Mangaung. 8th September 2009
Omoseye Bolaji has received another award – this time courtesy of the Mangaung Local Municipality (in conjunction with Words of Ink literary association) which honoured him “In recognition of Valuable Contributions to Literature in the Free State” He, and others, also received assorted gifts at the ceremony.
The occasion, which honoured selected writers, drew representatives from government, libraries, the media, multinational firms etc. Venue was the Bloemfontein Public Library in the heart of Mangaung.
Omoseye Bolaji has collected many accolades and awards for his writing prowess and role as a literary catalyst at grassroots level over the years. Recent honours include a Chieftaincy title Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Chancellor’s Medal from the University of the Free State. He has published about 25 books which include lots of riveting fiction, poetry, drama, literary criticism, biographies and general works.
Bolaji’s literary works have been liberally evaluated over the years with many authors publishing studies and critical books on his writing. Countless articles have also been published on his works, many of which appear on copious websites on the Internet. A recent book on his writing is Julia Mooi’s Omoseye Bolaji: Further Perspectives (2009)
The writers expressed gratitude to MLM and the Bloemfontein Public library for honouring them in this way. Talking about his “role models” Bolaji told the media later on that “literary icons, especially African ones” have always filled him with exhilaration and motivated him since he was a kid. “In the African context I have always greatly admired and looked up to the African literary greats,” he said. “And there are so many of them now, over the decades. I have writers like Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Cyprian Ekwensi, Ola Rotimi, Ayi Kwei Armah, Camara Laye, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Ama Ata Aidoo, Kofi Awoonor, Es’kia Mphahlele, Peter Abrahams, Miriam Tlali, Sedar Senghor, and Dambudzo Marechera in mind.”
He added: “In more recent times the likes of Tsitsi Dangarembga, Zakes Mda, Njabulo Ndebele, Ben Okri, Yvonne Vera among others have become African literary legends too and are highly respected. It would please me no end if more and more African people from the so-called grassroots can read and relish the works of as many of these writers as possible,”
Also honoured at the occasion were writers like Pule Lechesa, Lebohang Thaisi, and Kgang Abel Motheane.
