In August, we reported Kola Tubosun’s essay on Wole Soyinka’s art-filled house in Abeokuta forest. Published on Popula, “A House for Mr Soyinka“—a title alluding to V.S. Naipaul’s novel—has since been shortlisted for the 2018 Brittle Paper Award for Creative Nonfiction.

At 84 years of age, Wole Soyinka’s life lives—to use Teju Cole’s phrasing on a different subject—on the boundary between the contemporary and the historical. Perhaps there has been no African writer or cultural figure whose existence is more storied than that of the white-haired sage. This year, there has been a burst of cultural activity around his legacy: his former residence at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife was turned into a museum; and the University of Ibadan renamed its Arts Theatre after him.

Here are exclusive photos from Kola Tubosun’s visit. They are credited to Kola Tubosun and Abiola Balogun.