Ifeoma Theodore E., author of ‘Trapped in Oblivion’, made a special Author Visit to Surulere Girls Senior Secondary school, Mosalasi, Mushin, Lagos State, on Wednesday, hosted by Ignite Africa Reading Project for schools. The students of the school were all given copies of the book by Ignite Africa, for two weeks to read before the authors visit in order to engage intellectually with the author.
Ignite Africa Reading Project brings authors to students to promote excitement for reading. We are a huge advocate and proponent of author visits, as we have seen first-hand the positive impact authors visits have had in cultivating a reading culture among students. Introducing students to authors can be a wonderful experience, as a visit from an author can expose students to the wonders of reading in a unique way; and the engaging presence of an author can be very inspirational. The Author Visit presented a platform for exchange of ideas between the author and the students. The readers were opportune to see through the eyes of the author, tap from her wealth of knowledge and understand her inspiration for writing such a book.
Ifeoma Theodore E, the young-adult fiction author, gave dynamic presentations of her book, ‘Trapped In Oblivion’, to the Ignite Africa Book Club members and non-member students of the school, detailing her thoughts, her experiences, her life work, her passion in writing the book, and how it all lead to becoming the ‘Writer’ she is today. Ifeoma, in her discussion of the events in her book gave attention to certain challenges faced by the Nigerian Adolescent, one of which is the overriding theme of the book: the state of oblivion. She encouraged the students to be voracious Readers, stating emphatically that knowledge cannot harm a person, but rather aid in making the right decisions.
Ignite Africa Project Director, Winnie Aduayi and the Reading Partners, Success Frank, Dare Oladipupo, and Kunle Smith made the session quite interesting and conversational by asking practical questions, helping the students settle comfortably into the discussion and open up on the issues being raised and discussed in the author’s work.
Trapped In Oblivion, a story set in Africa, is intensely moving, message-rich and interactive; told in real time with all the changes in perspective that teenagers and parents must deal with. This book is a valuable lens onto how we make life-altering decisions, especially where it concerns the younger generation in the fast-paced, technological world we live in today. When we let old rules of past generations apply to present generation, the equation rarely balances, and when it does not, the outcome is usually grievous. This enthralling masterpiece doesn’t shrink from the highly personal, neither does it honey-coat the pressures and ills of family life when ignorance is allowed to reign supreme.
Find out what happens when Nnenna and Kunle are thrown into a whole new world, oblivious and intrigued about life, living, sex, paedophilia, domestic violence, cyber bullying, child molestation, peer pressure, suicide, teen pregnancy, HIV/AIDS? Trapped In Oblivion raises questions that every adolescent, young adult, and adult want an answer to. It bridges the communication gap between parents, guardians and their wards.
Suffice it to say that the Author Visit was a combination of expository, interesting, educative, and exciting. “Ifeoma Theodore E’s visit was a huge success for the entire student body,” said the school Librarian, Mrs. Wowha. “Discussing Trapped In Oblivion with the author herself inspired many of us here; and we are looking forward to more of these author visits.”
At Ignite Africa, we celebrate Authors; they ought to be celebrated because without them, there would be no books and there will be no schools; for schools fly on the wings of authors.
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