Nigerian writer for IWP Fall Residency

A Nigerian award-winning writer, Tade Ipadeola, has been selected to participate in the International Writing Program (IWP) Fall Residency at the University of Iowa, United States of America. Ipadeola will be participating in the residency, from September 1 to November 16, courtesy of the United States Department of State. A 2013 winner of the Nigeria […]

A Nigerian award-winning writer, Tade Ipadeola, has been selected to participate in the International Writing Program (IWP) Fall Residency at the University of Iowa, United States of America.

Ipadeola will be participating in the residency, from September 1 to November 16, courtesy of the United States Department of State.

A 2013 winner of the Nigeria Prize for Literature, Ipadeola will, along with other participants give readings and lectures based on their work and cultures, and also work with other artists across the United States.

The United States Consulate Public Affairs Officer, Russel Brooks, who congratulated Ipadeola on his acceptance, said “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,”

Ipadeola is the author of ‘The Sahara Testament,’ a collection of poetry which the Nigeria Prize for Literature in 2013. He won the Delphic Laurel in Poetry for his Yoruba poem ‘Songbird’ in 2009.

In the past, Nigerians such as Elechi Amadi (1973), Cyprian Ekwensi (1974), Ola Rotimi (1980) and several more have participated in the program.

The International Writing Program (IWP) is a platform that connects well-established writers from around the globe, bringing international literature into classrooms, introducing American writers to other cultures through reading tours, and serving as a clearing house for literary news and a wealth of archival and pedagogical materials. Since 1967, over fifteen hundred writers from more than 150 countries have been in residence at the University of Iowa.