US suddenly revokes visa of first African writer to win Nobel Prize

Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka, a Nobel Prize winner in Literature, said the US Consulate in Lagos (Nigeria) revoked his visa, barred him from entering the country and cut some of the privileges of the Nobel title.

The first African writer to win a Nobel Prize was Wole Soyinka from Nigeria, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986 - Photo: REUTERS

According to AFP , speaking at a press conference at Kongi's Harvest Gallery in Lagos (Nigeria), famous writer Wole Soyinka - Nobel Prize winner in 1986 - said he was completely unclear about what actions of his led to his visa being revoked.

Wole Soyinka has no intention of reapplying for a US visa

Wole Soyinka shared: "I have to hold this press conference to inform those in the US who are waiting for me to attend the event to not waste their time waiting. I do not have a visa, I have been banned from the United States. I want to tell the Consulate that I am completely satisfied with the revocation of my visa."

Wole Soyinka previously had a green card and permanent residency in the US, but destroyed the card after Donald Trump was first elected president in 2016.

Writer Wole Soyinka said he would not reapply for a visa, adding: "If anyone wants to see me, they know where I am." He stressed that being banned from entering the country would not stop him from fighting for human rights and political freedom - values ​​he has pursued throughout his life.

Earlier this year, Wole Soyinka revealed that the US Consulate in Lagos invited him for an interview to “reconsider” his visa. However, he refused - Photo: AFP

'Strange love letter from the US embassy'

In a letter seen by AFP, the US Consulate announced the formal revocation of Wole Soyinka's visa, citing US State Department regulations that allow "a consular officer, minister, or designee to revoke a nonimmigrant visa at any time, in their discretion".

When reading this letter to the media in Lagos, Wole Soyinka humorously called it "a strange love letter from the US embassy" and advised organizations that wanted to invite him to the US "not to bother anymore".

His latest novel, Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth, a satire about corruption in Nigeria, was published in 2021 - Photo: CTV News

Writer Wole Soyinka (91 years old) is the author of Death and the King's Horseman , has taught and been awarded many prestigious titles at top American universities such as Harvard and Cornell.

Although he left open the possibility of accepting an invitation to the US if the situation changes, he stressed: "I will not proactively do that, because there is nothing I need to look for there. Nothing at all."

The US Embassy in Nigeria has yet to comment on the incident.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/my-bat-ngo-thu-hoi-visa-cua-nha-van-chau-phi-dau-tien-doat-giai-nobel-20251029105113025.htm