Biyi Bandele (born Biyi Bandele-Thomas; 13 October 1967 – 7 August 2022Micah L. Issitt

Contemporary Black Biography, 2009. Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 12 October 2015.) was a Nigerian novelist, playwright and filmmaker. He was the author of several novels, beginning with ''The Man Who Came in From the Back of Beyond'' (1991), as well as writing stage plays, before turning his focus to filmmaking. His directorial debut was in 2013 with ''

Half of a Yellow Sun ''Half of a Yellow Sun'' is a novel by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Published in 2006 by 4th Estate in London, the novel tells the story of the Biafran War through the perspective of the characters Olanna, Ugwu, and Richard. It rec ...

'', based on the 2006 novel of the same name by

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ( ; born 15 September 1977) is a Nigerian writer whose works include novels, short stories and nonfiction. She was described in ''The Times Literary Supplement'' as "the most prominent" of a "procession of criticall ...

Early life

Bandele was born to

Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...

parents in Kafanchan, Kaduna State, Nigeria, in 1967. His father Solomon Bandele-Thomas was a veteran of the Burma Campaign in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, while Nigeria was still part of the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

. In a 2013 interview with ''

This Day ''This Day'' is a Nigerian national newspaper. It is the flagship newspaper of Leaders & Company Ltd and was first published on 22 January 1995. It has its headquarters in Apapa, Lagos State. Founded by Nduka Obaigbena, the Chairman & Editor-in ...

'', Bandele said of his ambitions to become a writer: "When I was a child, I remembered war was something that sprang up a lot in conversations on the part of my dad. ... That was probably one of the things that turned me into a writer." When he was 14 years old he won a short-story competition.James Gibbs
"Bandele, Biyi (1967–)"
in Eugene Benson and L. W. Conolly (eds), ''Encyclopedia of Post-Colonial Literatures in English'', Routledge, 2004, p. 96. Bandele spent the first 18 years of his life in the north-central part of the country, later moving to

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...

, then in 1987 he studied drama at

Obafemi Awolowo University Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) is a federal government-owned university that is located in the ancient city of Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. The university was founded in 1961 and classes commenced in October 1962 as the University of Ife ...

, Ile-Ife,Isa Soares and Lauren Said-Moorhouse
"Biyi Bandele: Making movies to tell Africa's real stories"
CNN, 4 March 2014. having already begun work on his first novel. He won the International Student Playscript competition of 1989 with an unpublished play, ''Rain'', before claiming the 1990

British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lan ...

Lagos Award for a collection of poems. He moved to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

in 1990, at the age of 22, armed with the manuscripts of two novels. In 1991, his debut novel ''The Man Who Came in From the Back of Beyond'' was published, followed by ''The Sympathetic Undertaker: and Other Dreams'', and he was given a commission by the

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, Englan ...

. In 1992, he was awarded an

Arts Council of Great Britain The Arts Council of Great Britain was a non-departmental public body dedicated to the promotion of the fine arts in Great Britain. It was divided in 1994 to form the Arts Council of England (now Arts Council England), the Scottish Arts Council (l ...

writers bursary to continue his writing.

Career

Writing

Bandele's writing encompassed

fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a traditi ...

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (profes ...

, television, film and radio. He worked with the

, the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

, as well as writing radio drama and screenplays for television. His plays include: ''Rain''; ''Marching for Fausa'' (1993); ''Resurrections in the Season of the Longest Drought'' (1994); '' Two Horsemen'' (1994), selected as Best New Play at the 1994 London New Plays Festival; '' Death Catches the Hunter and Me and the Boys'' (published in one volume, 1995); and ''Oroonoko'', an adaptation of

Aphra Behn Aphra Behn (; bapt. 14 December 1640 – 16 April 1689) was an English playwright, poet, prose writer and translator from the Restoration era. As one of the first English women to earn her living by her writing, she broke cultural barrie ...

's 17th-century novel of the same name. In 1997, Bandele did a successful dramatisation of

Chinua Achebe Chinua Achebe (; 16 November 1930 – 21 March 2013) was a Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic who is regarded as the dominant figure of modern African literature. His first novel and ''magnum opus'', ''Things Fall Apart'' (1958), occupies ...

's ''

Things Fall Apart ''Things Fall Apart'' is the debut novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, first published in 1958. It depicts pre-colonial life in the southeastern part of Nigeria and the invasion by Europeans during the late 19th century. It is seen as the ...

''. ''Brixton Stories'', Bandele's stage adaptation of his own novel ''The Street'' (1999), premiered in 2001 and was published in one volume with his play ''Happy Birthday Mister Deka'', which premiered in 1999. He also adapted Lorca's ''

Yerma ''Yerma'' is a play by the Spanish dramatist Federico García Lorca. It was written in 1934 and first performed that same year. García Lorca describes the play as "a tragic poem." The play tells the story of a childless woman living in rural S ...

'' in 2001. Bandele was writer-in-residence with

Talawa Theatre Company Talawa Theatre Company is a Black British theatre company founded in 1986.

from 1994 to 1995, resident dramatist with the Royal National Theatre Studio (1996), the Judith E. Wilson Fellow at

Churchill College Churchill College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It has a primary focus on science, engineering and technology, but still retains a strong interest in the arts and humanities. In 1958, a trust was establish ...

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

, in 2000–01. He also acted as

Royal Literary Fund The Royal Literary Fund (RLF) is a benevolent fund that gives assistance to published British writers in financial difficulties. Founded in 1790, and granted a royal charter in 1818, the Fund has helped an extensive roll of authors through its long ...

Resident Playwright at the

Bush Theatre The Bush Theatre is located in the Passmore Edwards Public Library, Shepherd's Bush, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It was established in 1972 as a showcase for the work of new writers. The Bush Theatre strives to create a spa ...

from 2002 to 2003. Bandele has written of the impact on him of

John Osborne John James Osborne (12 December 1929 – 24 December 1994) was an English playwright, screenwriter and actor, known for his prose that criticized established social and political norms. The success of his 1956 play ''Look Back in Anger'' tra ...

's ''

Look Back in Anger ''Look Back in Anger'' (1956) is a realist play written by John Osborne. It focuses on the life and marital struggles of an intelligent and educated but disaffected young man of working-class origin, Jimmy Porter, and his equally competent yet i ...

'', which he saw on a hire-purchase television set in a railway town in northern Nigeria: Biye Bandele 01

Bandele's novels, which include ''The Man Who Came in from the Back of Beyond'' (1991) and ''The Street'' (1999), have been described as "rewarding reading, capable of wild surrealism and wit as well as political engagement". His 2007 novel, ''Burma Boy'', reviewed in ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' by Tony Gould, was called "a fine achievement" and lauded for providing a voice for previously unheard Africans. Bandele had been working on a new novel, entitled ''Yorùbá Boy Running'', to be published in 2023.

Filmmaking

His directorial debut film, ''

'' – based on the 2006 novel of the same name by

– was screened in the Special Presentation section at the

2013 Toronto International Film Festival The 38th annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) took place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada between September 5 and 15, 2013. '' The Fifth Estate'' was selected as the opening film and '' Life of Crime'' was the closing film. 75 films were ...

(TIFF), and received a "rapturous reception". The film received a wide range of critical attention. He also directed the third season of the popular

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

drama series, '' Shuga'', which aired in 2013. His 2015 film, entitled ''

Fifty 50 (fifty) is the natural number following 49 and preceding 51. In mathematics Fifty is the smallest number that is the sum of two non-zero square numbers in two distinct ways: 50 = 12 + 72 = 52 + 52. It is also the sum of three squares, 50 = 32 ...

'', was included in the

London Film Festival The BFI London Film Festival is an annual film festival founded in 1957 and held in the United Kingdom, running for two weeks in October with co-operation from the British Film Institute. It screens more than 300 films, documentaries and shor ...

. In 2022, he directed the first

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

Nigerian Original series '' Blood Sisters''. Bandele directed the Netflix and

Ebonylife TV Ebonylife TV is an entertainment TV channel owned by Mosunmola Abudu popularly called Mo Abudu, It was launched on DSTV on July, 2013 after which the station was later added to DSTV in September 2014. After partnering and satisfying the executi ...

co-production ''

Elesin Oba, The King's Horseman ''Elesin Oba, The King's Horseman'' is a 2022 Yoruba-language Nigerian historical drama film directed by Biyi Bandele and distributed by Netflix, based on ''Death and the King's Horseman'', a stage play he wrote while in Cambridge, where he wa ...

'', the screen adaptation of

Wole Soyinka Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde Soyinka (Yoruba: ''Akínwándé Olúwọlé Babátúndé Ṣóyíinká''; born 13 July 1934), known as Wole Soyinka (), is a Nigerian playwright, novelist, poet, and essayist in the English language. He was awarded t ...

's stage play ''

Death and the King's Horseman ''Death and the King's Horseman'' is a play by Wole Soyinka based on a real incident that took place in Nigeria during the colonial era: the horseman of a Yoruba King was prevented from committing ritual suicide by the colonial authorities. In a ...

'', which premiered at

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...

in September 2022. Characterised by ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' as a "passion project" for the director, ''Elesin Oba, The King's Horseman'' was "the first-ever Yoruba-language film to premiere at TIFF in the Special Presentation category, and then onto Netflix".

Other work

There were plans by galleries in London and New York to exhibit Bandele's photographs of street life in Lagos.

Death

Bandele died in Lagos on 7 August 2022 at the age of 54. The cause of death has not been confirmed. His funeral took place on 23 September.

Bibliography

*''The Man Who Came in From the Back of Beyond'', Bellew, 1991 *''The Sympathetic Undertaker: and Other Dreams'', Bellew, 1991 *''Marching for Fausa'', Amber Lane Press, 1993 *''Resurrections in the Season of the Longest Drought'', Amber Lane Press, 1994 *''Two Horsemen'', Amber Lane Press, 1994 *''Death Catches the Hunter/Me and the Boys'', Amber Lane Press, 1995 *

's ''

'' (adaptation), 1999 *

's ''

Oroonoko ''Oroonoko: or, the Royal Slave'' is a work of prose fiction by Aphra Behn (1640–1689), published in 1688 by William Canning and reissued with two other fictions later that year. It was also adapted into a play. The eponymous hero is an Afri ...

'' (adaptation), Amber Lane Press, 1999 *''The Street'', Picador, 1999 *''Brixton Stories/Happy Birthday, Mister Deka'', Methuen, 2001 *''Burma Boy'', London:

Jonathan Cape Jonathan Cape is a London publishing firm founded in 1921 by Herbert Jonathan Cape, who was head of the firm until his death in 1960. Cape and his business partner Wren Howard set up the publishing house in 1921. They established a reputation ...

, 2007. Published as ''The King's Rifle'' in the US and Canada (Harper, 2009).

Filmography

* ''

'' – feature film, 2013 * ''

'' – feature film, 2015 * '' Shuga'' – television series, Season 3 ('' Shuga Naija''), 2013 * '' Blood Sisters'' –

Nigerian Original series, 2022 * ''

'' –

co-production, feature film, 2022

Awards

*1989 – International Student Playscript Competition – ''Rain'' *1994 – London New Play Festival – ''Two Horsemen'' *1995 – Wingate Scholarship Award *2000 – EMMA (BT Ethnic and Multicultural Media Award) for Best Play – ''Oroonoko''

References

External links

The International Student Playscript Competition

at Doollee.com: The Playwrights Database
"Writers: Biyi Bandele"
The British Council
Encompass Books

Interview with Koye Oyedeji
BBC, Africa Beyond. * Al Jazeera English
"Interview: Biyi Bandele"
YouTube.
Biyi Bandele
at the Berlin International Literature Festival 2003
"100 African Writers Celebrate Biyi Bandele’s Life and Work"
''

Brittle Paper ''Brittle Paper'' is an online literary magazine styled as an "African literary blog" published weekly in the English language. Its focus is on "build(ing) a vibrant African literary scene." It was founded by Ainehi Edoro (at the time a doctoral ...

'', 15 August 2022. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bandele, Biyi 1967 births 2022 deaths 20th-century male writers 20th-century Nigerian novelists 21st-century male writers 21st-century Nigerian novelists Black British filmmakers Black British writers Fellows of Churchill College, Cambridge Filmmakers from Lagos Nigerian dramatists and playwrights Nigerian entertainment industry businesspeople Nigerian expatriates in the United Kingdom Nigerian film directors Nigerian male novelists Nigerian screenwriters Obafemi Awolowo University alumni People from Kaduna State Yoruba dramatists and playwrights Yoruba filmmakers