Chimamanda, Soyinka, 98 African authors pay tributes to Biyi Bandele

Chimamanda Adichie and Wole Soyinka are among the 100 African authors who have paid tributes to Biyi Bandele.

The novelist and filmmaker died on August 7 — in a development that has plunged his family, friends, associates, and acquaintances into mourning.

Condolences have also been pouring in from well-wishers still trying to come to terms with the fact that the industry has lost yet another prodigious filmmaker.

Although his family didn’t divulge much about the circumstances of his death, Temi, his daughter, described it as “unexpected.”

On Monday, Brittle Paper put out commentaries from 100 African authors who shared diverse perspectives on Bandele’s life and their sense of his contribution to the culture.

The authors, while mourning the deceased storyteller, shared stories about encounters and conversations with Biyi.

Some of them recalled the first time they read his work and how it fired their imagination or inspired their own writing.

Others shared dreams they had of working with Biyi while recounting his support of their own literary journeys.

The commentary includes snippets of emails and fragments of conversations.

It also includes notes from longtime friends and colleagues like Okey Ndibe, Soyinka, Ellah Wakatama, Amatoritsero Ede, Ben Okri, and Shola Adenekan.

In the publication, Adichie wrote: “We’ve lost a real star.  Too (unbearably) soon. A humane human. A true artist. A brilliant writer. An original thinker. May his memory always be a blessing. May Temi and all who loved him be comforted.”

Lola Shoneyin added: “I am shocked and greatly saddened to hear that author, playwright, poet, and filmmaker Biyi Bandele has left us so soon, too soon.

“My heart goes out to his loved ones, and the creative communities he touched and enriched with his talent and generosity.”

On his part, Soyinka said: “The more he achieved, the further he aimed. It would not surprise me if Biyi had a secret plan to film in all genres, to eventually out-Spielberg Spielberg. I discovered this in him quite early — not that he ever expressed it.”

Read more here.