Okediran’s contribution to global cultural mosaic

Poet, critic, translator and President of the World Organisation of Writers, Margarita Al, shares her experience translating Wale Okediran’s ‘Travels of a Troubadour’, a collection of travel stories, into Russian.

ON February 2, 2023, in Cairo, Egypt, Nigerian writer Wale Okediran was announced as the laureate of the 6th Open Eurasian Literature Festival (LitFest-2023).

According to the contest rules, the laureate receives the opportunity to participate in the festival and a voucher for publishing a book in the “Golden LitFest. Writers of Eurasia” series. For the first time, the award went to a novelist, as previously it had been won exclusively by poets from Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Egypt.

The book presentation of the 6th Laureate Wale Okediran took place on April 5, 2024, in Abuja, Nigeria, during the first Congress of the WOW.

Okediran writes in English. Even when I was getting acquainted with the works of the festival’s contestants, his works were noted and attracted attention.

To decide on the final voting, I had to translate several chapters of his collection of Travel Stories. Then, more chapters followed. Thus, over a year, I translated his book. His creativity enriched my perception of the world and opened a new, modern literary Africa to me.

In Okediran’s collection of stories, “Travels of a Troubadour,” I found a unique interweaving of cultures, histories, and experiences covering various corners of the world.

The author, who is both a traveller and a literary chronicler, created a mosaic of impressions from visits to countries, regions, and cities such as Texas, Istanbul, Rwanda, Abuja, Taiwan, Togo, Kumasi, Algeria, Morocco, Tangier, Pakistan, and Alexandria, as well as from a return to Ghana.

Each story carries a deeply personal look at each place’s cultural peculiarities, historical moments, and socio-political context, describing both the joys of discovery and the painful moments of encountering cruelty and injustice.

Okediran effortlessly transports the reader from one city to another, showing the diversity of the African continent and the world. He does not shy away from addressing complex issues such as the consequences of colonialism, genocide in Rwanda, problems of modern society, and internal conflicts experienced by his characters.

At the same time, his stories are replete with descriptions of the beauty of nature, the richness of cultures, and enduring human values.

“Travels of a Troubadour” is not just a collection of stories but an exploration of humanity through the lens of travel and literature. Okediran skillfully uses his literary journeys to explore and understand complex issues of identity, belonging, and transformation, making this collection an essential contribution to the global cultural mosaic.

It is a great joy and honour for me to translate the works of the distinguished world writer Okediran into Russian.

• Originally published in The Asian In Korean

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