IBADAN WRITERS CONFERENCE - MEET OUR SPEAKERS
JIDE OGUNLANA
Jide Ogunlana is a Novelist, Editor,
Playwright and Professional Publisher. Two of Ogunlana’s plays, Verbal Violence
and Clash of the Gods have been successfully staged in the Arts Theatre, now
Wole Soyinka Theatre, of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and they are being
read in some higher institutions like The Polytechnic, Ibadan. One of his short
stories and some extracts of his stories have also been published in some
editions of ANA Review of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA).
He has taught Literature and the
English language in some government schools in Oyo Statefor some years and in
three countries outside Nigeria at all levels of education including the
university level at the National University of Lesotho.
Ogunlana is a multiple award winner
of children’s literature. His storybook, Primrose and the Kidnappers (published
by Lerato Book Publishers) won the 2018 ANA Prize for Children’s Literature and
his A Girl Called Corona Sofia (published by Learning Solutions Specialty
Publications Ltd) won the same prize again in 2021. Many of his books have been
approved for school use in the current lists of books of Oyo State Ministry of
Education.
Some of JideOgunlana’s published
works are: Primrose and the Kidnappers, Awesu in a Strange House, A Girl Called
Corona Sofia, From Marriage to Prison (A Collection of Short Stories), Two
Plays of Verbal Attack, Teach Yourself English for Junior Secondary Schools. He
also published some books under pseudonyms and they are: Esin Amope – a Yoruba
play (Asamu Adebisi), The Adventure of Three Wild Boys (Wale Adewale),The 3rd
of March and Out of This World (Wale Adewale).
As an editor, he worked with Evans
Brothers (Nig. Publishers) Ltd for some years before founding his own
publishing company where he now works as a publisher, a writer, a rewriter and
an editor. While workingwith Evans Brothers as a Senior Editor he was
involved in various works of great writers both locally and internationally. As
an independent editor, he has edited outstanding works of many popular Nigerian
writers such as the prose works of Dr Wale Okediran, the Secretary General of
Pan African Writers Association (PAWA) and a former Member of the House of
Representatives, the biography of a former governor, the prose work of Diipo
Fagunwa, the only surviving child of D.O. Fagunwa and the autobiography of
Prof. Samuel Olusegun Ayodele, a renowned Nigerian professor of English.
Jide Ogunlana also organises
training on writing, editing and publishing on a regular basis at his office
complex at the University of Ibadan campus.
KOLA AKINTOLA
Kola Akintola is an artist of rare ingenuity,
his perspective is as wide as his gaze on each of his works is intense. He
possesses an especial capacity to make art works from common and unlikely
things.
His works serve as an experiment to
understand the delicate intersection between 'art and life', 'art and anatomy',
'form and media'.
He believes that this interesting
conceptualization of form and media arose from his attempt to blend his initial
training in Human Kinetics dealing with real forms with his subsequent training
as an artist dealing with "imaging". This is 'imaging' not as in
photography but as in the faucouldian frame of things, in nature and in life
things exist in themselves at particular times and in particular spaces as
regimes of truth. Almost as isolates.
Kola's latest path-breaking skill is
found in his new form / style which he called "Vein Painting". This
is an inventive and brilliant use of organic materials laid on a background
which throws it out in relief such that lines of fibre are used to give imaginative
meaning to form.
It is a stylistic as well as
technical improvement on his use of organic fibre.
Kola Akintola's art works have
become academic studies in some universities in Nigeria and Colorado university
in the United States of America.
He has had several art workshops and
exhibitions around the world, and represented Nigeria at some international art
discusses in the West Coasts of Africa.
He runs an art studio cum art
gallery and he is the Proprietor of "Institute Of Art Technology here in
Ibadan, as an outlet to training the younger ones in proper artistic
acquisition.
He is always poised to saying
"Everybody is an artist, but not every artist can become a great one, but
a great one can come from anywhere"
MARCUS OVIE UGBODUMA
Marcus Ovie Ugboduma is a graduate
in Accountancy from the Osun State College of Technology Esa-oke, He also holds
a Post Graduate Diploma in Education from the National Teachers Institute
Kaduna, and is a professional member of the Certified Institute of Purchasing and
Supply Administration of Nigeria. He is a Teacher, Creative thinker, a writer
Behavioral coach and a custodian and promoter of the African Culture.
He is an adept lover of books and
the founder of the Book Friendly Club of God’s Blessing Comprehensive College.
Marcus prepared and led students
from secondary schools in Oyo state to Win the 2019 Children cultural quiz for
secondary schools at the NATIONAL FESTIVAL FOR ARTS AND CULTURE NAFEST EDO 2019
his students also came overall forth position in Children Essay writing
competition at NAFEST EDO 2019, and overall second position at the Children
Arts category at NAFEST EDO 2019. He also led his students to win the National
Safety Quiz 2016 in Oyo state.
Marcus enjoys spending time with his
students, and mentoring them in creative writing he loves travelling and
spending time with his family and when relaxed he reads religious books.
His most inspiring moments are when
faced with challenges and life's problems he eases the burden by just writing
poems and documenting his experiences. His desire for young people is to help
them solve social problems and vices which has earned him the accolade
the " TOWN CRIER" because of his penchant for writing poems
aimed at preserving history and revealing political truce between 2003
and 2007 he was a Ward Chairman of the All Nigerian People's party Ward 9
Mokola Ibadan.
He has been a community Leader of
the Mokola Community as it's secretary for
several years
He is also one of the founding
fathers of the prestigious Mokola Carnival. Before venturing into Teaching he
was a Singer, Rapper, Disc Jockey Song and Script Writer. His greatest
height in the musical career was performing at the Abuja city gate at the movement
of presidency from Lagos to Abuja on the 12th day of December 1991. He also
performed at the Nigerian Children Trust Fund Concert in 1992 and 1993. He is
today an educationist and had helped in establishing four schools in Ibadan.
He has written over a hundred poems,
five books and six plays including "Regret Has No Medicine" the
Masquerade Would Not Dance, Koronu. His play on Female Genital mutilation
staged by his students has featured on Space FM on the day of the African Child
2016.
His poem "Should the Chibok
Girls Return! Had also been performed by his students on Big Bolaji's show.He
also mentored and presented students who have won prizes at three previous
editions of the Fagunwa day celebration. His poems “The lamentation of an
Aborted fetus" and "Okigbo in Biafra" were featured in the
anthology of poems in honour of Prof Remi Raji @50.
He also co-edited the anthology of
poems in honour of Senator Abiola Ajimobi with Wole Adedoyin. His most
cherished poems are the poems he wrote about himself and his mother.
FOLARIN
OLANIYI
Folarin olaniyi is the CEO of Emotion
Press. He is currently a member of the Publicity Committee of the Association
of Nigerian Authors (ANA) National.
BUSAYO FAKUNLE
Busayo Fakunle is a Phonics
consultant, poet, publisher, seasoned English language tutor, an editor, author
of children's literary texts and the CEO, Hope Alive Educational Consultancy.
He has his first degree in English
Language and Literary Studies at Ekiti State University, Ekiti state and did
his Masters also in English Language at the prestigious University of Ibadan.
He was the President, National Association of Students of English and Literary
Studies, EKSU (2010/2011).
Some of his creative works have
appeared in both national and international anthologies cum journals of high
reputation. He is the winner of The Poetry Court contest to celebrate Prof.
Wole Soyinka's 81st birthday. He is the Administrative Secretary of Platform
for Liberty and Democracy, Oyo State Chapter. He is a Fellow of Ebedi
International Writers Residency, Iseyin and the current Public Relations
Officer of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Oyo state chapter.
AYOMIDE INUFIN
D'GREAT
Ayomide Inufin D'great better known as
Ayomide D'great is a multi award winning Creative Writer, Storyteller, Business
Developer & Poet. His writings have featured on One Global Voice, Italy,
Society of Young Nigerian Writers, BamBooks, Tell Africa, Poemify Publishers
Inc, Featiler Magazine, MidasMind Spotlight Magazine, NaijaHotStars,
Latray Academy, Nairaland & elsewhere. His writings are centered around
societal happens, relevant non-fictional occurrences and African society
storytelling. You can find him on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ayomide_dgreat?r=nametag
Or Facebook *@Ayomide Inufin D'great*
ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS
ADWINSA PUBLICATIONS NIGERIA
LIMITED
Adwinsa
Publications Nigeria Limited was incorporated in Ilorin, Nigeria with
Registration Number 667617. It was registered on 21 September, 2006. Adwinsa
Publications Nigeria Limited is the sponsor and the brain behind the reading
promotion campaign tagged “Read Nigeria Project which has taken book readings
and hosted over twenty young writers in Oyo, Ogun and Osun states respectively.
See https://readnigeriaproject.blogspot.com
for verification.
Read Nigeria Project is a nationwide
chain of events devoted for readers and lovers of books across Nigeria to
celebrate and honour some selected important personalities who have contributed
meaningfully to the learning and reading culture of the country.
The project also hopes to promote
book reading through different events like book bee, quiz contests and other
mediums across the country irrespective of tribe, color, sect, age, religion
and gender.
THE IBADAN
BOOK CLUB
Ibadan Book Club is an initiative of the Society of Young
Nigerian Writers (SYNW). It was founded in 2011 by SYNW in order to contribute
its own quota to the growth and development of Reading Culture in Oyo State.
The Ibadan Book Club consists of a group of people who meet
periodically to discuss the book they have read and exchange those books. Club
members encourage each other and learn to read with a critical mind,
articulating their opinions about a particular book with others. Certain types
of books not available or read receive attention through the book club.
The Club is known for historical reading activities like
Ibadan Book Award, Ibadan Book Party, Ibadan Creative Writing Workshop etc. Some
of the publications published by the Club are: Olubadan Centennial Anthology: a
collection of essays, articles, poems and works of art in honor of Oba (Dr.)
Samuel Odulana, Odugade 1, Voices from Oja Oba Market and Finally, Senator
Abiola Ajimobi: Memories, Dreams, Reflections of a Mind Always in Motion.
