THE award-winning poet, Tade Ipadeola, has joined the elite group of Nigerian writers that have participated in the International Writing Program (IWP) Fall Residency at the University of Iowa, courtesy of the United States Department of State.
Elechi Amadi, Cyprian Ekwensi, Ola Rotimi, Femi Osofisan, Niyi Osundare, Festus Iyayi, Lola Shoneyin and Obari Gomba have all participated in the world’s oldest and largest multinational writing residency.
Ipadeola, who resumed on September 1 and will be away for the program till November 16, 2019, alongside 28 other accomplished writers from across the globe, will give readings and lectures that share from his work and cultures. He will also collaborate with artists from different genres and art forms, and travel to interact with audiences and literary communities across the United States.
Also, the residency will provide the winner of the 2013 Nigeria Prize for Literature and other writers a one-of-a-kind inter-cultural opportunity to forge productive relationships with colleagues and translators and take part in the vibrant social and academic life of the University of Iowa as well as the broader American literary scene.
2020 budget: We expect early presentation by Buhari —Gbajabiamila
Commenting on Ipadeola’s selection, United States Consulate Public Affairs Officer, Russell Brooks, congratulated him on his acceptance into the residency program.
“The International Writing Program Fall Residency is a unique experience for rising stars and established writers who have achieved literary distinction and have shown interest in contributing to the creative writing culture in their home countries. This program will enable Ipadeola to present his works and Nigeria’s literary culture to a wider audience. He will, in turn, learn more about U.S. society, culture, and the American people,” Brooks said.
Ipadeola, who trained as a lawyer, has three published works, including a book of poetry, ‘The Sahara Testaments’ which won the Nigeria Prize for Literature in 2013. In 2012, he translated ‘Paid on Both Sides’, the first dramatic work of renowned Anglo-American poet, W.H. Auden, into Yoruba as ‘Lamilami.’