Ibadan Book Club Unveils 2026 Projects, hails Dr. Wale Okediran and Dr. Awele Ilusanmi for sustained support

 

IBADAN BOOK CLUB UNVEILS 2026 PROJECTS, HAILS DR. WALE OKEDIRAN AND DR. AWELE ILUSANMI FOR SUSTAINED SUPPORT

The Ibadan Book Club has announced the unveiling of two new literary projects scheduled for implementation in 2026, as part of its ongoing commitment to promoting reading culture and literary engagement in Nigeria. This development was disclosed in a press statement issued by the Founder of the Club, Mr. Wole Adedoyin.

According to the statement, the newly introduced initiatives are the Ibadan Readers’ Roundtable and the Back to Books Project, both designed to strengthen readers’ participation, encourage intellectual discourse, and expand access to books and literary conversations within and beyond Ibadan.

The Ibadan Readers’ Roundtable is envisioned as a recurring forum that will bring together readers, writers, academics, and literary enthusiasts to engage in critical discussions of selected books and topical issues in literature. The project aims to promote analytical reading, foster diverse perspectives, and build a strong community of informed readers.

Through the Readers’ Roundtable, the Club plans to provide a platform for meaningful literary dialogue, mentorship, and interaction between established writers and emerging voices. The initiative is expected to further position Ibadan as a vibrant center for literary exchange and intellectual engagement.

The Back to Books Project is a reading revival campaign targeted at rekindling interest in books among students, youths, and the general public. The project will involve reading outreaches, book donation drives, guided reading sessions, and advocacy activities aimed at restoring reading as a daily and lifelong habit.

By focusing on schools and communities, the Back to Books Project seeks to address the decline in reading culture and promote literacy, creativity, and personal development. The initiative underscores the Club’s belief in books as essential tools for education and social transformation.

The press statement also highlighted the Club’s track record of impactful literary interventions. Over the years, the Ibadan Book Club has successfully executed projects such as the Read Nigeria Project, Oyo Reads, Ibadan Reads, Write and Publish Project, which mainly consisted of writing workshops, as well as the Ibadan Book Talk and Ibadan Book Dialogue series.

Notably, the Ibadan Book Talk and Ibadan Book Dialogue projects hosted over thirty writers, providing platforms for authors to engage readers, share insights, and contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s literary development.

The Club expressed profound appreciation to Dr. Wale Okediran, Secretary General of the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA), for his financial support to the Ibadan Book Club for over five years. Beyond financial assistance, Dr. Okediran also facilitated the nomination of five members of the Club for the Ebedi Writers Residency last year.

Special thanks were also extended to Dr. Awele Ilusanmi (FANA), President of the Literary Authors Cooperative Multipurpose Society of Nigeria (LITACO), for her consistent monthly financial support, which began last year. The Ibadan Book Club described the support from both literary leaders as invaluable and reaffirmed its dedication to sustaining impactful reading and literary development initiatives.