Former Presidential Aide, Tunde Olusunle, Becomes ANA Fellow

Renowned journalist, public scholar, author and poet, Dr Tunde Olusunle, has been listed for the conferment of the Fellowship of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA). This was contained in the  congratulatory letter to Dr Olusunle signed by Maik Ortserga, General Secretary of the association.

According to Ortserga, the conferment ceremony will coincide with the 42nd edition of the International Convention of ANA, tagged  ANA@42, scheduled for Wednesday November 1 to Saturday November 4 2023, at the Chinua Achebe International Conference Centre, Mamman Vatsa Writers’ Village, Mpape, Abuja.

The letter stated: “In the course of the Association’s developmental process, there have been writers/persons who have constantly remained on the side of reason, offering advice and envisioning plans for which ANA will continue to move forward in the direction of its forebears. You are one of such distinguished writers/persons whose value-centred consciousness has positively and quantitatively impacted ANA”.

It added: “The Association is, therefore, pleased to induct you into the prestigious Council of ANA Fellows. Generally speaking, the Fellowship is conferred upon deserving individuals for their dedicated services to the Association and proven contributions to the development of Nigerian literature in particular and society in general.” The investiture will be performed during the preliminary ceremonies of the Convention taking place on November 2, 2023, at the Convention venue, at 10 a.m.

Previous ANA Fellows include: founding ANA President Chinua Achebe, Nobel Laureate for Literature Wole  Soyinka, John Pepper Bekederemo-Clark, Mabel Segun, Labo Yari, T. M. Aluko, Kole Omotoso, Femi Osofisan, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Olu Obafemi, Elechi Amadi, Zaynab Alkali, Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, Dora Akunyili, Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan, among others. 

The creative career of Olusunle like many of his contemporaries, began from the pages of newspapers and poetry chapbooks, notably Gangan, The Guardian, Daily Times, The Herald and Nigerian Tribune. He has since published three well received volumes of poetry: Fingermarks, (1996); Rhythm Of The Mortar, (2001) and A Medley Of Echoes (2022). His works are widely read and studied by literary enthusiasts and researchers alike. 

His poems have appeared in anthologies such as Rising Voices: An Anthology of New Nigerian Poetry (1991), edited by David Cook, Olu Obafemi and Wumi Raji, as well as Lagos of the Poets (2010), edited by the renowned poet Odia Ofeimun. In a lecture titled “Poetry and the Human Voice” delivered ahead of the conferment of the Nigerian National Order of Merit, (NNOM) December, multiple award-winning poet Niyi Osundare, listed Olusunle amongst Nigeria’s very promising authors.

Olusunle has also released the volume of essays On The Trail Of History: A Reporter’s Notebook On Olusegun Obasanjo (2006). Two other volumes of essays: Atiku: Perspectives on a Phenomenon and Orisirisi: Vistas On Contemporary Politics In Nigeria are in press. A most prolific, consistent and visible essayist and public engager, he is also a Member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, (NGE), among other professional associations. He hails from Isanlu, Kogi State.