xxviii Chronology
of the African Peoples and is elected its first Secretary-
General.
Yakubu Gowon overthrown in a military coup. General
Murtala Mohammed becomes head of state. Soyinka re-
turns to Nigeria and is given appointment of Professor of
Comparative Literature by the University of Ife.Death and
the King’s Horsemanpublished. EditsPoems of Black Africa.
Murtala Muhammed assassinated, General Olusegun
Obasanjo becomes head of state.Myth, Literature and
the African WorldandOgun Abibimanpublished. Govern-
mental corruption and social inequality intensify in the
wake of an oil-boom economy. Soyinka fiercely out-
spoken in his social criticism and faces intimidation by
agents of the military regime. First stage production of
Death and the King’s Horsemanat the University of Ife in
December.
Administrator of FESTAC (International Festival of
Negro Arts and Culture), Lagos. Completes and directs
Opera Wonyosi, a composite adaptation of John Gay’s
Beggars’ Operaand Brecht’sThreepenny Operawhich sav-
ages several African military and civilian despots and the
values they are entrenching across the borders of African
countries. Soyinka is prevented from staging this play in
Lagos and he forms a group called Guerrilla Theatre
Unit out of the professional company of the University
of Ife Theatre. Writes short, biting and highly popular
skits attacking governmental hypocrisy, corruption and
sadistic policies which are performed by the new group in
open-air markets, streets, community centres and school
playing fields.
Joins the People’s Redemption Party, a social-democratic
party whose leadership is made up of the most promi-
nent progressive politicians of the North and the South,
and trade union and academic leftists. When the party
fragments into conservative and radical factions, Soyinka
goes with the latter and becomes its Deputy Director of
Research. DirectsThe Biko Inquest, an edited version of
the court proceedings of an inquest on the death of Steve
Biko in police custody. In the fall he directsDeath and the
King’s Horsemanat the Goodman Theater, Chicago. Upon