By Ado Oyeyemi
Nigerian playwright and filmmaker, Ayọ̀dẹ́jì Àjàdí, has secured the £37,092 Kowitz Scholarship to pursue postgraduate studies in Creative Writing: Scriptwriting at the University of East Anglia, United Kingdom.
Àjàdí won the prestigious scholarship with his play, Sons of Anan, a work rooted in African mythology and tradition that explores the tension between inherited beliefs and contemporary realities.
The play, which has previously been staged at the Muson Centre in Lagos, examines issues of power, gender and the forces that influence human relationships.
In a statement issued on Monday, Àjàdí said the scholarship represented recognition of the stories he seeks to tell and the perspectives through which he tells them.
He said the opportunity would enable him to sharpen his craft while continuing to explore the histories, contradictions and experiences that shape his creative work.
“The scholarship is an affirmation of the stories I want to tell and the perspectives from which I want to tell them.
“For a writer whose work engages with African experiences, the opportunity offers room to deepen my craft while continuing to explore the stories, histories and contradictions that inform my writings,” he said.
Àjàdí noted that the award came at a time when African writers and artists were attracting growing attention in international literary and performance spaces.
He said, “The next chapter will involve developing my practice in the United Kingdom, while bringing the questions and stories that have shaped my work into a new academic and creative environment.”
The University of East Anglia has maintained a strong reputation for creative writing since launching its first MA in Creative Writing programme in 1970.
Its alumni include Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro, Ian McEwan, Anne Enright, John Boyne and Nigerian author Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀.
Àjàdí, who graduated with a degree in Economics from Babcock University, Ilishan Remo, Ogun State, in 2017, has written and directed stage plays and short films and has also taught film and writing-related courses.
His creative work spans theatre and film, with a focus on society, culture and the complexities of human experiences.
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The scholarship will enable Àjàdí to further develop his scriptwriting practice in the UK while bringing African stories and perspectives into a new academic and creative environment.
