Oladejo Okediji
Oladejo Okediji was a Nigerian writer, novelist, and playwright. He authored several works in Yoruba language and pioneered crime fiction genre in Yoruba literature with his 1969 novel ''Àjà Ló L'ẹrù.''
Personal life and career
Okediji had his primary education at went to Methodist School, Apaara, and St Andrew's Primary School from 1935 and 1943. He then had a stint as a teacher at St Andrew's before entering Wesley College, Ibadan where be had his secondary education from 1945 to 1948.In 1954, Nigeria's Western Regional Literature Committee advertised for entries into a creative writing programme in Yoruba. Okediji entered for the competition with what would become his first published work, Àjà Ló L'ẹrù. This call was what spurred Okediji to write in Yoruba language. He had actually drafted his manuscript in English language: "The Big Buffoon", later translated as Àgbàlagbà Akàn.
Influenced by the works of Agatha Christie and Conan Doyle, Okediji pioneered the detective fiction writing in Yoruba language, creating the detective character, Lápàdé, in his first two novels, Àjà Ló L'ẹrù and Àgbàlagbà Akàn . After the duology, Okediji was encouraged by Ola Rotimi to also try writing plays in Yoruba language. it was as a result of that nudge that he published of Rẹrẹ Run, which has been translated in French as Catastrophe au rendezvous. After some three decades, published Ká rìn ká pọ̀ as a sequel to his Lápàdé crime thriller series extending it to a trilogy.
Almost all of Okediji's works have been prescribed as school texts in Nigeria for WASSCE and in Nigerian universities, and his novels have been serialized in newspapers and on the radio. His plays have also been staged and adapted into movies by various film directors and cinematographers.
From 1958 to 1961, Okediji ventured into politics, and served as a counselor in Oyo. He is the father of Nigerian painter and art historian Moyo Okediji.
Death
Oladejo Okediji died in March 2019, and was buried in Apaara, Oyo, his hometown, on 19 April 2019.Anthology
Àjà Ló L'ẹrùÀgbàlagbà Akàn
Ọ̀gá ni Bùkọ́lá
Rẹrẹ Run
Owó Ẹ̀jẹ̀
Ìmúra Ìdánwó Yorùbá
Atótó Arére
Ṣàǹgó
Ọ̀pá Àgbélékà
Bínú Ti Rí
Ìròyìn Ayọ̀
Aájò Ajé
Running After Riches
Ká rìn ká pọ̀
Àárò Ọlọ́mọge
Ohùn Ẹnu Àgbà - a collection of poems