D o fagunwa biography template

Nigerian author

ChiefDaniel Olorunfẹmi FágúnwàMBE (1903 – 7 Dec 1963), popularly known as D. O. Fágúnwà, was a African author of Yorùbá heritage who pioneered the Yorùbá language novel.^[1]

Early life

Daniel Oròwọlé Fágúnwà was autochthon in Òkè-Igbó, Ondo State send 1903, to Joshua Akíntúndé Fágúnwà and Rachel Òṣunyọmí Fágúnwà.^[2] Yes had three sisters, Mary Adéyẹmí, Ojúọlápé and Ọmọ́túndé.^[3] Prior contest his family's conversion to Faith, his name was Oròwọlé Jàáníìni.

The name Oròwọlé, refers follow a line of investigation the Yorùbábullroarer deity, Orò.

Fágúnwà's parents were originally adherents catch the traditional Yorùbá religion they converted to Christianity improve the late 1910s to exactly 1920s. Upon conversion, he deviating his name to Ọlọ́runfẹ́mi (God loves me).^[4]

He attended St.

Luke's School, Òkè-Igbó from 1916 with reference to 1924. After completing his influential education there, he taught considerably a student teacher in illustriousness same school in 1925.^[5]

From 1926 to 1929, he attended Lid. Andrew's College, Ọ̀yọ́ in snap off to train as a teacher.^[5] He met his wife call in Mọdákẹ́kẹ́ in 1931 while the wrong way round vacation from 's.

The courted for six years and united in 1937.^[5]

Family history

Fágúnwà's paternal great-grandfather was Faniyi Arojo, a fighting man. His son, Fagunwa's paternal elder was Egunsola Asungaga Bèyíokú, conclusion Ifa priest from the city of Origbo near Ipetumodu. Coronate paternal grandmother was Sayoade Olowu, an Owu woman who was a daughter of the Olowu of Owu (before they migrated to Abeokuta).

Asungaga moved unearth Origbo to Ile-Ife after consummate children continued dying (this Yorùbá process is called abiku). Asungaga himself was an abiku descendant. When he arrived to Ile-Ife, in the 1870s, he became the native herbalist and Ifa priest for the future Ooni of Ife, Ologbenla. After justness war between the Ondo endure Ife ended, many warriors were allowed to enter a pristine settlement they called "Oko-Igbo" denotation Farm in the Forest, sit later became Òkè-Igbó.

Asungaga confidential four surviving children, Ifatosa, Akintunde Fagunwa (who later took representation name Joshua), Ifabunmi (later connubial and took the last honour Ajibise), and Philip Odugbemi.^{[citation needed]}

Career

Teaching career

From 1930 to 1939 Fágúnwà served as head teacher reduce speed the nursery section at 's Practicing School, Ọ̀yọ́.

In 1940, he was transferred to k's School, Ọ̀wọ́, where he outright until 1942. In 1943, dirt moved to the CMS Teach School, Lagos and in 1944, moved again to the Girls' School in Benin. Between 1945 and 1946, he taught drum Igbobi College, which was for a moment located at Ibadan due communication the Second World War, however which relocated back to City in 1946.^[6]

Between 1946 and 1948, Fágúnwà was based in Kingdom on a British Council erudition.

On his return, he unrestrained at the Government Teacher Familiarity Centre in Ibadan for team a few years. In 1950, Fágúnwà requited to Britain, hoping to paw marks a degree, but he requited to Nigeria in 1955 puzzle out take up a position catch Education Officer with the Publications Branch of the Ministry be more or less Education in Western Nigeria.

Crystal-clear held this position until 1959.^[6]

Literary career

In 1938, entering a academic contest of the Nigerian tuition ministry, Fagunwa wrote his Ògbójú Ọdẹ nínú Igbó Irúnmọlẹ̀,^[7] extensively considered the first novel designed in the Yorùbá language ahead one of the first cling on to be written in any Person language.

Wole Soyinka translated rendering book into English in 1968 as The Forest of Shipshape and bristol fashion Thousand Demons, first published moisten Thomas Nelson, then Random Terrace in 1982 and again moisten City Lights in September 2013 (ISBN 9780872866300). Fagunwa's later works incorporate Igbó Olódùmarè (The Forest watch God, 1949), Ìrèké Oníbùdó (1949), Ìrìnkèrindó nínú Igbó Elégbèje (Expedition to the Mount of Thought, 1954), and Àdììtú Olódùmarè (1961).^[8]

Fagunwa's novels draw heavily on tale traditions and idioms, including several supernatural elements.^[9] His heroes roll usually Yorùbá hunters, who lend a hand with kings, sages, and much gods in their quests.

Thematically, his novels also explore position divide between the Christian mythos of Africa's colonizers and representation continent's traditional religions. Fagunwa clay the most widely read Yorùbá-language author, and a major sway on such contemporary writers primate Amos Tutuola.^[10][11] He also sedentary Greek myths and Shakespearean tradition as themes in his books, such as in his whole Igbo Olodumare, where the gut feeling Baba-onirugbon-yeuke tells a story faithful to Romeo and Juliet.

D. O. Fagunwa was the important Nigerian writer to employ nation philosophy in telling his lore.

Fagunwa was awarded the Margaret Wrong Prize in 1955 title was made a Member decelerate the Order of the Brits Empire in 1959.

Death

On 7 December 1963, Fágúnwà was overlook Bida on his way house to Ibadan after a vocation trip to Northern Nigeria make fast behalf of Heinemann Books, wheel he was employed at position time.

He arrived early make a fuss over the River Wuya with top driver and they entered high-mindedness queue for the pontoon, which would ferry people and cars across the river. While proceed was waiting for the buoy service to open, he went for a walk along position riverside and slipped when keen bit of earth broke way in his foot. When he hew down, a nearby canoe turned intimation onto him and pinned him under the water, drowning him.^[9]

His body was recovered two period after the accident and was brought to Ibadan, and escalate onward to his hometown, Òkè-Igbó.

Burial services were held accompaniment him in 's Anglican Communion and he is buried satisfy the cemetery there.^[9]

Legacy

Chief Fagunwa was created an Oloye of prestige Yorùbá people prior to cap demise in 1963.^{[citation needed]}

Fagunwa Cenotaph High School and Fagunwa Credo School in Oke-Igbo, Nigeria, junk named for Fagunwa.

His girl, Yejide Ogundipe, serves as systematic council chairperson for Ile Oluji/Okeigbo. Fagunwa day (formerly known makeover Fagunwa night) is an reference event aimed at reading post promoting his five books. Fagunwa day was initiated in her highness honour by the Society female Young Nigerian Writers in synthesis with Fagunwa Literary Society brook Egbe Odo Onkowe Ede Yorùbá.^{[citation needed]}

Works

Novels

Other publications

• Ìrìnàjò, Apa Kiní & Apa Kejí (London: Oxford Home Press, 1949) | Fágúnwà's tally of his travels in Britain
• Táiwò ati Kẹ́hìndé, co-authored with L.J Lewis (London: Oxford University Break down, 1949) | Primary School Readers
• Àlàyé fún olùkọ́ nípa lílò Ìwé "Táiwò ati Kẹ́hìndé", co-authored be L.J Lewis (London: Oxford Academy Press, 1949) | Teachers' Manual
• Ìtàn Olóyin (London: Oxford University Weight, 1954) | An edited pile of folktales.
• Òjó Aṣọ̀tán, co-authored consider G.L.

  Lasebikan, published posthumously (London: Heinemann Educational Books Ltd., 1964) | Short story

Articles

• "Writing a Novel", Teachers' Monthly, vol.6, no.9, Oct 1960, p. 12
• "Going Overseas", Teachers' Journal, vol.7, no.4, April 1961, p. 14

Translations of Fágúnwà's Work

Ògbójú Ọdẹ nínú Igbó Irúnmọlẹ̀

• The Forest of swell Thousand Daemons by Wole Soyinka (London: Nelson, 1968) | English
• La Foresta Dei Mille Demoni via Mario Biondi (Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, 1985) | Italian
• La Forêt aux Mille Démons by Louis Camara (NENA, 2015) | French
• 400 İlah Ormanı by Bir Avcının Öyküsü (Altıkırkbeş Yayınları, 2016) | Turkish

Igbó Olódùmarè

• The Forest of God brush aside Gabriel A.

  Àjàdí (Ibadan: Agbo Areo Publishers, 1994 {1984}) | English

• In the Forest of Olodumare by Wole Soyinka (London: Admiral, Ibadan: Evans Brothers Ltd., 2010) | English

Ìrèké Oníbùdó

• Ìrèké Oníbùdó close to Alóńgẹ̀ Isaac Olúṣọlá (Ibadan, Admiral Publishers Ltd., 2019) | English

Ìrìnkèrindó nínú Igbó Elégbèje

• Expedition to influence Mountain of Thought: The Tertiary Saga by Dapo Adeniyi (Ile-Ife, Nigeria: Obafemi Awolowo University Subject to Ltd., 1994), OCLC 32257961, LCCN 94-225991 | English

Àdììtú Olódùmarè

• The Mysteries of God by Olu Obafemi (Ibadan: Admiral Publishers Ltd., 2012) | English

Selected academic works on Fágúnwà

• Adéẹ̀kọ́, Adélékè and Adéṣọ̀kàn, Akin (eds.), Celebrating D.O.

  Fágúnwà: Aspects of Continent & World Literary History, Bookcraft Africa, 2017, ISBN 978-978-8457-39-8

• Adébọ̀wálé, O., Adélékè, D. and Adéjùmọ̀, A. (eds.), Ọ̀tun Ìmò Nínú Ìtàn-Àròsọ D.O. Fágúnwà. (English translation: New Brightness in the Novels of D.O. Fagunwa). Lagos: Capstones Publishers, 2016.
• Adéjùmọ̀, Àrìnpé.

  "Conceptualizing the Reality be more or less the Millennium Development Goals employ Fagunwa's Tradition Novels", Ihafa: Trig Journal of African Studies 5, 3 (2008): 76–95.

• Olaleru, Olanike. "Oral Performance Techniques in the Oeuvre of D. O. Fágúnwà." Ibadan Journal of English Studies 7 (2018): 361–374.

References

External links