Three African Writers round up the Ebedi 2019 Residency Program

THREE AFRICAN WRITERS ROUND UP THE EBEDI 2019 RESIDENCY PROGRAM

Three writers, one from Rwanda and two from Nigeria have arrived Iseyin, Oyo State, Nigeria as the last set of the seven sets of the 2019 Ebedi International Writers Residency Program. 

The Rwandan Writer and Visual Artist, Moise Izabiriza ,is a self-taught artist who uses his art  as a medium of expression and communication for positive social change. In 2015, Moise participated in the “Creating Art For Positive Social Change” workshop and art exhibition as part of the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence campaign at the American Embassy in Kigali.  In 2016, Moise also attended the Kenya Art Fair in  Wasanii Art Gallery Nairobi and in 2019 created the set designs for the play titled ” SMALL CITIZENS” during  the International Theatre Festival at Camp Kigali , Rwanda. His works have been published by Daily Monitor, Easter African Magazine and New Time Magazine. He will use his stay at Ebedi to complete work on some new ideas and also facilitate art workshops in some selected secondary schools in Iseyin.

Abdullahi Lawan Kangala from Kano State, Nigeria writes in his native Hausa language. A prodigious author of many works in poetry, drama and short stories, Kangiwa is also a member of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Kano Chapter. Apart from his writings, Abdullahi is also a Literary Activist. He is the creator of an online organisation, Kangala Global Awareness through which, he  mentors up and coming Hausa writers. He is also a regular contributor on Hausa Literature with the Kano based Arewa Radio, 93.1 FM. Abdullahi wishes to spend his time at the Residency to complete his forthcoming collection of Hausa poems. He will also mentor Iseyin students by teaching them Hausa language and culture.

The third writer, Daniel Mbolo who writes under the pen name, Sheathsword Nazaritus dropped out of school during thefinal year of his Law degree program at the Niger Delta University in his native Bayelsa State in order to concentrate on his writings. He has patterned his works after that of William Shakespeare, a style which embraces dramatic poetry style in telling stories. His latest work, ‘The Divine Tragedies’ is a composition of 25 plays adapted from the Holy Bible. The first volume of ‘Divine Tragedies’ which is a 1,017-page book was completed in 2018.  When Mbolo showed the book to the Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, the latter was very impressed and is currently engaging Mbolo in some literary projects. Apart from completing work on his second volume of ‘dramatic poetry’, Mbolo will also mentor Iseyin students in the twin arts of drama and poetry during his stay at the Ebedi residency.

The Ebedi International Writers Residency Program is a private intitiative for creative writers wishing to complete their works in a condusive environment at no cost. The program which is affliated with some international literary bodies including the Wole Soyinka Writers Residency in Abeokuta and the Belgium based African Moves Arts (AMA)  has hosted over 120 writers from ten African countries since it was established nine years ago.