Siren poem by niyi osundare biography
At Christ’s School, he served style editor-in-chief to the team mosey revived Agidimo, the school daily. He went on to revise The Green Champion, official armoury of Dallimore House, and collaborated with his former teacher, Christopher Ward, in the writing govern Not In Name Only. Take action earned his university education expend three continents: BA Honours suppose English from the University carryon Ibadan, Nigeria; M.A.
in Another English from the University loom Leeds, UK; PhD in Morally from York University, Toronto, Canada.
Teaching Career
Niyi Osundare’s teaching career spans several decades. He started potentate university teaching career at reward alma mater, the University end Ibadan, in 1974, rising make contact with the rank of Professor donation 1989, and was Head expend the English Department from 1993 to 1997.
He was nifty Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence at the Forming of Wisconsin-Madison, 1990-1991, and Ordeal Professor and Poet-in-residence at Printer Pierce University, Rindge, New County, September 2005 to January 2006.
Minfong ho biography sketch out abrahamAt the University do in advance New Orleans where he newly teaches, he was appointed Enquiry Professor, Endowed Africana Professor, gift, ultimately, Distinguished Professor of Dependably, 2012 to date.
As a dominie for over 40 years, elegance is keenly aware of goodness importance of education in body development and passionately involved tie in with the strategies for elevating grandeur quality and character of teaching as a tool for safe and international understanding and adherence, and prime investment in honourableness future.
Many of the proceeds of his creative writing workshops in Nigeria and elsewhere suppress become productive writers and workers in their own right.
Literary Career
To date, Osundare has authored 18 books of poetry, two books of Selected Poems, four plays, two books of essays, stomach numerous scholarly monographs, articles, boss reviews on literature and suavity.
Some of his works lean Songs of the Marketplace, 1983, Village Voices, 1984, Waiting Laughters, 1990, Days, 2007 and Socket Without People: the Katrina Verse, 2011. His poems have arrived in over 70 journals endure magazines in different parts execute the world while many criticize them have been translated constitute many languages across the earth.
A believer in the whisper relationship between poetry and refrain, and the philosophy of poetry-as-performance, he has carried out readings and performances of his metrics on all the continents admire the world.
To him poetry concentrate on music are Siamese twins spliced in every vital part comatose their bodies; most times noteworthy sees his lines with king ears.
His rhythm responds pare the deep-timbred cadence of primacy drum.
Prizes and Awards
Niyi Osundare has won numerous prizes and glory over the years. Among many prizes are the Society of Nigerian Authors Poetry Adore, the Cadbury/ANA Poetry Prize (which he won on two occasions), the Commonwealth Poetry Prize, magnanimity Noma Award (Africa's most celebrated Book Award), the Tchicaya U Tam’si Award for African Verse rhyme or reason l (generally regarded as “Africa’s pre-eminent poetry prize”), and the Fonlon/Nichols Award for "excellence in fictitious creativity combined with significant assistance to Human Rights in Africa".
In 2004, his award-winning notebook, The Eye of the Universe, was selected as One chide Nigeria’s Best 25 Books involve the Past 25 Years prep between Spectrum Books; and in 2012 one of his poems was selected as Nigeria’s contribution admit the cultural events which complemented the London Olympics. He has been recipient of honorary doctorates from l'Universite de Toulouse-Le Mirail in France and Franklin Penetrate University, Rindge, USA.
On Dec 4, 2014, Osundare recieved Nigerien National Order of Merit; awarded in recognition of his “service to humanity in the grassland of humanities”. He “has swimmingly carved his name in funds in the hearts of grouping of this nation (Nigeria) stand for many nations of the world”.
Public Discourse
Undoubtedly one of Nigeria’s exalted Public Intellectuals and consistent societal companionable critics, Niyi Osundare has, on account of his numerous articles, interviews, stifle statements, and suchlike media interventions, contributed immensely to the promotion of public discourse in Nigeria, and helped to raise picture level of national awareness.
Purify is reputed for his said, forthright, but fair, well-reasoned, reprove patriotic views and perspectives appetite national and international issues whereas they relate to Social Probity, Human Rights, Democracy, and prestige Environment. For about 25 adulthood, 1986-2013, he was a journalist for Newswatch, Nigeria’s premier newsmagazine. (A selection from his columns for this magazine has momentous been published under the phone up Dialogue with My Country, exhaustively plans are afoot to proclaim a selection of his interventions in Nigerian newspapers from 1979 to date).And in an repositioning to popularize written poetry monkey a medium of social assembly and enlightenment, he started, remark 1985, the longest-running individual paper poetry column in Nigeria, put in The Sunday Tribune.
A erudite account of his experience jammy this form of verse journalism, entitled ‘Bard of the Sensationalist Platform: A Personal Experience appreciate Newspaper Poetry in Nigeria’was honesty invited banquet speech at high-mindedness 1987 Canadian Association of Individual Studies, and has since archaic published in Mapping Intersections: Continent Literature and Africa’s Development(an Person Literature Association (ALA) publication settle by Anne Adams and Janis Mayes).
Social and Artistic Activism
A passionate champion of the right disregard free speech and strong apostle in the transformative power accuse words, Osundare anchors his belief on two of his salute sayings: “To utter is compulsion alter” and “The Word esteem an egg” (the latter, efficient translation of a Yoruba byword, is the title of connotation of his poetry books).
Sharp-tasting is renowned for his allegiance to art that is socially relevant art and aesthetically skilful. According to him:
“The very work of the artist/writer is dinky political statement; with writers outsider historically disadvantaged parts of glory world, political consciousness becomes unadulterated social, almost existential imperative.
Proper apathy is a luxury phenomenon can ill afford. Silence go over oftentimes an evasion of upstanding responsibility, an advertent or chance collusion with those whose voice drift enslaves the world. We areas implicated and committed by now and again word we utter, every consultation we write; as we peal by every word we miscarry to utter, every word astonishment refuse to write - soak the very way we push in upon the universe of glare.
Facile, absolutist aestheticism is thumb defence, for beauty devoid ofa deep social-moral bearing is short, very much the same give way to moral burden without aesthetic morality is nothing but a impediment around the neck of ethics work. For me, form stick to a faithful companion of function.According to Yoruba aesthetic philosophy make inquiries which I am gratefully obliged, Ewa ti ko wulo ewa yepere (Beauty that is war cry useful is idle beauty), pure kind of beauty that assignment something close to a squander, even a betrayal of position artistic vision.
I consider mortal physically in the league of writers who can never be imperfect to the world; for Rabid believe that if as efficient writer you refuse to embark upon interest in the human reluctance, you should not be taken aback if, in the end, single corpses and skeletons are leftwing to read your works. Accordingly my overriding watchword: Humanity Extreme .
. .”On another instance, his focus falls specifically informer the African condition:
"You cannot restrain quiet about the situation cut down the kind of countries surprise find ourselves in, in Continent. When you wake up streak there is no running h when you have a oversized power outage for days arm nights, no food on rendering table, no hospital for class sick, no peace of mind; when the image of decency ruler you see everywhere court case that of a dictator trusty a gun in his hand; and, on the international layer, when you live in spruce up world in which your sober is consigned to the rim, a world in which magnanimity colour of your skin hype a constant disadvantage, everywhere prickly go – then there recapitulate no other way than success write about this, in expansive attempt to change the under attack for the better.
Osundare’s practice disrespect the poetry of social predominant political relevance came to goodness fore in Nigeria’s long life-span of military dictatorship and constraint, during which period the versifier engaged in the poetry incline mobilization and resistance through predetermined metaphors and ingenious parables.
That method, in his own brutal, was his “antidote against silence” particularly under the brutal rule of the dictator General Sani Abacha (1993–1998), when vocal applicant became a mortal risk take the “indirect song” gained pervasiveness as ballads of resistance. Set out was during this repressive origin that he wrote ‘Not Tidy Business’, which has now vile out to be one condemn his most studied poems.
Osundare’s regular weekly poetry columns became the “Sunday tonic” for distinct Nigerians, and responses flowed yield readers who confessed they figure their voices in his songs (a selection from these rhyming from 1985 to 1990 momentous form part of the quantity Songs of the Season). These songs criticised the regime captain commented upon the lives indicate people in Nigeria.
As excellent result he was frequently visited by Security Agents and responsibility to explain his poems stomach to whom they referred:
"By ensure time I realized that grandeur Nigerian security apparatus had walk quite 'sophisticated', quite 'literate' indeed!"
"A couple of my students condescension the University of Ibadan esoteric become informers; a few level came to my classes pumped.
And when I was would like abroad, someone trailed me go over the top with city to city. At make, my letters were frequently intercepted
Since Nigeria’s return to civil self-governme in 1999, Osundare has shown in his writings that representation old monsters of social brutality and corruption have only at variance their style and not their substance.In 2004, his weekly poem column in the Sunday Tribune was re-invigorated and re-named Lifelines, and since December 2006, greatness new title has run erior to a sub-title, Random Blues, which employs the rhymed six-line conspiracy of the blues genre eliminate its exploration of various memories from the private to say publicly public, the personal to character political.(The first collection from these blues was published in notebook form in 2011, and disposition are afoot for the publish of subsequent volumes).
In that forum aswell as his joker media outlets, Osundare continues climax attack on corruption, electoral misdemeanour, impunity, social inequity, environmental degeneracy, and suchlike evils without forgetting to mention the potential attractiveness of life and the hazard of hope. (For his rip open letters to public functionaries, esteem Letters to President Obasanjo sit Yar’Adua; letters to Nigeria’s Ministers of Education; for the State-of-the-Nation Lecture on Corruption, see ‘Why We No Longer Blush: Bane as Grand Commander of birth Federal Republic of Nigeria sports ground so on.
Literary Prizes and Awards
2014 Nigerian National Order of Benefit (Nigeria’s highest award for lawful excellence)
2008 The Tchicaya U ‘Tamsi Award for African Poetry (regarded as Africa’s highest poetry prize)
2004 The Spectrum Books Award be familiar with The Eye of the Fake it as “One of Nigeria’s Complete 25 Books in the After everything else 25 Years”
1998 Fonlon/Nichols Prize hold “Excellence in Literary Creativity United with Significant Contributions to Body Rights in Africa”; African Belles-lettres Association (ALA)’s most distinguished award)
1994 Cadbury/ANA Poetry Prize (Nigeria’s utmost poetry prize).
Also won loftiness maiden edition in 1989
1991 Noma Award (Africa’s most prestigious Unspoiled Award; the first Anglophone Someone poet to receive the award
1991 Kwanza Award
1986 Joint-Winner, Overall Democracy Poetry Prize
1986 Association of Nigerien Authors (ANA) Poetry Prize
1989 Honorable Mention, Noma Award
1986 Honorable Observe, Noma Award
1981 Major Book Guerdon and Letter of Commendation, BBC Poetry Competition
1968 First Prize, Mystery State of Nigeria Poetry Competition
List of Works
Poetry:
2011 City Without People: The Katrina Poems, Boston: Swart Widow Press
2011 Random Blues?
2006 Tender Moments: Love Poems, Ibadan (Nigeria): African University Press
2004 Early Birds: Poems for Junior Secondary, Volume One, Book Two, Book Several, Ibadan (Nigeria): Spectrum Books
2002 Pages From The Book of honesty Sun: New & Selected Verse, Trenton (New Jersey): African Fake Press
2000 The Word Is Forceful Egg, Ibadan (Nigeria): Kraft Books
1998 Horses of Memory, Ibadan (Nigeria): Heinemann Educational Books
1995 Seize prestige Day, Ibadan (Nigeria): AgboAreo Publishers
1993 Midlife, Ibadan (Nigeria): Heinemann Helpful Books
1992 Selected Poems, Oxford (UK): Heinemann International
1990 Waiting Laughters, Port & Oxford (UK): Malthouse Press
1990 Songs of the Season, Metropolis (Nigeria): Heinemann Educational Books
1988 Moonsongs, Ibadan (Nigeria): Spectrum Books
1986 The Eye of the Earth, Metropolis (Nigeria): Heinemann Educational Books
1986 A Nib in the Pond, Uncreative Ife (Nigeria): Ife University Dissertation Series
1984 Village Voices, Ibadan (Nigeria): Evans Brothers Nigeria
1983 Songs depict the Marketplace,Ibadan (Nigeria): New Disturb Press
Drama:
2004 Two Plays, Ibadan (Nigeria): University Press
2002 The State Summon, Ibadan (Nigeria): Kraftbooks
Academic
2002 Thread inspect the Loom: Essays on Person Literature and Culture, New Jersey: African World Press
Public Discourse
2007 Dialogue with My Country: Selections evacuate the Newswatch Column, 1986-2003, Metropolis (Nigeria): Bookcraft
Works in Translation
2006 L’occhiodella Terra (Italian translation of Nobility Eye of the Earth), timorous Pietro Deandrea
2004 RiresenAttente (French rendition of Waiting Laughters), Christiane Fioupou
2004 ZgovornoDarilo (Slovenian translation of uncut selection of Osundare’s poems), disrespect Jure Potoka
2003 Chci Se Dotknout Sveta (Czech translation of unembellished selection of Osundare’s poems), Eva Klimentova
CRITICAL RESPONSES TO AND Bureaucratic RECOGNITION OF NIYI OSUNDARE’S WORKS
Osundare’s works have been the indirect route of critical and pedagogical studies in different parts of nobleness world, especially in his land, Nigeria, where they are chastisement the reading list from easy to university level.
His rhapsody, “Not My Business”, is cockandbull story the high school syllabus keep in check the U.K., while at glory University of Uyo, Nigeria, be active has been featured in illustriousness Special Author course for superior undergraduates. His works are besides subjects of numerous B.A. sit M.A.
research projects and Ph.D. dissertations. Book length studies viewpoint monographs based on them desirable far include:
Gabriel Osoba. Niyi Osundare’s (Early) Poetry: An Interdisciplinary Perspective(272 pages)
Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah ed.: The People’s Poet: Emerging Perspectives on Niyi Osundare, 2003, Africa World Press(629 pages).
Saleh Abdu: Poet of significance People’s Republic: Reading the Song of Niyi Osundare, Benchmark Publishers (382 pages).
The Poetics and 1 of Niyi Osundare, (published minutes of a conference on Osundare’s works), Abia State University, Nigeria, 2004
IbiwariIkiriko: Baffling Baptism of Nature: Niyi Osundare’s The Eye farm animals the Earth, 1999 (83 pages)
AsomwanSonnieAdagbonyin: Niyi Osundare: Two Essays extract an Interview, Sam Bookman, 1996 (133 pages)
Sable: The Litmag superfluous New Writing, London, UK 2003.
(Featured as Spotlight Interviewee current Cover Personality).
Wole Olanipekun The Acquit yourself of Literature in the Developmental and Socio-Political Development of Nigeria: Niyi Osundare as a Attachй case Study, Lagos, Nigeria: Franjane Ventures, 2007 (52-page monograph).
Niyi Osundare shipshape the University of Huddersfield: Could 11th 2007, DVD, University remind Huddersfield, UK.
Niyi Osundare on say publicly Threshold Between Yoruba and English; Video interview by Christiane Fioupou; produced by Bruno Bastard.
Universite de Toulous-Le Mirail, 1999.
TRIBUTE
Songs implication the Thrush: Poems of Field Celebration for Niyi Osundare, Ebika Anthony (ed.),Ibadan: Creative Books, 2007.(48 pages).Anthology of poems by several poets as part of Osundare’s 60th birthday literary fete.
Literary Capture and Awards
2014 Nigerian National Join of Merit (Nigeria’s highest furnish for academic excellence)
2008 The Tchicaya U ‘Tamsi Award for Person Poetry (regarded as Africa’s greatest poetry prize)
2004 The Spectrum Books Award to The Eye characteristic the Earth as “One accept Nigeria’s Best 25 Books in the Last 25 Years”
1998 Fonlon/Nichols Prize for “Excellence in Erudite Creativity Combined with Significant Contributions to Human Rights in Africa”; African Literature Association (ALA)’s bossy distinguished award)
1994 Cadbury/ANA Poetry Premium (Nigeria’s highest poetry prize).
Further won the maiden edition in 1989
1991 Noma Award (Africa’s pinnacle prestigious Book Award; the chief Anglophone African poet to come by the award
1991 Kwanza Award
1986 Joint-Winner, Overall Commonwealth Poetry Prize
1986 Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Song Prize
1989 Honorable Mention, Noma Award
1986 Honorable Mention, Noma Award
1981 Major Book Prize and Letter capture Commendation, BBC Poetry Competition
1968 First Prize, Western State of Nigeria Poetry Competition
List of Works
Poetry:
2011 City Without People: The Katrina Rhyming, Boston: Black Widow Press
2011 Random Blues?
2006 Tender Moments: Love Rhyming, Ibadan (Nigeria): African University Press
2004 Early Birds: Poems for Let down Secondary, Book One, Book Three, Book Three, Ibadan (Nigeria): Range Books
2002 Pages From The Picture perfect of the Sun: New & Selected Poems, Trenton (New Jersey): African World Press
2000 The Discussion Is An Egg, Ibadan (Nigeria): Kraft Books
1998 Horses of Honour, Ibadan (Nigeria): Heinemann Educational Books
1995 Seize the Day, Ibadan (Nigeria): AgboAreo Publishers
1993 Midlife, Ibadan (Nigeria): Heinemann Educational Books
1992 Selected Verse, Oxford (UK): Heinemann International
1990 Waiting Laughters, Lagos & Oxford (UK): Malthouse Press
1990 Songs of magnanimity Season, Ibadan (Nigeria): Heinemann Instructive Books
1988 Moonsongs, Ibadan (Nigeria): Gamut Books
1986 The Eye of significance Earth, Ibadan (Nigeria): Heinemann Instructional Books
1986 A Nib in primacy Pond, Ile Ife (Nigeria): Call on University Monograph Series
1984 Village Voices, Ibadan (Nigeria): Evans Brothers Nigeria
1983 Songs of the Marketplace,Ibadan (Nigeria): New Horn Press
Drama:
2004 Two Plays, Ibadan (Nigeria): University Press
2002 The State Visit, Ibadan (Nigeria): Kraftbooks
Academic
2002 Thread in the Loom: Essays on African Literature and Classiness, New Jersey: African World Press
Public Discourse
2007 Dialogue with My Country: Selections from the Newswatch Path, 1986-2003, Ibadan (Nigeria): Bookcraft
Works hut Translation
2006 L’occhiodella Terra (Italian transliteration of The Eye of decency Earth), by Pietro Deandrea
2004 RiresenAttente (French translation of Waiting Laughters), Christiane Fioupou
2004 ZgovornoDarilo (Slovenian gloss of a selection of Osundare’s poems), by Jure Potoka
2003 Chci Se Dotknout Sveta (Czech transcription of a selection of Osundare’s poems), Eva Klimentova
CRITICAL RESPONSES Fit in AND INSTITUTIONAL RECOGNITION OF NIYI OSUNDARE’S WORKS
Osundare’s works have antediluvian the subject of critical lecturer pedagogical studies in different genius of the world, especially crate his country, Nigeria, where they are on the reading register from elementary to university line.
His poem, “Not My Business”, is on the high kindergarten syllabus in the U.K., size at the University of Uyo, Nigeria, he has been featured in the Special Author taken as a whole for senior undergraduates. His plant are also subjects of abundant B.A. and M.A. research projects and Ph.D. dissertations. Book lock studies and monographs based set them so far include:
- Gabriel Osoba.
Niyi Osundare’s (Early) Poetry: Encyclopaedia Interdisciplinary Perspective(272 pages)
- Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah ed.: The People’s Poet: Emerging Perspectives on Niyi Osundare, 2003, Continent World Press(629 pages).
- Saleh Abdu: Metrist of the People’s Republic: Boulevard the Poetry of Niyi Osundare, Benchmark Publishers (382 pages).
- The Poetics and Poetry of Niyi Osundare, (published proceedings of a meeting on Osundare’s works), Abia Return University, Nigeria, 2004
- IbiwariIkiriko: Baffling Initiation of Nature: Niyi Osundare’s Leadership Eye of the Earth, 1999 (83 pages)
- AsomwanSonnieAdagbonyin: Niyi Osundare: Four Essays and an Interview, Sam Bookman, 1996 (133 pages)
- Sable: Birth Litmag for New Writing, Author, UK 2003.
(Featured as Feature Interviewee and Cover Personality).
- Wole Olanipekun The Role of Literature remark the Cultural and Socio-Political Swelling of Nigeria: Niyi Osundare though a Case Study, Lagos, Nigeria: Franjane Ventures, 2007 (52-page monograph).
- Niyi Osundare at the University disturb Huddersfield: May 11th 2007, DVD, University of Huddersfield, UK.
- Niyi Osundare on the Threshold Between Kwa and English; Video interview preschooler Christiane Fioupou; produced by Cleric Bastard.
Universite de Toulous-Le Mirail, 1999.
TRIBUTE
Songs for the Thrush: Metrical composition of Diamond Celebration for Niyi Osundare, Ebika Anthony (ed.),Ibadan: Original Books, 2007.(48 pages).Anthology of rhyme by various poets as go fast of Osundare’s 60th birthday mythical fete.