“I’m Against Liquor; Completely Against Liquor But Wine Is Not Liquor – Wole Soyinka Talks Women And Wine

Professor Wole Soyinka was his vintage self while responding to questions about his life, activism, and muse amongst others during an interaction with four undergraduates at the just concluded Ake Arts and Book Festival in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

And when he was asked a question about cigarette, liquor and women supposedly aiding the muse drew murmurs of approval from the audience. What did for Kongi as a young writer and what still does for him?

“I’m against liquor; completely against liquor. Wine is not liquor,” Soyinka, renowned for his excellent taste in wine, said tongue in cheek as the audience erupted in laughter.

“Good brandy is not liquor; single malt whiskey is not liquor. Palm wine is not liquor. All the rest are liquor,” he continued, adding that he knew the medicinal values of palm wine right from childhood.

“Anything that is not liquor, I think hurts the productive system. Wine is excellent…what corrodes the body for me is water. I can’t imagine anybody being creative with orange juice, pineapple juice and all that. I can’t imagine it. It’s very difficult,” he added.

Soyinka didn’t controvert the point that women aid the creative process. “Women? We have to be careful here. Artists, painters and others, what is their favourite model? Very few of them use male models. The artists they know what they are doing.”

On why he started wearing collarless shirts, Soyinka said: “It was as a result of my abandonment of ties. I felt restricted by ties. Why on earth should somebody put a rope around my neck and at the same time they don’t like being hanged.

Does it make sense to you? Once I abandoned ties, the next thing was what was that tie doing around my neck? There is nothing mysterious about it; straightforward practicality.”

Source: Sahara Reporters