Coming on the heels of the recent attendance of the Ebedi International Writers Residency Programme, Iseyin, Oyo State, by the well-known Ugandan Writer Doreen Baingana, another young Ugandan Writer Barbara Oketta has been slated to participate in the next edition of the Programme.
Oketta is a Teacher and short story writer based in Kampala, Uganda is also an Executive Member of FEMRITE, the Ugandan Women Writers Organisation, and a published short story writer. She is also a freelance Editor with FOUNTAIN, a Ugandan Publishing outfit. She will be coming to Ebedi to complete work on her novel, LEAVING HOME.
Barbara Oketta will be joined by another young and versatile Nigerian female writer Temitayo Olofinlua. Temitayo, a holder of a Master’s degree in English from the Obafemi Awolowo University, an an award-winning essayist, was until recently a regular contributor to the now rested NEXT Newspaper where she contributed articles, reviews and vignettes. She has been published in a short story anthology THE EAGLE SPEAKING FOR THE GENERATION (2009) edited by Duke Okoro. She will going to Ebedi to complete her short story collection.
The writers are expected to be at the Residency from March 10, 2012 for a period of six weeks. Apart from writing, the writers will also be expected to mentor students of selected secondary schools in Iseyin in any creative arts of their choice.
The Ebedi International Writers Residency is a homegrown initiative to support writers to complete their ongoing literary works in a comfortable and serene environment at no cost to the writers. Through the writers, the Programme also intends to mentor young Nigerians in the creative field in an attempt to identify and empower upcoming creative artists.
The Residency is managed by a Board of Directors made up of Maryam Okediran (Chairman), Uche Peter Umez, Alkasim Abdulkadir and Akintayo Abodunrin.