Aliyu, Oloya, Salau… for Ebedi Residency programme

ANOTHER set of writers for the Ebedi International Writers Residency are expected in Iseyin, Oyo State on March 9, 2015. Just like the first set of writers who completed their residency in February, the second set will also be an all female team.

  The writers are Halima Aliyu from Bauchi State, Adeola Adeyemi Salau from Kwara State and Edwin Ununuma Oloya from Rivers State. Aliyu who writes with the pseudonym, Husnee Hayat, is based in Minna, Niger State. A Lawyer by profession, Aliyu is the current Legal Adviser to the Niger State Chapter of Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA). In the course of her literary career, she has attended workshops and seminars such as, the BBC Radiophonics Workshop, Kano (2007) and Farafina Creative Writing Workshop, Lagos, (2012) among others.  She is the author of a children’s novel, One Little Trick, One Painful Death, which was published in 2005.  She hopes to use her time at Ebedi to complete work on her new novel, Icy Waters as well as mentor secondary school students in Iseyin in the art of writing.

  The second writer, Adeola Opeyemi Salau, a graduate of English Studies, is a published writer of poetry, fiction and essay. As an undergraduate, she participated extensively in literary and intellectual development ventures. She was also an executive member of her university’s branch of the Association of Nigerian Authors. Salau presently works as poetry and fiction editor for Sankofa literary magazine and WriteHouse Collective. 

Her literary work has been featured in Sankofamag, NigeriansTalk, The Clip among other publications. She has also attended several literary workshops which include the just concluded CACE Africa’s Writivism. She hopes to use her time at Ebedi to complete her debut collection of short stories. Salau also paints in charcoal and oil medium, and will also impart this skill to secondary school students in Iseyin during the residency programme.

  The third writer, Ununuma Edwin Oloya is also a graduate of English and is currently studying for her Masters Degree in the same discipline. She plans to use her time at Ebedi to complete her short story collection, The Ones Between The Weave. 

  These writers, who will be in residence for six weeks (March 9 2015 to April 23 2015), are also expected to mentor some secondary school students in Iseyin in the area of creative arts during their stay.

  The Ebedi Writers Residency is an initiative to enable writers complete their on-going works in a conducive environment at no cost to the writers. In addition, completed works during the residency will be considered for publication by Literamed Publishers, Lagos. Since its inception on August 31, 2010, The Ebedi Residency Programme has hosted over 50 writers from countries such as Uganda, Ghana, South Africa and Sierra Leone as well as Nigeria.