In a career springing nearly six decades, Wole Soyinka has come to symbolise different things to different people. In this extensive and kaleidoscopic anthology, with an insightful foreword by the former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, a diverse selection of contributors take a look at the life and career of this multi-faceted icon of our times - Nobel Laureate, human rights activist, actor, writer, teacher, musician, film maker, poet, politician, hunter, wine connoisseur, art collector, shadow architect - as he celebrates this milestone birthday; while at the same time examining the literary and cultural history of West Africa from the 1950s to the present. A truly unique compendium, the essayists include three African leaders, three Nobel Laureates, distinguished playwrights, novelists, literary critics, historians, academics and public policy practitioners from around the world.