A keen observer soon realizes that iron sharpens iron. Like Iron, writers sharpen writers. Faced with the same task of expressing inner thoughts using written words and literary devices, when writers come together, they get to share tricks and hacks and techniques and experiences. At the Imodoye Emerging Writers’ Retreat, experienced writers are invited to shine a light on the path of budding writers.
Young people with an interest in writing apply to be mentored by scholars in creative arts and experienced writers. All of these happened at the Imodoye Writers Enclave from the 20th – the 21st of August 2022. Writers as young as Secondary School Students from Kwara State were in attendance, while some as grown as University students from Universities across the country also grace the occasion.
They were then offered mentorship and guidance from literature scholars like Dr. Abiodun Jonbadi, Mr. John Balogun, Brodee_Comedy, Shalom Ibironke, and Mr. Al-amin El-nasir – the D.G of Imodoye Writers Enclave, and Dr. Usman Oladipo Akanbi the Grand Patron of the Enclave.
Dr. Akanbi, in his remarks, revealed that this was a move to encourage young writers, especially in a world where they are faced with overwhelming distractions. He is the Chief-funder of Imodoye Writers Enclave and this is for him, a gift to Kwara State, to help ensure that they remain a tower of knowledge in the country. The Director-general of Imodoye Writers Enclave, Al-Amin El-Nasir, also emphasized the need to pass the torch from the older generation to the younger one, and ultimately to keep the fire burning.
The Kwara Youth Alliance Vanguard chaired by Engr Ridwan Cook-Amode saw to the successful outing of this year’s Emerging Writers Retreat with their philanthropic efforts at easing the financial burden of an event of this nature. As a sociopolitical organization that is dedicated to promoting human capital and development in the State, their collaboration made an impact in achieving the set goals for the Retreat.
Al-Amin further reiterates that Imodoye Writers Enclave (IWE) is a community of writers in a state of harmony. It is the first of its kind in the entire Northern Region of Nigeria. At IWE, writers come together as frequently as monthly, to create better strategies for reaching readers. As times change and technological innovations change too, so should the methods used to go about one’s art change too. Since a tree cannot make a forest, it is then necessary for Writers to come together to rise together. Imodoye Writers Enclave has then become, for Kwara State, the forest of writers.
