Wordsworth was born at Cockermouth, Cumbria, in 1770, the son of an attorney. Both parents were dead by the time he was thirteen, a loss recorded in the early part of ‘The Prelude’ where he describes with vivid intensity his…

Nigerian by birth, Soyinka studied in both Nigeria and the UK. His political views have led to periods in exile and a stay in prison with the prospect of a death sentence.  A playwright, novelist, essayist and editor as well…