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Daniel Ford founder Edun hosts Soyinka in London book reading of Nobel laureate’s latest work

By Editor

25 November 2021   |   7:09 pm

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Professor Wole Soyinka, Africa's first Nobel laureate in literature, was this week the guest of top UK property maestro, Yemi Edun, as the founder and CEO of Daniel Ford International hosted the launch and book reading of ‘Chronicles From the Land of The Happiest People on Earth’ inside the British Library Knowledge Centre in London.…

Yemi Edun (middle) is flanked by Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Sarafa Ishola (left) and Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka at the book reading of the legendary writer’s latest work Chronicles From the Land of The Happiest People on Earth.

Professor Wole Soyinka, Africa’s first Nobel laureate in literature, was this week the guest of top UK property maestro, Yemi Edun, as the founder and CEO of Daniel Ford International hosted the launch and book reading of ‘Chronicles From the Land of The Happiest People on Earth’ inside the British Library Knowledge Centre in London.

‘Chronicles From the Land of the Happiest People on Earth,’ described as a political satire and murder mystery, and a lament for the spirit of Nigeria, is Soyinka’s first novel in 48 years, and only the third in the 87-year-old Nobel Prize winner’s long career.

The book mirrors the socio political situation of the Nigerian society, and the November 22 event hosted by Edun and tagged ‘An Evening with Professor Wole Soyinka,’ was only the second literary work presented to a London audience in over a decade by Soyinka who, in the past 48 years has produced essays and plays with remarkable regularity.

Edun, who was recently named in the UK Powerlist 2022, had earlier announced on social media that he was “happy to announce the arrival of Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka in London for the Daniel Ford International book reading event at the British Library. Chronicles from the land of the happiest people on earth is his first book in almost 50 Years.”

The Nigerian-born prime property agent described the hosting of the book reading event as his own way of contributing and supporting the works of the legendary Nigerian writer who he sees as a role model for many young Nigerians.

According to Edun, the event was an “evening of the intellectuals who converged to listen to one of the best writers of this generation.”

‘An Evening with Professor Wole Soyinka’ was filled with colour and glamour, and the man of the moment, Soyinka, used the event, which had in attendance the Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK, Ambassador Sarafa Ishola, to dissect the situation in Africa’s most populous nation, and concluded that it is high time for a series of town hall meetings to be organised for Nigerians to ask retrospective questions about what has happened to us as a people.

At the end of the well-attended book reading, those in attendance showered encomiums on Edun and his team for hosting what many described as an excellently curated event, with many in attendance thrilled at the opportunity of seeing and hearing from a living legend.

One of such attendees was internationally renowned brand strategist and football agent, Dr. Drew Uyi, who thanked Edun for giving London residents the rare opportunity of seeing a living legend at such an iconic venue.