Yewande Omotosho, a Nigerian-Barbadian, naturalised South African Citizen, is among the four female writers who have since commenced the March-April 2013 Ebedi Residency in Iseyin, Oyo State. The Cape Town, South African based writer, Yewande has a Masters degree in Creative Writing from the University of Cape Town as well as a Bachelor’s in Architecture from the same University. Her fiction has appeared in The Fundza Literacy Trust (2012), African Violet: The Caine Prize for African Writing (2012) while her novel, BomBoy (2011) was the winner of the South Africa Literature First Book Award in 2012. Her poems and articles have appeared in several literary journals and some have been shortlisted for awards. Yewande Omotosho will be using her time in Ebedi to complete her next novel YOUR HOUSE IS ON FIRE. She is the daughter of the South African-based Nigerian writer, Professor Kole Omotosho, a past ANA President.
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Agiresaasi Apophia, a Ugandan and Public Health Specialist, has a Masters in Population and Reproductive Health from the Makerere University, Uganda. She is the author of a children’s book, VICTOR (Macmillan Publishers) as well as some short stories in various anthologies. Apophia’s trip to Nigeria was sponsored by the Belgium based Arts Moves Africa (AMA), which provided her with a return ticket from Uganda. Apophia currently works as the Executive Director of a Ugandan-based CSO, Action For Health, Human Rights and HIV/AIDS, and will be using her time in Ebedi to complete her next novel ALTERED DESTINIES.
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Rukayat Olaleye, a teacher by profession, will be the first Ebedi Resident who writes Indigenous Literature. An Ibadan-based writer, Rukayat writes in Yoruba where she has made her mark through her works which include a novel ABAMO and two drama presentations, OLAJU and OJU TO RI BI. Rukayat is a Member of the Society of Young Nigerian Writers and the current, Secretary, Egbe Odo Onkowe Ede Yoruba. She will be using the period of her stay in Ebedi to work on her next Yoruba novel.
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The fourth resident, Ayodele Olofintuade, is the author of ENO’S STORY (Cassava Republic, 2010), the first runner-up of the 2011 NLNG Prize for Nigerian Literature. She was also contracted by Cassava Republic to write a Children’s Series: Double Trouble. Currently the curator of LAIPO READS, a platform for Writers, Artists, Poets, Dancers and Musicians, Olofintuade is also a freelance journalist with Daily Times Nigeria. She will be using her time in Ebedi to complete work on her first full length novel SHINA RAMBO.
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Currently in its 3rd year of operation, the Ebedi International Writers Residency is an initiative for the provision of an enabling environment for writers to complete ongoing works at no cost at all to the writers. In addition, completed works during the Residency will be considered for publication by Literamed Publishers, Lagos.
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Signed,
Uche Peter Umez