WALE OKEDIRAN; A LITERARY CITATION.


Wale Okediran was born on April 14 1955 in Oyo, Nigeria. He attended the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife) where he qualified in April 1980 as a Medical doctor.

After working in a number of government and private hospitals for a number of years, he went into private medical practice in 1987 by establishing the Cornerstone Medical Centre in Ibadan. He remained in active private practice until 1999 when he went into active politics and was appointed Chairman, Oyo State North Hospitals Management Board. He remained in this position until 2003 when he contested for a seat in the Federal House of Representatives, Abuja where he represented his constituency from Oyo state from 2004 till 2007.

His writing career started way back in his secondary school where he was an active member of the school’s press club and debating society. At the University of Ife, he edited a campus newspaper, Rip Off”. He has published till date twelve novels out of which nine are adult fiction and three are for children. Many of the books are on the reading lists of several Nigerian Universities such as the University of Lagos, University of Ibadan, University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nasarawa State University and University of Maiduguri among others.


In his positions as the National Treasurer, General Secretary and later National President of the Association of Nigerian Authors, he contributed in no mean measure to the development of Literature in Nigeria through the establishments of ANA branches, organisation of Literary Seminars, Conferences and Publications.

In June 2010, together with a few friends, he established the first Writers Resort in Nigeria ;The Ebedi International Writers Resort in Iseyin, Oyo State.

He is currently a Consultant to the National Assembly in charge of the Senate Committee on Health and the House Committee on HIV, Malaria and TB.


His Publications include:
i. Rainbows Are For Lovers (Spectrum Books 1987)
ii. The Boys At The Border (Spectrum Books 1991). Shortlist for the 1992 Commonwealth Literature Prize.
iii. Storms of Passion (Evans, 1995)
iv. The Rescue of Uncle Babs (Mcmillan, 1998) Winner of the 1999 ANA/Matatu Prize for Children’s Literature.
v. Ten novellettes on the HIV/AIDS theme (Longman, 2001)
vi. Sighs of Desire (Caltop, 2002)
vii. Dreams Die At Twilight (Malthouse ,2002) Longlist for the 2004 NLNG Literature Prize. The book was also adjudged as one of the 25 best books in Nigeria in the last 25 years by Spectrum Books in 2004.
viii. Strange Encounters (Heinemann PLC, 2004) Winner of the 2005 ANA Prize for fiction.
ix. After The Flood (Longman Nig Ltd, 2005)
x. The Weaving Looms (Kraft Books 2005) Shortlist for the 2008 Wole Soyinka Prize For African Literature.
xi. The Riot And Other Stories (Mosuro Books, 2006)
xii. Tenants Of The House (Nelson Books, 2009) Co-Winner of the 2010 Wole Soyinka Prize for African Literature.

His collaborative works include, Human Rights Educational Book for Children (Amnesty Int, Nig 1995) and Encyclopedia of Post Colonial Literature in English (Routledge,11 New Fetter Lane, London)