Tanure Ojaide

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Tanure Ojaide
Born1948 (age 74–75)
Nigeria
Citizenship Nigeria
Education University of Ibadan; Syracuse University
Occupation(s)Poet, academic
Notable workSongs of Myself: A Quartet (2017)
Awards2018 Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa

Tanure Ojaide (born 1948) is a Nigerian poet and academic. [1] As a writer, he is noted for his unique stylistic vision and for his intense criticism of imperialism, religion, and other issues. He is regarded as a socio-political and an ecocentric poet. He won the 2018 Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa with his collection Songs of Myself: A Quartet (2017). [2]

Contents

Biography

Tanure Ojaide was born to Urhobo parents from Okpara Inland in Agbon Kingdom of Delta State. He credits his grandmother with having inspired his writing. [3] He attended secondary school at Obinomba and Federal Government College, Warri, before proceeding to the University of Ibadan for his degree program in English. He attended Syracuse University, where he earned an M.A. in Creative Writing and a PhD in English. He later taught at the University of Maiduguri, before being appointed as Professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He has been a visiting scholar and has taught at several universities across the world, including at Delta State University, Abraka and Kwara State University, Malete. [4] His poetry is widely read and he is known for the infusion of Urhobo folklore and Udje aesthetics in his poetry. [5] [6]

Awards

Ojaide has won major national and international poetry awards, including the Commonwealth Poetry Prize for the Africa region (1987), the BBC Arts and Africa Poetry Award (1988), the All-Africa Okigbo Prize for Poetry (1988 and 1997), the Association of Nigerian Authors' Poetry Prize (1988, 1994, 2003 and 2011) [4] and the Fonlon-Nichols Award. [7]

In 2016, Ojaide won the Nigerian National Order of Merit award, the apex and the most important award for scholastic excellence in Nigeria. [8]

In 2017, his poetry collection, Songs of Myself: A Quartet , was the second runner-up in the NLNG Prize for Literature. [9] Three conferences have also been convened in his honour. The most recent one was held from 2 to 5 May 2018 at the University of Port Harcourt.

Songs of Myself was shortlisted for the biennial Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa, alongside collections by Harriet Anena and Servio Gbadamosi, [10] [11] [12] [13] and on 9 December 2018, at an award ceremony held in Lagos, Ojaide and Anena were announced as joint winners, chosen by judges Toyin Falola, Olu Obafemi and Margaret Busby, the presentation being made by Professor Wole Soyinka. [14] [15] [16]

Bibliography

Poem

Anthology

Fiction

Non-fiction

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References

  1. ↑ "Ojaide, Tanure | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  2. ↑ "Tanure Ojaide". The Sun Nigeria. 2017-09-16. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  3. ↑ Adama, Lami C. (31 May 2017), "Assuming the Minstrel’s Mantle in Tanure Ojaide’s Songs of Myself", World Literature Today .
  4. 1 2 "Biography". Tanure Ojaide website. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  5. ↑ Orhero, Mathias I (29 May 2017). "Urhobo Folklore and Udje Aesthetics in Tanure Ojaide's In the House of Words and Songs of Myself". CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture. 19 (2). doi: 10.7771/1481-4374.3014 .
  6. ↑ Ojaruega, E. E. (1 January 2015). "The place of Urhobo folklore in Tanure Ojaide's poetry". Tydskrif vir Letterkunde. 52 (2): 138–158. doi: 10.4314/tvl.v52i2.10 . ISSN   2309-9070.
  7. ↑ Kamakshi Kamath (5 March 2015). "Tanure Ojaide wins Fonlon-Nichols Award". The Sun News. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  8. ↑ Clement Idoko (25 November 2016). "FG names Professors Omowunmi, Ojaide 2016 winners of NNOM award". Tribune. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  9. ↑ "Ikeogu wins 2017 NLNG Prize for Literature". The Sun News. 9 October 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  10. ↑ "Nine African poets shortlisted for 2018 Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature", P.M. News, 3 November 2018.
  11. ↑ Daily Graphic (19 November 2018), "9 African poets on 2018 Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature list", Graphic Online.
  12. ↑ "Arena, Ojaide, Gbadamosi shortlisted for Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature", The Cable, 28 November 2018,
  13. ↑ "Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature 2018 shortlist announced", James Murua's Literature Blog, 29 November 2018.
  14. ↑ "Prof Tanure Ojaide, Harriet Anena are joint Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature 2018 winners", James Murua's Literature Blog, 10 December 2018.
  15. ↑ Joseph Kizza, "Ugandan wins 2018 Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature", New Vision, 10 December 2018.
  16. ↑ Kungu Al-Mahadi Adam, "Ugandan Author, Harriet Anena Wins 2018 Wole Soyinka Prize", SoftPower News, 10 December 2018.
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