The Abuja Writers’ Forum (AWF) starts its 2016 literary calendar with two authors and two musicians – Tope Fasua, Ada Agbasimalo – appearing at the highly-acclaimed Guest Writer Session on February 27, 2016 at Nanet Suites, Abuja.
An economist, public affairs analyst, thinker, columnist and entreprenuer, Tope Fasua recently added to his growing list of timely books with “The Race for Capital” and “Change is Going to Come”. Like his two previous titles, “Crushed” and “Things to do Before Your Career Disappears,” Fasua deals with contemporary issues surrounding the Nigerian and African economies and policy responses to them.
A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and a Member of the Institute of Directors (MIoD), Fasua possesses a Masters Degree with Distinction, in Financial Markets and Derivatives from London Metropolitan University, and is currently undertaking a doctoral programme with Walden University, US, on Public Policy and Administration (Public Management and Leadership).
AWF’s Ladi Opaluwa, in a statement in Abuja Saturday said Ada Agbasimalo was born in Kaduna, a prolific writer who engages mainly in prose but tries fiddling with poetry and drama. She is the author of “Bow You Must”, “Waves of Destiny” and currently, “The Forest Dames”.
She got her first degree (B.A.) in Languages from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and a Master’s degree (M.Sc.) in International Relations from the University of Lagos. She capped it all with a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) degree in International Relations from the University of Nigeria Nsukka. Her thesis was on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
As a teenage girl, she was caught up in the cross fire of the Nigerian civil war during which she was made to live in the forest for months with intense suffering; but today she comes with the olive branch, professing peace. She has consequently embarked on an olive branch “Stop-the-drum-beats-of-war” and “No-more-war” campaign to entrench peace in Nigeria, having indeed been in the cross fire of the Nigeria-Biafra war (1967-1970); and never wishing for a repeat action.
The Guest Writer Session also features live music which will be provided by Lindii Adams Orubor and Henry Chigozie Davidson. Lindii is a talented singer who hails from Chibok, Borno State, and has spent a major part of her life, schooling and making the most of life in the North-Eastern parts of the country.
Lindii has shared concert stages with a lot of top-rate performing artistes and her first released track “Salama” is a new smash hit, and it’s aimed at reaching out to the victims of the ongoing conflicts especially in Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, states.
Rhyne D (Henry Chigozie Davidson) was born in Jos, but hails from Abia State and is a promising versatile music perfomer. A star quest quarter finalist in 2003, he started recording from 2004 with ” Bounce “, and has since released tracks like ” Fly Away” , “Turn Your Lights On” and “ Something Nice” in the Rhythm and Blues genre.
The Guest Writer Session which also features a raffle-draw for books, runs from 4-7pm and is open to the public.