature and theatre. His body of work has attracted sustained scholarly attention in literary criticism, theatre studies, and postcolonial studies.[38]

His plays are widely studied in universities across Africa and beyond, particularly in courses on African drama, comparative literature, and postcolonial performance. Scholars have identified his contributions as central to the development of politically engaged theatre in Nigeria.[39]

Awards

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  • PAWA Membership Honorary Award (2015)[40] [41]
  • 2016: Thalia Prize from the International Association of Theatre Critics[42]

References

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  1. ↑ Nweke, Ikechukwu (2024-03-28). "Books Written by Femi Osofisan". HQ Words. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
  2. ↑ "As Osofisan's 'Cordelia' goes on big screen | The Nation". Latest Nigeria News, Nigerian Newspapers, Politics. 2021-06-25. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  3. ↑ Femi Osofisan page at African Books Collective.
  4. ↑ "Femi Osofisan: Biography, Education, Career, Marriage, Net Worth, Achievements, Books, Awards and More". NewsWireNGR. 2022-12-05. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
  5. ↑ Don Rubin, "A Brief Introduction to Femi Osofisan", Critical Stages/Scènes Critiques, December 2016: Issue No 14.
  6. ↑ "University of Ibadan academic profile". University of Ibadan. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  7. ↑ "Femi Osofisan at 75: Homage to a literary luminary and statesman, By Toyin Falola". Premium Times. 2021-06-16. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  8. ↑ African Theatre: Playwrights and Politics. James Currey. 2001.
  9. ↑ "PAWA Congratulates Prof Osofisan", Modern Ghana, 1 April 2016.
  10. ↑ "Reward for criticism", The Nation, 3 February 2016.
  11. ↑ "Osofisan installed as 2016 Thalia laureate", PM News, 2 October 2016.
  12. ↑ "Prof. Femi Osofisan | UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN". www.ui.edu.ng. Archived from the original on 2020-07-31. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  13. ↑ Voice, City. "International conference in Osofisan's honour holds next June | City Voice Newspaper". Retrieved 2020-05-11.
  14. ↑ Olasope, Olakunbi (2012). "To Sack a City or to Breach a Woman's Chastity: Euripides' Trojan Women and Osofisan's Women of Owu". African Performance Review, Journal of African Theatre Association UK. 6 (1): 111–121.
  15. ↑ Olasope, Olakunbi (2002). "Greek and Yoruba Beliefs in Sophocles' Antigone and Femi Osofisan's Adaptation, Tegonni". Papers in Honour of Tekena N. Tamuno: 408–420.
  16. ↑ Goff, Barbara (2007-10-11). Hardwick, Lorna; Gillespie, Carol (eds.). Antigone's Boat: the Colonial and the Postcolonial in Tegonni: An African Antigone by Femi Osofisan. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199296101.001.0001. ISBN 9780191712135.
  17. ↑ Olujide, Clement Ajidahun (2021-05-01). "Deification of Women and Female Imaging: A Feminist Reading of Femi Osofisan's Plays". UNIUYO Journal of Humanities. 25 (1).
  18. ↑ Precious, Aimiton (2026-02-18). "Femi Osofisan: Nigeria's Visionary Playwright Who Transformed African Theatre | Historical Nigeria". Retrieved 2026-03-19.
  19. ↑ "Unveiling Neocolonialism in Sino-African Relations: Femi Osofisan's All for Catherine". Journal of Literary Studies. 39 (1). November 2023. doi:10.25159/1753-5387/13947.
  20. ↑ Osofisan, Femi (1975). Kolera kolej. Ibadan, Nigeria: New Horn Press. OL 18907513M.
  21. ↑ Osofisan, Femi (1977). The chattering and the song. Internet Archive. [Ibadan] : Ibadan University Press, 1977. ISBN 978-978-121-036-5.
  22. ↑ Osofisan, Femi (1977). The chattering and the song. [Ibadan] : Ibadan University Press, 1977: Ibadan University Press. ISBN 978-978-121-036-5. OL 4442380M.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  23. ↑ Osofisan, Femi (1982). Morountodun and Other Plays. Longman Nigeria. ISBN 978-0-582-78575-5.
  24. ↑ Johnson, Rotimi (1990-09-01). "Revolutionary consciousness and commitment in Osofisan'sminted coins". Neohelicon. 17 (2): 157–168. doi:10.1007/BF02036456. ISSN 1588-2810.
  25. ↑ Osofisan, Femi (1988). Another Raft: A Play. Malthouse Press. ISBN 978-978-2601-08-7.
  26. ↑ Osofisan, Femi (1991). Once upon four robbers : (a play). Internet Archive. Ibadan : Heinemann. ISBN 978-978-129-179-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  27. ↑ Osofisan, Femi (1995). Twingle-twangle: A Twynning Tayle. Longman Nigeria. ISBN 978-978-139-854-4.
  28. ↑ Osofisan, Femi (1993). Yungba-Yungba and the dance contest: a parable for our times. Ibadan: Heinemann Educational Books (Nigeria). ISBN 978-978-129-249-1. OL 1176125M.
  29. ↑ Osofisan, Femi (1994). The album of the midnight blackout. Ibadan: University Press. ISBN 978-978-2494-21-4. OL 879082M.
  30. ↑ Osofisan, Femi (2007). Tegonni: An African Antigone. Concept Publications. ISBN 978-978-8065-94-4.
  31. ↑ Osofisan, Femi (2012). Love's Unlike Lading: A Comedy from Shakespeare. Concept Publications. ISBN 978-978-51445-0-5.
  32. ↑ Osofisan, Femi (2001). One legend, many seasons. Nigeria: Opon Ifa Readers. ISBN 978-978-33259-9-9.
  33. ↑ Agunbiade, Oyewumi Olatoye; Enongene, Sone Mirabeau (2024-03-01). "Time Travel and Social Values in Femi Osofisan's One Legend, Many Seasons". Time Travel in World Literature and Cinema. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 203–230. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-52315-1_9. ISBN 978-3-031-52314-4.
  34. ↑ Liu, Xunqian (2023). "Unveiling Neocolonialism in Sino-African Relations: Femi Osofisan's All for Catherine". Journal of Literary Studies. 39 (1). doi:10.25159/1753-5387/13947.
  35. ↑ Banham, Martin (1994). The Cambridge Guide to African and Caribbean Theatre. Cambridge University Press.
  36. ↑ Adelugba, Dapo (1988). "Myth and History in the Drama of Femi Osofisan". Research in African Literatures.
  37. ↑ "Radical Aesthetics in Femi Osofisan's Theatre". Research in African Literatures. 1996.
  38. ↑ A History of Twentieth-Century African Literatures. James Currey. 2004.
  39. ↑ "Femi Osofisan and Contemporary Nigerian Theatre". African Performance Review. 2007.
  40. ↑ "PAWA Congratulates Prof Osofisan". Daily Guide. 1 April 2016 – via Modern Ghana.
  41. ↑ "Echoes of Achebe's works at writers' show". The Nation. Lagos, Nigeria. 2015-11-24. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  42. ↑ "Femi Osofisan wins Thalia Prize 2016". Vanguard. Lagos, Nigeria. 2016-02-08. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  • Contemporary Authors Online, Thomson Gale.

Further reading

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  • Sola Adeyemi, Vision of Change in African Drama: Femi Osofisan's Dialectical Reading of History and Politics, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2019 ISBN 978-1-5275-3637-1
  • Adeoti, Gbemisola. "The loudness of the "Unsaid": Proverbs in selected African drama." Legon Journal of the Humanities 30, no. 1 (2019): 82-104.Web link
  • Chima Osakwe, The Revolutionary Drama and Theatre of Femi Osofisan. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2018 ISBN 978-1-5275-1596-3
  • Olakunbi Olasope (ed), Black Dionysos: Conversations with Femi Osofisan. Ibadan: Kraft Books. 2013 ISBN 9789789181094
  • Osisanwo, Ayo & Muideen Adekunle. Expressions of Political Consciousness in Wole Soyinka's Alapata Apata and Femi Osofisan's Morountodun: A Pragma-Stylistic Analysis. Ibadan Journal of English Studies 7 (2018): 521–542.
  • Sola Adeyemi (ed), Portraits for an Eagle: Essays in Honour of Femi Osofisan, Bayreuth African Studies, 2006. ISBN 978-3927510951
  • Tunde Akinyemi and Toyin Falola (eds), Emerging Perspectives on Femi Osofisan, Africa World Press, 2009. ISBN 978-1592216994
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