Author's Corner: Niyi Osundare Biography, Age, Notable Works, Awards And Achievements

Name: Niyi Osundare

Born: March 12, 1947

Age: 76

Occupation: Poet • playwright • literary critic • linguist

Nationality: Nigerian

Genre: Poetry, plays, literary criticism

Niyi Osundare is a well known poet in the country. He is regarded as poet, dramatist, linguist, and literary critic. Born in Ikere-Ekiti, Nigeria, his poetry is influenced by the oral poetry of his Yoruba culture, which he hybridizes with other poetic traditions of the world, including African-American, Latin American, Asian, and European.

Niyi Osundare attended Amoye Grammar School in Ekiti, Christ's School, then after his high school education, he got into University of Ibadan. Niyi Osundare further more on his education, later into University of Leeds and York University.

Notable Works

Niyi Osundare have many interesting titles to his name. Including the well known poetry "Song of the Nigerian Driver". Some of Niyi Osundare works also includes:

Songs of the Marketplace (1983), The Eye of the Earth (1986), Waiting Laughters (1990), Green: Sighs of Our Ailing Planet (2022).

The Eye of the Earth in 1986 was a winner of a Commonwealth Poetry Prize and the poetry prize of the Association of Nigerian Authors.

• Midlife (1993)-
• Seize the Day (1995)-
• Thread in the Loom: Essays on African Literature and Culture (2002)-
• The Word is an Egg (2002)-
• Pages from the Book of the Sun: New and Selected Poems (2002)-
• The State Visit (2002, play)-
• Early Birds: Poems for Junior Secondary, Book One, Book Two, Book Three (2004)-
• Two Plays (2005)-
• Tender Moments: Love Poems (2006)-
• City Without People: The Katrina Poems (2011)-
• Random Blues (2011)-
• Only If the Road Could Talk (2017)-
• Snapsongs: Homegroans and Foreignflares (2021)-
• Green: Sighs of Our Ailing Planet (2022)- (a sequel to The Eye of the Earth, 1986)

Notable Awards

Niyi Osundare becomes first African Cover Poet for World Poetry magazine. Other awards includes:

•  Association of Nigerian Authors Poetry Prize 1986, 1989, & 1994
•  Commonwealth Poetry Prize 1986
•  NOMA Award 1991
•  Tchicaya U Tam'si Prize for African Poetry 2008
•  Nigerian National Order of Merit 2014