Three African Female Writers for the JAN/FEB 2020 Ebedi Residency

THREE AFRICAN FEMALE WRITERS FOR THE JAN/FEB 2020 EBEDI  RESIDENCY

Three Female Writers made up of a Togolese and two Nigerians have arrived Iseyin, Oyo State, Nigeria for the Jan/Feb 2020 Ebedi Writers Residency Session. They are; Manasse Mokpokpo Gnassounou (Togo), Deborah Abayomi Olutimi (Nigeria) and Judith Chiagozielam Okoro (Nigeria).

Manasse is a young lady from Djidjole, a suburb of Lome, the capital city of Togo. She holds a Bachelors degree in Business Administration and Multimedia Communication from the Ecoles des Cadres University, Togo. She is a Cultural trainer, Fashion Designer, Social Entrepreneur and Film maker. She uses artwork to empower children and women through training and workshops in drama, play, poetry slam, and handmade accessories. She plans to use her time at the Ebedi Residency to facilitate trainings for women and girls in making clothes accessories. This will also be the opportunity for her to have more time to create new designs, exchange ideas with other artists, share new projects, acquire more knowledge and network.  She believes that her experience from the Residency program will help make a better fashion designer and artist, volunteer, educator, mentor and leader in her community. 

The second writer, Deborah Abayomi Olutimi is from Kogi State, Nigeria. She’s a Poet and a PhD Literature student at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State. Some of her works which have been published in The Herald include; ‘Machines’, ‘Wonder,’ ‘The Mirage’ (poems) ‘He came’ (poem), among others. Deborah wishes to use her time at the Residency to work on her new poetry collection;The Mirage as well as teach Iseyin secondary school students the art of writing. Olutimi who is fluent in Hausa, Yoruba and Pidgin English spends her free time on her hobbies which include; Research, Meeting people, travelling, gardening and singing.

The third writer, Judith Chiagozielam Okoro is from Enugu State, Nigeria. A Masters degree holder in English and Literary Studeis, she currently teaches at the School of General Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Judith who was a NYSC Merit Award winner has attended many Literary and Academic Conferences. She has been published in many academic Journals and hopes to use her six weeks stay at the Residency to work on some of her manuscripts. She will also use her time to mentor Iseyin Students in the arts of Public Speaking and Writing. 

The Ebedi International Writers Residency which is in her tenth year of operation, is a private initiative for writers to complete their ongoing works in a conducive environment at no cost. Since its inception, in 2010, the facility has hosted more than 100 writers from 10 different African countries. It also offers publishing opportunities to its Fellows through an arrangement with one of Nigeria’s foremost publishing outfit, the  Literamed Publishers, Oregun Lagos.