ABOUT ME

B ode Sowande (born 2 May 1948) comes from a breed of writers in Nigeria that favors a post-traditional social and political landscape where the individual is the creator and maker of his own history not just the subject of norms and tradition

Odu Themes

He runs the drama group "Odu Themes", established in 1972, and the "Bode Sowande Theatre Academy", an internship programme for dramatists. He is married, with children.

INGENUITY

Sowande is a member of the so-called second generation of Nigerian playwrights, who favor a much more political tone in their writing and seek to promote an alliance or acquiescence to a change in the status quo and fate of the common man and farmers who constitute the majority of the Nigerian society. Some members of this groups includes: Zulu Sofola, Femi Osofisan and Festus Iyayi.

Bode Sowande in May 2010, launched a tarot website Tarot with Prayers.

MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Novels and short stories

Plays

"The Spellbinder" and "Snaphots" on Okadabooks.com

Radio Plays & TV

Radio plays, broadcast on BBC African drama programmes; [1975-1996]

THE SPELLBINDER STAGE PLAY

 

MY WORKS

  • The Night Before Babylon, 1972
  • A Farewell to Babylon and Other Plays, 1978
  • Flamingo and other plays, 1980
  • Without A Home, novel, 1982
  • Our Man The President, novel, 1983
  • The Missing Bridesmaid, novelette, 1984
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  • Tornadoes Full of Dreams, drama, 1990
  • Arede Owo, [Yoruba adaptation of Molière's L'Avare], drama,1990.
  • Ajantala-Pinocchio, drama, 1997
  • Super Leaf, drama, 2004
  • Just For The Fun Of It [ An anecdotal history of Odu Themes Theatre],2008, memoirs.
  • Long Story, drama [on last days of Abacha and M.K.O Abiola], 2010
  • Mammy Water's Wedding, 2014 (ISBN 978-978-921-0695)
  • E-book, The Spellbinder, stage drama on mental health challenge, and love stories of three billionaires. OkadaBooksApp, 2021.
  • E-book, Snapshots, drama on urban habitat with focus on slum dwellers, OkadaBooksApp, 2021.
  • E-book, My WhatsApp Posts are comments for all times on various subjects, the result of brilliant reflections from a deeper thinker and seeker, OkadaBooksApp, 2021
  • Bar Beach Prelude,
  • Get a Pigeon from Trafalgar Square,
  • Beggars Choice,
  • A Dream from the sun,
  • Alarm on Lagoon Street,
  • Regina's Golden Goal.
  • Odu Themes weekly Television programmes, Western Nigeria Television [ now NTA, Ibadan.]1973- 1978.
  • Television drama series, 'Acada Campus', NIGERIA TELEVISION AUTHORITY [network] 1981,1982.
  • Flamingo, 13 part television serial, Oyo State Broadcasting Service,1983
  • Without a Home, TV 13 episode serial, Oyo State Broadcasting Service, 1984
  • TarotWithPrayers
     

    ODU THEMES

    Three years before establishing ODU THEMES Bode Sowande was playwright 'in residence' under Dramatist Theatre Director, Dapo Adelugba for Orisun Theatre, Wole Soyinka's theatre group.Orisun Theatre produced plays on stage and on Western Nigeria Television (WNTV).

    Plays of Bode Sowande archived by Dapo Adelugba for this period would include 'Psychedelia', 'Mobius Orbit' dedicated to Wole Soyinka during his prison detention in Kaduna, Nigeria, 'Naked before Mother Idoto' dedicated to Christopher Okigbo, poet who died as soldier in the Nigeria Civil War, 'The Girl Called Maria', 'Unjust Regalia', 'Menace Incarnate' amongst others.

    In 1971 after graduating from University of Ife( now Obafemi Awolowo University) with BA. French Hons, Bode Sowande began rehearsals to launch ODU THEMES with the February 16-19, 1972 production of two of his plays, 'The Night Before' and 'White Pain , Black Pain'.
    'The Night Before' became the first play of ODU THEMES on stage. In the play of six characters Dasuku Harry played ONITA, Bimbola Adeniji was IBILOLA, Duro Oni played DABIRA, Gbemi Sodipo was OLD MOYE, Funmi Joshua (now Funmi Odusolu) played MONIRAN, while Lekan Oyejide played NIBIDI.
    This was at the Arts Theatre (now Wole Soyinka Theatre), University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Bode Sowande was Producer Director using a facility of Cooperative Bank( a predecessor of Polaris Bank) with value of 200 pounds sterling. ODU THEMES made a profit to begin an unbroken chronology to date, sequencing hopefully to ODU THEMES Continuum.