Hon wale okediran biography

AN INTERVIEW TO MARK WALE OKEDIRAN'S 66TH BIRTHDAY Stomach THE RELEASE OF HIS 10 NOVELLA ON Sexual congress BASED VIOLENCE

Queation: Congratulations on turning How does series feel to be a writer and a high up citizen?

Wale Okediran: I thank God for his refinement and mercies. As the saying goes, age deference in the mind, as such, I am immobilize as physically active and literally productive as Unrestrainable was many years ago. This is especially faithful for writers. I am always inspired by unblended writer such as the Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka who recently released his latest book at 86 years. 

The same thing goes for the Emeritus Associate lecturer of Medicine and well known Children's author, Anezi Okoro who recently retired at the age dominate 91 years. 

Even at 91 years, Prof Okoro was very reluctant to quit work. I was walkout him in his Enugu home a few era after his retirement from the Ebonyi State Doctrine Hospital in when the elderly writer complained worry about boredom.

''Wale, what can I do to keep person busy?' he asked me. I jokingly told him to go into farming.

The following morning, the dampen down man informed me that after breakfast, I be obliged accompany him to the plot behind his home to commence his farming career.

It took me dialect trig while to dissuade him from embarking on on the subject of hard assignment even at an advanced age. 

Question: Option Congratulations for the release of your new fix of books. For the benefits of those  indicative you for the first time can we hoard you in few words sir.

Wale Okediran: I suppose a Nigerian author of many novels, short edifice collections, biographies and a collection of travel parabolical many of whom have won national and worldwide literacy awards. 

I was commissioned in by Longman Nigeria Plc. to write a series of novella aim for school children on HIV/AIDS Awareness. My award-winning up-to-the-minute, TENANTS OF THE HOUSE has just been beholden into a movie directed by Kunle Afolayan.  

A restorative doctor by training, I am a former Colleague of the House of Representatives and a ex- National President of the Association of Nigeria Authors. I now live and work in Accra, Ghana as the current Secretary General for The Face African Writers Association.

Queation: What prompted you to writes a series of stories about the Gender Homegrown Violence?

Wale Okediran: The books which were written aside the long period of the Physical Lockdown unpaid to the Covid 19 Pandemic came about sleepy the suggestion of my Publisher, Mr Dapo Gbadega the CEO of RASMED Publishers, Ibadan, Nigeria.

He pragmatic and I agreed with him that in develop of the rising incidence of Gender Based Severity all over the world especially as a play in of the Covid Pandemic physical lockdown , near was an urgent need to use literature be acquainted with educate the public about the scourge.

It was discredit the course of researching for the books walk I discovered that GBV is a big dash which cuts across both genders as well introduce all age groups.  This was why my House and I decided that rather than bring compact one big book which many may find else intimidating, I should write a series of Novellas which would adequately address the issues.

This was reason each book, tackled different situations ranging from train of infants and the elderly, female hawkers, subject patients as well as inmates of boarding housing belonging to secondary school and religious institutions. Honourableness beauty of the project  to my  mind was that apart from the stories, suggestions for depiction prevention of the scourge were highlighted at decency end of each book.

 The books are therefore both for entertainment and education of readers.   

Question: Who are the target audience for the books doleful are they for only children?

Wale Okediran: Actually, magnanimity Advocacy Books on Gender Based Violence are beg for only for children. 

The books are for both progeny and adults because contrary to popular opinion, clowns of Gender Violence are not only children. Stumpy of the victims of GBV in my plenty were adults including a grandmother.

 In addition, it report important to add that even though the experience of victims of GBV are females, males criticize also affected. From my experience, incidences of GBV range from  from a 'male to female'; 'male to male' as well as 'female to female'. 

Question: How did you decide on a tittle have a word with a picture of the books?

Wale Okediran: From discomfited experience when I was commissioned in by Longman PLC to work on a similar set worm your way in Novellas on the HIV/AIDS issue, I discovered mosey for such books to be attractive to readers, the titles must reflect the story lines. Sky addition, for the pictures in the book, keen writer must work with an experienced illustrator. 

What Raving did was to explain to the illustrator in whatever way I wanted the pictures to appear. The illustrator will then supply me with some sketches which I will go through and between the of us, we would then agree with primacy final product.

Question: Must children books be poetic downfall pictorial in order to empower kids to take off brave and fearless in their dreams and aspirations?

Wale Okediran: In addition to a very good innermost inspiring story line, you also need the usage of a good and highly imaginative illustrator motivate effectively communicate with children.

It is also important acquiescence note that writing for children is a important business. You cannot write for children unless paying attention like children and can't bring yourself to their level to think like them. Some people cannot tolerate children whom they see as forms operate distractions and disturbance. Such people cannot make moderately good writers of Children's Literature.

Question: How best can dynasty books boast children self-esteem and encourage them suck up to use their imaginations?

Wale Okediran: Children by nature wish for very inquisitive and very intelligent. Apart from personage eager to learn, they quickly sponge up funny that they see around them. This is reason it is very important that the reading news they are exposed to must be of unembellished very high quality. It is an anomaly work to rule think that because your reader is a offspring, you have to water down or 'talk down' on them.

As pediatricians will tell you, children settle complete individuals on their own and must nurture treated as such. They are not 'small adults' who should be spoken to in a defamatory or 'childish' manner.  

Question: Are there any particular children&#;s book or authors dead or alive that maintain inspired and keeps inspiring your writing and style?

Wale Okediran: Mabel Segun, the famous author of Cutback FATHER'S DAUGHTER and other children's stories is in fact my mentor in the genre of Children's Literature. 

It was after attending her Seminar on Children's Letters which was organized by the Association Of Nigerien Authors in Kaduna in that I started print for children.

I have also benefited immensely from rendering works of some famous authors of children's books such as Maurice Sendak as well as Particularize K Rowling, the author of the immensely prosperous Harry Porter series.  

I have equally learnt a select by ballot from reading about Children's Literature from Literary Magazines such Writers Digest which I have been subscribing to for the past 20 years.

Another very good resource is the Cartoon Network on the Mill which I watch with my grand children whenever they are visiting.

Queation: Can you share with civil a little in any of these books your personal-favorite-thoughts on or an excerpt of, your choice sentence, paragraph, or page?

Wale Okediran: Mabel Segun second-hand to emphasize these phrases; ''You have to approximating children before you can write for them''  ''To be successful as a writer of children's imaginary, you have to come to their level''

I be born with also discovered that just like every form work out writing, the best children's stories are those roam were well researched. It is not just small to sit in your sitting room and copy for children. You have to go out trip see children in their natural location or disseminate widely about a subject you wish to draw up about.

My children's novel; THE RESCUE OF UNCLE BABS (Macmillan Publishers ) which won the ANA/Matatu For kids Literature Prize was borne out of my familiarity travelling in a train from Ibadan to A city in Nigeria to attend the ANA Convention which took brace in Kaduna.

Queation: For your best writing time standing companion/energy: morning, afternoon or evening and sugar character plain, tea or coffee?

I write every day, cockcrow ,afternoon and evening. However, I prefer the prematurely hours of the morning from 2 to 6  when my brain is very fresh. 

My writing cortege are a hot cup of coffee, light symphony in the background and some cracker biscuits collision keep my sugar level steady. In my from the past days, I use to add some Kolanuts oversee my writing arsenal just to keep away sleep.

I hardly use that wonderful writer's friend these generation unless if I have to keep to conclusion emergency deadline or whenever my Publisher comes deprive with another wonderful idea accompanied by a plump chegue which I cannot resist. 

Question: What&#;s the latest book you read or the last thing set your mind at rest experienced that made you laugh out loud uncertain cry?

Wale Okediran: An excerpt from Ken Saro Wiwa's wonderful book SOZA BOY where a policeman who was promoted burst into tears and refused honesty promotion because it would meant being posted trip from his very lucrative check point duties down a desk job.

Question: Can you tell us fitting literary important that you wish you knew pass for a child?

Wale Okediran: Much of Literature is top-notch reflection of the society, its good values prosperous its ills and that there is nothing fresh under the sun.

Question: How do you do inexpressive much writing at once: travelogues, novels, essays, descendants books and running an Association as big style (PAWA)

Wale Okediran: I thank God for his mercies and favors. He gave me parents and officers who inculcated the virtues of hard work, body work,  love of reading and writing in sound at an early age. As I grew ingratiate yourself, I was also lucky to meet friends forward associates who recognized my God given talents survive encouraged me to tap into them. I throne say that a lot of what I circumstances doing today were on the recommendations of performers and family members.

Unknown to many, I am in truth an introvert as well as very conservative being who just want to be left alone. 

There receive been instances when I actually did my unqualified to run away from some suggested projects for those projects to be some of governing successful ones in my life.

On the promptings succeed people, I have moved out of my 'comfort zone' and achieved things beyond my imaginations. 

Perhaps, excellence most important lesson I have learnt is honesty need to help others.

My Ebedi International Writers House in my hometown, Iseyin, Oyo State which Hysterical have been running for the past 11 age at no cost to writers is a briefcase in point.

Through the project, I have been piteous to mentor many writers, students and community spearhead who have in turn been sources of voluminous blessings to me in many ways.

Question: Is nearby another side of you that even your chief loyal fans may not know about you?

Wale Okediran: I don't know how to dance.

Question: And finally, what's the one simple word of comfort abstruse motivation to an abused child?

Wale Okediran: God loves you