Nigerian playwright Ayọ̀dẹ́jì Àjàdí wins £37,092 UEA scholarship
Nigerian playwright and filmmaker Ayọ̀dẹ́jì Àjàdí has been awarded the £37,092 Kowitz Scholarship to pursue postgraduate studies in Creative Writing: Scriptwriting at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the United Kingdom.
In a statement issued on Monday, Àjàdí said the scholarship would support his studies at UEA, which is widely recognised for its creative writing programme and has produced renowned writers including Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro, Ian McEwan, Anne Enright, John Boyne and Nigerian author Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀.
He secured the scholarship with his play, Sons of Anan, which draws from African mythology and traditions to explore the tension between inherited beliefs and modern realities.
The play examines issues such as power, gender and the forces that influence human relationships. It has previously been staged at the Muson Centre in Lagos.
Reacting to the award, Àjàdí described the scholarship as recognition of the stories he seeks to tell and the perspectives that shape his creative work.
He said the opportunity would allow him to strengthen his writing skills while continuing to examine the histories, stories and contradictions that influence his work.
“For a writer whose work engages with African experiences, the opportunity offers room to deepen my craft while continuing to explore the stories, histories and contradictions that inform my writings,” he said.
Àjàdí noted that the award comes at a time when African writers and artists are attracting increasing attention and reaching wider audiences in international literary and performance circles.
He said his next phase would involve developing his creative practice in the UK while bringing the questions and stories that have shaped his work into a new academic and artistic setting.
UEA launched its first MA in Creative Writing in 1970 and has since built a strong reputation for contemporary literary education, with alumni whose work spans fiction, poetry and screenwriting.
Àjàdí graduated with a degree in Economics from Babcock University, Ilishan Remo, Ogun State, in 2017. He has since written and directed stage productions and short films, while also teaching film and writing-related courses.
His work across theatre and film often explores society, culture and the complexities of human experience through storytelling.
The scholarship comes amid growing international interest in African literature, theatre and filmmaking, as writers and creative practitioners from the continent continue to gain recognition across global literary and performance platforms.
Through the Kowitz Scholarship, Àjàdí will further develop his scriptwriting practice in the UK while bringing African stories and experiences into a new academic and creative environment.
His studies at UEA are expected to support his continued growth as a writer and director and broaden his engagement with storytelling across stage and screen.
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