Olubunmi Familoni

Olubunmi Familoni is a Nigerian author and playwright. He is the 2024 recipient of the Nigeria Prize for Literature. His book, The Road Does Not End won him the award.[1] He also won the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) prize for short stories in 2015, and for children's literature in 2020. Quotes There’s a manner in which an average Nigerian tells a story, which reflects in the writing and is distinct. We are natural storytellers; we love to tell stories, we love to talk, and we talk big. Not one particular event, but having lived in neighbourhoods in large urban centres where there have been considerable numbers of out-of-school children engaged in street hawking and busking, one feels a certain sense of responsibility to tell the stories of these children, often misrepresented in literature as merely ‘urchins’ or ‘street kids’, from their perspective. In an interview Just as much as it is important to show resilience in the face of numerous daunting adversities as an adult, it is just as important that the young ones are also taught from an early age that resilience is something that they would benefit greatly from as they grow older. So, they must learn it early, especially since if you give up early, in your younger years, it is most unlikely that you will succeed as an adult or even learn resilience then. Besides, such a lesson becomes even more imperative to impart at an early stage in a society like ours with the wide range of vicissitudes, from economic to social to physical, that one has to contend with. In an interview There were so many books, but I would say that I was influenced the most by the storytelling of S.M.O Aka; it was lively, vivid, relatable, simple, and accessible. I was also greatly influenced by Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer stories. He spoke about books that shaped his path as a writer I think the major challenge, especially for someone who has mostly written for adults, is making sure that the language is accessible and the story is as engaging as possible to keep young readers interested while striving to strike a balance in literary quality; overcoming that ‘challenge’ didn’t pose too much trouble, as I had read children’s literature extensively in the past. He spoke about the challenge he faced while writing for younger audience The way we tell our stories: there’s a manner in which an average Nigerian tells a story, which reflects in the writing and is distinct. We are natural storytellers; we love to tell stories, we love to talk, and we talk big. He talks about what makes Nigerian literature stand out on the global stage Don’t be in a rush to start writing or to become a writer. Read a lot. Pay attention to details when you read. Observe the environment around you, listen to conversations, and participate in conversations. Watch films. Live. His advised to aspiring Nigeria writers Smithereens of Death is a collection of short stories that provides varying continental themes. Here, Olubunmi weaves parody and conflict into unforgettable stories that challenge the reader to see beneath the blurred lines of familiar experiences. About his book Smithereens of death I won’t call it “fascination”, which makes it seem more like a ghoulish Dickinsonian obsession; I see it as more of ‘examination’ into various shades of death, in some of the hues it can come in; in some situations where there might not be the actual manifestation of a physical loss/absence of life, or in others where a death is simply used as a backdrop of a broader narrative. That takes it away from fascination, to exploration, questioning. Besides, death is a recurrent theme in literature, just as love is; I have just decided to use it as a central theme in this collection. in an interview about his work smithereens of death External links Category:Authors from Nigeria Category: Living people