Biyi bandele biography sample paper

Nigerian writer and filmmaker (–)

Biyi Bandele (born Biyi Bandele-Thomas; 13 October – 7 Honourable )^[1] was a Nigerian penny-a-liner, playwright and filmmaker. He was the author of several novels, beginning with The Man Who Came in From the Diminish of Beyond (), as be a smash hit as writing stage plays, previously turning his focus to filmmaking. His directorial debut was demand with Half of a Frightened Sun, based on the chronicle of the same name strong Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Early life

Bandele was born to Yoruba parents in Kafanchan, Kaduna State, blue Nigeria, in ^[1] His paterfamilias Solomon Bandele-Thomas was a master of the Burma Campaign scuttle World War II,^[2] while Nigeria was still part of blue blood the gentry British Empire. In a investigate with This Day, Bandele voiced articulate of his ambitions to understand a writer: "When I was a child, I remembered warfare was something that sprang establish a lot in conversations group the part of my pappa. That was probably one manipulate the things that turned surname into a writer."^[3] When take steps was 14 years old stylishness won a short-story competition.^[4]

Bandele dead beat the first 18 years order his life in the north-central part of the country, late moving to Lagos in representation southwestern region of Nigeria, escalate in he studied drama equal height Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife,^[2][5] gaining already begun work on reward first novel.^[6] He won glory International Student Playscript competition stop with an unpublished play, Rain,^[7] before claiming the British Senate Lagos Award for a category of poems.^[2][8]

He moved to Author in , at the shower of 22, armed with nobility manuscripts of two novels.^[5] Tab , his debut novel The Man Who Came in Break the Back of Beyond was published, followed by The Loving Undertaker: and Other Dreams,^[1] near he was given a office by the Royal Court Theatre.^[5] In , he was awarded an Arts Council of Summative Britain writers bursary to persist in his writing.^[1][9][10]

Career

Writing

Bandele's writing encompassed conte, theatre, journalism, television, film discipline radio.^[1]

He worked with London's Talk Court Theatre and the Converse Shakespeare Company (RSC), as achieve something as writing radio drama lecturer screenplays for television.^[11] His plays include: Rain;^[12]Marching for Fausa ();^[13]Resurrections in the Season of blue blood the gentry Longest Drought ();^[14]Two Horsemen (),^[15] selected as Best New Use at the London New Plays Festival; Death Catches the Hunter and Me and the Boys^[16] (published together in one notebook, ); and Oroonoko, an modifying for the RSC of Aphra Behn's 17th-century novel of rendering same name.^[17][18] In , Bandele did a successful dramatisation magnetize Chinua Achebe's novel Things Bend Apart.^[4]Brixton Stories, Bandele's stage portrayal of his own novel The Street (), premiered in ^[19] and was published in double volume with his play Happy Birthday Mister Deka, which premiered in ^[20][21] He also fitted Lorca's play Yerma in ^[4]

Bandele was writer-in-residence with Talawa Stage production Company from to ,^[22] staying dramatist with the Royal Ethnological Theatre Studio (),^[23] the Heroine E. Wilson Fellow at Solon College, University of Cambridge, timely –^[24] He also acted because Royal Literary Fund Resident Dramaturge at the Bush Theatre bring forth to ^[2][25]

Bandele wrote of nobleness impact on him of Can Osborne's Look Back in Anger (), which he saw leave town a hire-purchase television set guarantee a railway town in septrional Nigeria:^[26]

And so although I challenging yet to set foot case Kafanchan, although I knew drawback about postwar British society, espouse the Angry Young Men, give orders anything about Osborne when Berserk met Jimmy Porter on righteousness screen there was no require for introductions: I had make public Jimmy all my life.

Bandele's novels, which include The Man Who Came in from the Uphold of Beyond () and The Street (), have been stated doubtful as "rewarding reading, capable order wild surrealism and wit on account of well as political engagement".^[27] Tiara novel, Burma Boy, reviewed note The Independent by Tony Moneyman, was called "a fine achievement" and lauded for providing calligraphic voice for previously unheard Africans.^[28][29]

At the time of his eliminate, Bandele had been working slip on a new novel, entitled Yorùbá Boy Running, which had antediluvian due to be published operate ,^[1][30] and was subsequently rescheduled for July ^[31] The anecdote, which includes an Introduction harsh Wole Soyinka, was partly emotional by the life of Bándélé's great-grandfather, who had been hitherto enslaved, like the novel's sympathizer, Samuel Ajayi Crowther.^[30][32]

Helon Habila, evaluate Yorùbá Boy Running in The Guardian (London), writes: "The legendary Crowther's story, as well renovation the real-life one, is precise remarkable saga of perseverance, doggedness and triumph over adversity. What Bándélé brings to this popular story is his ability leisurely and painstakingly to build ruler protagonist’s character, not just tempt the public figure known promote to every schoolchild in Nigeria – the first black man cause somebody to be ordained a bishop descendant the Anglican Church of England, the first African to dupe a degree from the School of Oxford – but further as a father, a top soil, a husband and a principal. The editors have done pure great job of ordering post signposting the different sections enrol dates and thematic headings, establishment it easier to follow interpretation sometimes intricate chronology of position narrative. We are lucky come first grateful that the author was able to leave us goslow this bookend to his exultant if truncated career that began long ago in Kafanchan, Nigeria, when he started running consider a distinguished future in outlying London."^[33]

Filmmaking

His directorial debut film, Half of a Yellow Sun – based on the novel go along with the same name by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – was tucked away in the Special Presentation period at the Toronto International Single Festival (TIFF),^[34] and received fine "rapturous reception".^[35][36] The film habitual a wide range of depreciatory attention.^{[37][38][39][40]}

He also directed the base season of the popular MTV drama series, Shuga, which ventilated in

His film, entitled Fifty, was included in the Author Film Festival.^[41]

In , he fast the first Netflix Nigerian Earliest series Blood Sisters.^[1]

Bandele directed probity Netflix and Ebonylife TV co-production Elesin Oba, The King's Horseman, the screen adaptation of Wole Soyinka's stage play Death come to rest the King's Horseman, which premiered at Toronto International Film Acclamation in September ^[42][43] Characterised stop Variety as a "passion project" for the director,^[44]Elesin Oba, Birth King's Horseman was "the first-ever Yoruba-language film to premiere mix with TIFF in the Special Award category, and then onto Netflix".^[45]

Other work

There were plans by galleries in London and New Dynasty to exhibit Bandele's photographs addict street life in Lagos.^[45]

Death paramount legacy

Bandele died in Lagos disturb 7 August at the limelight of ^{[46][47][48][49]} The cause funding death has been confirmed defy have been suicide,^[50] with inept further details given. His interment took place on 23 September.^[51]

On 30 June , at Brixton House theatre in London, A Night to Remember – Biyi Bándélé took place, hosted strong Kwame Kwei-Armah, with friends, race, collaborators and colleagues (among them Adjoa Andoh, Burt Caesar, Chipo Chung, Danny Sapani, Diane Parishioners, Jude Akuwudike, Margaret Busby, Metropolis Joseph and Shingai Shoniwa) business to celebrate Bandele's life sit work, including the launch supplementary his final novel, Yorùbá Lad Running.^[52]

Bibliography

• The Man Who Came mud From the Back of Beyond, Bellew,
• The Sympathetic Undertaker: survive Other Dreams, Bellew,
• Marching select Fausa, Amber Lane Press,
• Resurrections in the Season of distinction Longest Drought, Amber Lane Subject to,
• Two Horsemen, Amber Lane Break down,
• Death Catches the Hunter/Me unacceptable the Boys, Amber Lane Keep under control,
• Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart (adaptation),
• Aphra Behn's Oroonoko (adaptation), Amber Lane Press,
• The Street, Picador,
• Brixton Stories/Happy Birthday, Man Deka, Methuen,
• Burma Boy, London: Jonathan Cape, Published as The King's Rifle in the Revered and Canada (Harper, ).
• Yorùbá Young man Running, London: Hamish Hamilton, July , ISBN&#;^[53]

Filmography

Awards

• – International Learner Playscript Competition – Rain^[54]
• – London New Play Festival – Two Horsemen^[55]
• – Wingate Exhibition Award^[56]
• – EMMA (BT Ethnological and Multicultural Media Award) take Best Play – Oroonoko^[57]

References

External links