By Odunayo Agboluaje, IbadanÂ
An Associate Professor of Creative Writing in English, Dr. Bayo Adebowale, will on November 2, 2023, join the league of  Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, John  P. Clark, Mabel Segun, Labo Yari, T. M. Aluko, Kole Omotoso, Femi Osofisan, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Olu Obafemi, Elechi Amadi, Zaynab Alkali, Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo and others as the Association of  Nigerian Authors (ANA) has nominated him for its Fellowship.
In a letter sent to the popular author, which was signed by the General Secretary of ANA, Maik Ortserga, the Association said Adebowale had constantly remained on the side of reason, offering advice, hence the renowned scholar is worthy of the conferment.
Ortserga maintained  that the Fellowship is conferred upon deserving individuals for their dedicated services to the Association and proven contributions to the development of Nigerian literature and society.
The literary scholar will be conferred with the Fellowship at the ANA 42nd international convention (ANA@42) scheduled to take place between November 1 and 4, 2023,
at the Chinua Achebe International Conference Centre, Mamman Vatsa Writers’  Village, Mpape, Abuja.
The letter reads: “In the course of the Association’s developmental process, there have been writers/persons who have constantly remained on the side of reason, offering advice and envisioning plans for which ANA will continue to move forward in the direction of its forebears.
‘’You are one of such distinguished writers/persons whose value-centred consciousness has positively and quantitatively impacted ANA. The Association is, therefore, pleased to induct you into the prestigious Council of ANA Fellows.
‘’Generally speaking, the Fellowship is conferred upon deserving individuals for their dedicated
services to the Association and proven contributions to the development of Nigerian literature
in particular and society in general.
‘’Previous ANA Fellows include Chinua Achebe, Wole
Soyinka, J. P. Clark, Mabel Segun, Labo Yari, T. M. Aluko, Kole Omotoso, Femi Osofisan,
Ken Saro-Wiwa, Olu Obafemi, Elechi Amadi, Zaynab Alkali, Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, Dora
Akunyili, Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan, and so on.
The authors’ conclave said the investiture would take place during the preliminary opening ceremonies of the Convention taking place on November 2, 2023, at the Convention venue, at 10 a.m.
Adebowale, a poet, short story writer, playwright, novelist, document aficionado and librarian, holds a Ph.D in Literature in English.
He is the author of four novels: The Virgin, Out Of His Mind, Lonely Days, and Up From the Countryside; two collections of short stories: Talent and A New Life; five poetry books: Village Harvest, A Night Of Incantations, African Melody, Oriki, and Memories.
His other numerous poems and short stories have been heavily anthologized in reputable papers, magazines and journals in Nigeria, Africa, United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
His contributions to the growth and development of literary studies and culture in Oyo State, Nigeria, and the Diaspora are both tremendous and significant.
In 1992, his poem, Perdition, won him the Africa Prize in the Scoop Books /Index On Censorship International Poetry Competition in London. Between 2009 and 2015, he produced and directed seven scintillating university convocation plays for Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria.
He is the Director and founder of the African Heritage Research Library, the first rural community based African studies research library on the Continent, located at Adeyipo Village, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, with a collection of over one hundred thousand volumes of Africana books, cutting across all disciplines as they relate to Africans on the Continent, and Africans in the Diaspora of the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Pacific and the Caribbean Islands. His Research Library  maintains special collections inside the Wole Soyinka African Writers Enclave and Bernth Lindfors House of Literary Criticism at Adeyipo Village.