They're still single?

The Venus and Serena show has come and gone.  Lagos, Nigeria enjoyed their visit (pics), which included a glam gala (which I ALMOST attended) and an exhibition match (couldn't make that one, either.)

  

Well, a few years ago, I had nothing better to do, so I sat around matching people - celebs, friends, celebs with friends, etc.  It must have been early 2009.  I made 48 pairings.
Many of them are married now, not to each other.  Some of those would mind if I wrote out their matches, so I'll keep them safely in my diary.

But Venus, well, she should hook up with Leonardo DiCaprio.  Both are single, right?
I have Serena Williams with Mark Cuban.  Not sure what I was thinking.  She should just get back with musician Common. 
Matched Dinara Safina with a friend of mine named Ali.
Matched Martina Hingis (oops, she's married) with Jonathan Rhys-Myers.

Justin Timberlake just got married, but not to my pick Chelsea Clinton.  Lol.

Maria Sharapova just got un-engaged, so now she has another chance to grab her true soulmate Mario Ancic.

Ok, this one is weird, Chris Brown + Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Kirsten Dunst + Feliciano Lopez is not so bad.
Ivanka Trump + Novak Djokovic, though neither is on the market.

I found Xisca (Rafa Nadal's long-term girlfriend) a great alternative match, so, you know, tell her ;)

Matched my friend Lisa T. with David Ferrer.  Another friend Lisa T. with James Blake.  And a third Lisa with my high-school sweetheart K.  Too much fun.

At least musically, Jennifer Hudson needs Babyface, Kenneth Edmonds.
I liked Marion Jones + Eddie Murphy, Jessica Simpson + Cristiano Ronaldo, Ana Ivanovic + Clive Owen, Lisa Ling + Jamie Foxx, ...

Malia (l) and Sasha (r) Obama do tennis

 I'm going to match Malia (the legs) Obama with a new sport.  Two words: cross country.

Ebedi International Writers' Residency

...is housed in the semi-rural, somewhat Muslim, Yoruba town of Iseyin, an hour outside Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.  
The founder-patron is Dr. Wale Okediran, a soft-spoken medical doctor who is also a prolific and award-winning writer. With at least ten novels/memoirs to his credit, the man also runs a medical column in the Nigerian Tribune.  Note: By all means read his Tenants of The House, 2010 winner of the Lumina (Wole Soyinka) prize for African Literature, and definitely one of the ten coolest novels Nigeria has produced in the past ten years.

Interestingly, Dr. Okediran is also a politician. He was the Secretary, then the President of ANA, the Association of Nigerian Authors. From 2003-2007, he was a legislator, representing Iseyin / Kajola / Iwujola / Itesiwaju area of Oyo State in the Nigerian National Assembly.  He was the ACN candidate for Senate (Oyo North Senatorial District) in the 2011 election.

I would like to read his other (harder-to-find) works, which include (primary source) and a handful of others:
Call to Worship, 1990 - won American Poetry Association Book Prize 
The Boys At The Border, 1991 - Commonwealth Literature Prize Shortlist
Rainbows are for Lovers, 2nd edition published by Spectrum Books 1993
The Rescue of Uncle Babs, 1998 - won ANA Prize for Children’s Literature  
Dreams Die at Twilight, 2004 - NLNG Nigeria Prize for Literature Shortlist
Strange Encounters, 2004 - published by Heinemann, won ANA Best Fiction Prize 
The Weaving Loom, 2008 - shortlist Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa
Tenants of The House, 2010, cowinner with Coconuts (South Africa) is a captivating tale of politricks inspired by his tenure in the National Assembly.
Fearless, 2012, is a memoir of his House of Reps colleague, Femi Gbajabiamilla.

The Ebedi Residency is one of very few in Africa, and the only writers' residency I know of in Nigeria, so far.
It began humbly via blog/newsletter announcements in 2010.
Lola Okusami and Abiodun Adebiyi became the first residents in September 2010.  After reading about it in NEXT, I thought: wow, I really really want to do this, and after the boys had had their run, I was  in the fourth pair one year later.  Yess!

In its second year, our little residency became more international with writers from West and East Africa, and bigger - with an intake class size of three, up from two at a time.

What will year three and beyond bring?

Writers at Ebedi, Biodun and Lola

Why did Wale Okediran found the Ebedi Residency?  Read an interview here.

Who can apply?  How to apply?  I believe a website is in the works.  Otherwise, all I can say is that it is open to authors of fiction, poetry, or drama, and it is intended to develop the local community as well as enrich the larger world.  Your best bet is either follow a writerly newsletter or blog for upcoming announcements or email ebediwriters@yahoo.com with enquiries about latest application requirements (usually a writing sample and bio/CV).

Cast and News for Ebedi International Writers' Residency

September/October 2010: Announcement, Press, Lola Olusami, Abiodun Adebiyi
November/December 2010: Interviews, Charles Oluyori, Kenechukwu Obi
January/February 2011:  Press, NEXT, Trust, A. Igoni Barrett and Emmanuel Ugokwe (Igbo language)

August/September 2011: Story, Press, Guardian, Nation, Spencer Okoroafor, Anaele Ihuoma
October/November 2011: Press, Story, Reactions, Interview, , Ladi Opaluwa, Tosin Otitoju (me)

January/February 2012 : Forum, NSnews, Punch, Doreen Baingana (Uganda, Commonwealth Prize 2009), Dr. Dul Johnson, Nehru Odey
March/April 2012 class: Announcement, Tribune, Interviews, Temitayo Olofinlua,  Barbara Oketta (Kenya/Uganda)

June/July 2012 class: Biographies, Press, Malawi's Stanley Kenani?, Press, Interview, Richard Ali, Niyi Fasanmi, Awwal Sakiwa (an illustrator)
September/October 2012 class: Interviews, Onyebuchi Nwosu, Macdell Joshua Sackey (from Ghana), Samuel Kolawole

November/December 2012 - three girls?

Recurring roles: Press, Salvation Otubu and the lovely secondary school students of Iseyin, Alhazan Abiodun, Aunty and Uncle Okediran, The Board (Alkasim Abdulkadir, Akintayo Abodunrin, Maryam Ali Ali, Uche Peter Umez, ...)

Dr. Wale Okediran, initiator of Ebedi Writers Residency Programme

2013 updates:
Nov/Dec 2012: Interviews, Blessing Mba, Lillian Christopher, and Salamatu Sule
Jan/Feb 2013: Story, Punch, Elnathan John, Musa Idris Okpanachi, John Kofi Asiedu Sarpong
Mar/Apr 2013: Four Women: Ayodele Olofintuade , Agiresaasi Apophia, Yewande Omotosho, Rukayat Olaleye
NEW Official blog: EbediResidency.blogspot.com 

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