Ibadan Writers Conference - Meet Our Speakers

 

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.