By Yemi Adebisi, Acting Head, Literary/Arts
Literary critics observed that apart from sporting activities, one of the weapons that unite people of different socio-cultural, political and religious backgrounds together is literature.
A critique of works of ancient writers like D.O. Fagunwa such as The Forest of A Thousand Demons, for instance, draw the rest of the world closer to the Yoruba society from the early times to the end of the second world war. The story is about the adventures of Akara-oogun, beginning with an unceremonious visit of an aged person to a literate fellow who eventually facilitates committing the story told to writing.
Also, Efuru by Flora Nwapa counter the masculinist portraiture of characters by male novelists as Chinua Achebe during this period in his novel, Things Fall Apart.
Jagua Nana of Cyprian Ekwensi, written after independence and before the advent of the Nigerian Civil War, described as “city novel” is an indictment on the formidable corrupting influence of the Nigerian urban life on city youth.
Beasts of No Nation by Uzodinma Iweala, published in 2005 is also a narrative of growth which traces the protagonist’s development from childhood innocence to the horrors of war encountered by a child soldier.
But in Chimamanda Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun, the story of Nigerian-Biafran civil war that lasted between 1967 and 1970 provides a historical but creative description of the struggle for the realisation of an independent Biafran nation.
These references, believed to have gained acceptance within the literary community across the globe have gone a long way to create a unified world through the periscope of literature.
With the intention of sustaining such an enabling relationship that would interbreed African literature, founder of the first Nigerian writers’ residency, Dr. Wale Okediran kept the hope alive as writers from different climes converge seasonally at his Ebedi International Writers, Iseyin, Oyo State. Foremost of all claims of beneficiaries of this writers’ court is the serene environment, meal allowance from the initiator and the intimate relationship of the indigenes with the writers, who came from different part of African countries. Residents have come from countries like South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and Uganda; it is also popular with Nigerian writers in the Diaspora, who want to return home to focus on their literary works.
This venture, as observed, would also encourage intercontinental and cultural marriages, thereby promoting peace and tranquility in Africa.
For instance, the current administrative officer of the Residency, Macdell Joshua Sackey, a Ghanaian, who was also a two-time resident at Ebedi, until he took up the job last year, said he has come to settle down at Iseyin and marry a local. He said there is something about the environment that makes it conducive for writers.
“Iseyin is a very quiet town, and the area where the residency is located is just so conducive for writing, and now that I am working here, it is also a great opportunity to keep writing,” said Sackey.
However, he believes the founder, Okediran, who was also past president of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) should be assisted in taking the residency to greater heights.
“At the moment, all the funding comes from private pocket, but once there is support from other places, then we can have a bigger residency, and this would lead to the development of the literary sector in the country,” Sackey said.
Fortnight ago, Lilian Oluh from Benue State and Okeke Akudo Nkemjika from Imo State completed their six weeks residency at the centre.
They both expressed their appreciation to the founder and the board, for giving them the opportunity to use six weeks of their lives in such a serene environment, which has, therefore, brought out their creativity.
Oluh, a member of ANA, Benue State, and a recent graduate of Sociology from the University of Mkar, Benue State, said she would not have gained what she gained at Ebedi in her natural environment.
“This is because of the influences of daily living. This is what residencies are all about; it is usually difficult to write without disturbances in one’s natural environment, and having heard about Ebedi from a member of ANA Benue, I decided to apply.”
For Okeke, she was at the 2012 Garden City Literary Festival when she met a friend who had been at Ebedi earlier. She got the details from that friend, and applied.
Okeke, who would be going for her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) later in the year, felt it was a time well-spent because if she had not attended Ebedi, there was no way she could have gained such a mileage.
“I focus mainly in poetry, and I was able to write about 120 poems and short stories within the six weeks I was there,” Okeke said.
Apart from the personal works of the writers, they are also expected to share their knowledge with students from the town.
Oluh taught the students dance and drama, while Okeke taught them poetry, and on their relationship with the students, the young writers admitted it was fun.
“I really enjoyed my time with the students, although it wasn’t easy at first. While most of them were ready to learn, communication was a major challenge to them,” Okeke said.
This was corroborated by Oluh, who said she was impressed with the rate at which the students responded to Idoma traditional dance she taught them. “Gaining confidence is a major part of communication, and if the students keep feeling that they would make grammatical mistakes, and people would make fun of them, then they wouldn’t try, but as time went on, they felt comfortable with us, and they were able to express themselves,” said Oluh.
She said her emphasis of the dance drama presentation, was that “hard work pays,” thereby using literature to teach moral at the grassroots. She said the programme also inspired her to arrange her life and created a household image for standard for creative writing.
Okeke revealed that her experience made her to be more creative as she claimed that “I see lines in everything.”
Leaving one’s environment for a new one could be challenging. In the case of the writers, they come from another region, and coping with the food at Iseyin wasn’t easy. The writers could not even try amala, a food made from yam flour, which is popular in Iseyin, and they had to settle for other foods they are comfortable with like rice, yam, beans, among others.
“It is really not easy trying new food; it may be easy for other people, but I just don’t find it easy trying new foods,” Okeke said.
However, the writers commended the rare cordial relationship between them and the indigenes within the time frame.
“The people are always ready to assist once they know one is new in the town; the residency is also very popular in the town, and when they see new people, they feel they are writers who have come for their residency,” Oluh said.
Since inception about four years ago, the founder, Okediran, has been single-handedly funding the project, and to the writers, only a person with the love of literature at heart could be doing this for such a long time.
“I feel corporate individuals and government agencies ought to have come on board to join in sponsoring the residency.
“The value literature is adding to national development cannot be over-emphasised, and it is important that more support should be given to the residency so that more writers could benefit,” Okeke said.
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