Funso Aiyejina

#bocas2026

Biography

Funso Aiyejina is the former Deputy Festival Director of the NGC Bocas Lit Fest and a former member of the board of directors of the Bocas Lit Fest. He is the former Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Education at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine and now Professor Emeritus. He is also a prizewinning poet and short story writer. He won the 2000 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize (Africa). Born in Nigeria, he has been based in Trinidad and Tobago since 1989. He is a widely published critic of African and Caribbean literature and a specialist on the work of Earl Lovelace. Since 2000 he has co-run the Cropper Foundation Writers Workshop, for Caribbean writers. His third poetry collection, The Errors of the Rendering, was published by Peepal Tree Press in 2020.

Awards

2000 Commonwealth Writers Prize (Africa), 2022 Bocas Henry Swanzy Award

Years Attended

2011, 2011 Adult’s Festival Participant, 2012, 2012 Adult's Festival Participant, 2013, 2013 Adult’s Festival Participant, 2013 South Festival Participant, 2014, 2014 Adult’s Festival Participant, 2014 Tobago Festival Participant, 2015, 2015 Adult’s Festival Participant, 2015 Tobago Festival Participant, 2016, 2016 Adult’s Festival Participant, 2016 South Festival Participant, 2016 Tobago Festival Participant, 2017, 2017 Adult’s Festival Participant, 2018, 2018 Adult’s Festival Participant, 2019, 2019 Adult’s Festival Participant, 2020, 2020 Adult’s Festival Participant, 2021 Adult's Festival Participant, 2022 Adult’s Festival Participant

Funso Aiyejina

Author
Nigeria, Trinidad & Tobago
Events Featuring Funso Aiyejina
2022
Winners' Row
Festival Programme Event
Event Date:
2021
Winners’ Row
Festival Programme Event
Event Date:
2020
Sunday Launch
Festival Programme, Online Programme Event
Book Launch Event
Event Date:
Online
2020
2020 Johnson and Amoy Achong Caribbean Writers Prize announcement
Festival Programme, Online Programme Event
Awards Event
Event Date:
Online
2019
Heroes and Villains
Big Ideas, Festival Programme Event
Discussion Event
Event Date:
Old Fire Station
2019
Cropper Foundation at 20
Festival Programme Event
Readings Event
Event Date:
AV Room
2019
One-on-one with Earl Lovelace
Festival Programme Event
Discussion Event
Event Date:
AV Room
2017
One-on-one with Dr. Keith Rowley
Festival Programme, Words Alive Event
Discussion Event
Event Date:
Old Fire Station
2016
How to Edit your Writing: Editing Assistance and Techniques
Bocas Tobago Event
Workshop Event
Event Date:
Anne Mitchell Gift Auditorium, Scarborough Library
2016
Shakespeare and me
Big Ideas, Festival Programme, Shakespeare + Cervantes Event
Discussion Event
Event Date:
Old Fire Station
2015
Winning Voices: Readings and Conversation
Bocas Tobago, TALK YUH TALK! AN AFTERNOON OF READINGS, CONVERSATIONS AND PERFORMANCE Event
Discussion Event
Event Date:
Scarborough Public Library
2015
Earl Lovelace: A writer in his place
Bocas Tobago, Film Programme featuring films by and about Earl Lovelace Event
Film Event
Event Date:
Scarborough Public Library
2015
Bocas Henry Swanzy Award
Awards, Festival Programme Event
Awards Event
Event Date:
AV Room
2014
NoViolet Bulawayo in conversation with Funso Aiyejina
Festival Programme Event
Discussion Event
Event Date:
Old Fire Station
2014
Earl Lovelace: A Writer in His Place, dir. Funso Aiyejina
Festival Programme Event
Film Event
Event Date:
AV Room
2014
How to Write a Good Story
Bocas Tobago Event
Workshop Event
Event Date:
Tropical Pleasure Resort, Plymouth
2013
How to write a story
Bocas South Event
Workshop Event
Event Date:
SAPA
2013
Launch of Sic Transit Wagon, by Barbara Jenkins
Festival Programme Event
Book Launch Event
Event Date:
Old Fire Station
2012
One on one with Myriam Chancy
Festival Programme Event
Discussion Event
Event Date:
AV Room
2011
Edward Baugh and Christian Campbell
Festival Programme Event
Readings Event
Event Date:
Old Fire Station
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