Renowned historian, Professor Toyin Falola, has emphasized the importance of honest and balanced storytelling in biography writing, underlining the necessity of portraying both the strengths and weaknesses of historical figures.
Falola, a Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, was speaking during the latest edition of the Toyin Falola Interviews, which featured a panel of writers including Dr Wale Okediran, Mansoura Ez-Eldin, Douglas Ogbankwa, and Reinette Mulonda. The panel discussed the theme, ‘Biography Writing: Promises and Perils’, across multiple platforms, including social media, television, and radio stations.
In his intervention, Falola explained the significance of biographies in providing a deeper understanding of the lives of notable figures. He remarked, “Biographies are windows to history. This is because you cannot write biographies outside the context of history.”
He stressed that biographies should present individuals in their full complexity, acknowledging both their flaws and triumphs, rather than elevating them to god-like status. “You cannot write a biography on Nigeria’s president Bola Tinubu and present him like a god. He has his own weaknesses. If I were to write the biography of Wole Soyinka, I can give you over a dozen of his weaknesses. But he still won the Nobel Prize,” Falola said, emphasizing the need for a holistic portrayal that helps humanize even the most iconic figures.
According to Falola, biographies serve as powerful tools for education and inspiration, showcasing how individuals overcome challenges. Drawing from his own life, he shared, “I am a high school dropout… I only spent two years in high school. How then did I become one of the most distinguished professors in the world? That is what biographies do.”
He argued that biographies help demystify successful figures, showing that they are not infallible but have navigated struggles that many can relate to. Falola also added, “In that humanizing process, we are dealing with a major way to talk about humans. You can learn wisdom from it; you can learn memory from it.”
Falola encouraged historians and writers to seize the opportunity for documenting lives, even suggesting that those struggling to find academic work could form writing companies. “I have suggested to historians who complain that they have no jobs to set up writing companies… I am convinced that if biography writing companies are set up, one will never go out of business.” He also discussed the commercialization of biographies, noting that writing authorized biographies can be a lucrative endeavour, especially when the subject of the biography is well-known. However, he cautioned that biography writing, particularly when sensitive information is included, carries risks of litigation. “Every piece of biography is a potential piece of litigation,” he warned.
Dr. Wale Okediran, Secretary General of the Pan African Writers Association and an author of several biographies, echoed Falola’s sentiment, emphasizing that biographies should avoid excessive praise.
“We are not saying that a biography should be to praise-worship alone… One of the things that I always emphasize when I am given an assignment on a biography is to let the subject know that it would make the book more interesting and more dignifying if I can also interview some critics on some of the challenges or failures that the subject had encountered in life,” Okediran shared.
He reflected on the experience of interviewing critics for a biography of a former vice-chancellor. While the vice chancellor was initially resistant, the criticisms ultimately helped provide a fuller picture of his tenure. Okediran also noted, “At the end, by the time the vice chancellor was able to explain the reasons why he had to increase school fees, it was obvious that what the students called excessive increment was something very small.”
Mansoura Ez-Eldin, an award-winning Egyptian author, brought a unique perspective to the discussion, emphasizing the role of imagination in biography writing. She remarked, “Biographies are matters of interpretation. The biographer interprets the life, thoughts and actions of the subject based on what is brought from various comments and sources.”
Ez-Eldin pointed out that there will always be gaps in a person’s life story, and it is in these moments of uncertainty that imagination plays a critical role. “Sometimes the sources may not be able to reveal much about the subject’s life… In such cases, it is expected of the biographer to exert much more effort to reveal what is hidden,” she explained. However, she also cautioned that while imagination is integral, biographers must maintain a distance from their subjects to avoid bias.
“A biography is a journey into a person’s life… It is, after all, the biographer’s perspective and interpretation of his life no matter how hard the biographer tries to be objective, his personal views and personal biases will speak out within the lines of the book,” she added.
For Nigerian lawyer and writer, Douglas Ogbankwa, a key consideration in biography writing is the distinction between fact and fiction. “There seems to be confusion between biography and fiction,” he explained. “It is not possible for any element of biography to be fiction because biography is defined by the dictionary as a usually written history of a person’s life.” Ogbankwa urged biographers to be cautious with embellishment, ensuring that any interpretations or imaginative elements are grounded in truth. He advised, “How you embellish it or deploy imagination must be guarded against pitfalls.”
To protect themselves legally, Ogbankwa recommended that biographers ensure clear contracts are in place with their subjects to avoid disputes. “Biographers should move from the realm of having a letter of instruction to having a biography execution contract… It must be signed by the subject and indicate amount payable,” he advised.
Ez-Eldin further discussed the potential of biographies to challenge dominant narratives and provide a voice to marginalized groups. “Biographies can challenge dominant narratives and make the voice of the marginalized heard,” she argued, emphasizing that biographies should not be restricted to well-known leaders but also capture the stories of ordinary people with extraordinary lives. She shared that she is currently writing a biography about her mother, focusing on the lives of rural women in Egypt, which she believes will illuminate broader social issues. “Biographies are not only limited to telling the stories of the lives of the subjects but also tied to a specific time and place,” Ez-Eldin stated.
The panel called for more African biographies to be written, with both Falola and Okediran urging African writers to document the stories of African leaders, scholars, and ordinary individuals who have made significant contributions to their communities. As Okediran pointed out, “Africans are not writing enough biographies of our leaders, statesmen, academics, politicians… People came from poor backgrounds, who could not afford to wear shoes, later went to become captains of industries, presidents of countries.” Falola echoed this sentiment, stressing that African achievements should be celebrated and documented, saying, “We have a lot of achievers in Africa whose biographies need to be written.”
This enlightening discussion shed light on the complexities of biography writing, from balancing factual accuracy with personal interpretation to the ethical challenges biographers face in presenting public figures honestly while respecting their privacy. The panellists collectively agreed that biographies are vital tools for preserving history, understanding individuals, and enriching the cultural fabric of societies.
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