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Biography Of Niyi Osundare

 

NAME: Niyi Osundare
 
DATE OF BIRTH: 1947
PLACE OF BIRTH: Niyi Osundare was born in Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State
OCCUPATION: A nigerian lawyer and journalist. He is the former ceo of the nigerian women’s trust fund.

EDUCATION: 

He was educated on three continents: B.A. (Honours) from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, M.A. from the University of Leeds in England, and Ph.D. from York University, Toronto, Canada. The wide and varied exposure accruing from this has proved very useful for his writing and teaching careers.

CAREER AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES: 

Musicality is one of the most essential elements of Osundare’s poetry. In his later work he often includes musical directions because he believes poetry should be experienced orally.
In 1997, he accepted a teaching and research post at the university of new orleans. In 2005 osundare was caught in hurricane katrina, and he and his wife were stuck in their attic for 26 hours.
Their neighbour, who at the time was driving by in his boat, heard their shouts for help.
They were rescued and bounced around from rescue shelters till they ended up in rindge, new hampshire, where osundare could get a teaching job as a professor at franklin pierce college till things settled down.

PUBLICATIONS: 

 
  • Songs from the marketplace
  • Village voices
  • The eye of the earth
  • Moonsongs
  • Songs of the season
  • Waiting laughters
  • Selected poems
  • Midlife
  • Thread in the loom
  • The word is an egg
  • The state visit
  • Pages from the book of the sun
  • Early birds
  • Two plays
  • The emerging perspectives on niyi osundare

HONORS AND AWARDS: 

First Prize, Western State of Nigeria Poetry Competition (1968)
1981 Major Book Prize and Letter of Commendation, BBC Poetry Competition (1981)
Honorable Mention, Noma Award for Publishing in Africa (1986)
Honorable Mention, Noma Award for Publishing in Africa (1989)
Association of Nigerian Authors(ANA) Poetry Prize (1986)
Joint-Winner, Overall Commonwealth Poetry Prize (1986)
Kwanza Award

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