Two female writers, Amina Aboje and Elsie Oghenekaro, will take centre stage at the February 24, Guest Writer Session at Aso Hall, Nanet Suites, Abuja by 4pm. The monthly event, an intervention by the Abuja Writers Forum (AWF) which features readings, a Q and A session, live music and a raffle –draw for books is open to the public.
Born in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, Amina Aboje had her primary education in the beautiful city of Buguma, one of the many towns in the Kalabari Kingdom. She holds a first degree in Biochemistry and is currently running a post-graduate course at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi. Her interest in writing was birthed when she discovered the delight of reading as a little girl. Ms Aboje expresses herself in both poetry and prose.
Her short stories have featured in some online literary journals like Dugwe and Lunaris Review. Her poems and short stories have severally topped the Abuja Writers Forum Writing Challenge series. In 2016, she won the Mandela Day Poetry Prize. She’s also the third place winner (in the poetry category) of the maiden edition of the Communicators League writing contest.
Aboje is one among several featured in the soon to be published Best New African Poets 2017 Anthology. She is the author of Promises on Sand, a collection of poems focused on the many intricacies of life and the disturbing issue of corruption in politics.
Ms Aboje who is an independent editor, also finds pleasure in teaching poetry. She works and lives in Abuja, Nigeria.
Elsie Dennis Oghenekaro started her journey into writing in the very early nineties when she worked as a reporter for newspapers and magazines, including Abuja’s first newspaper, Abuja Newsday.
She later veered off into diplomatic circles as Liaison Officer for the International Committed of the Red Cross (ICRC). Some of her duties in the Red Cross required her to use her writing skills for various high level reports. Leaving the Red Cross, she worked with the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) and several other organizations.
She has run her own travel business as well as other businesses. After a ten year absence from Abuja with her family, she finally came back to the city she considers home in 2012 and has since focused on her writing and literary consulting.
Under the nom -de -plum Elsie O. Dennis, she has written several books for young children as well as several novels and inspirational books. She runs a small reading NGO for urban ghettos and trains young people on how to live a more meaningful life. Her latest book is God Is Not Here.
Mrs Oghenekaro is passionate about the Nigeria project and speaks in issues concerning the girl child, women empowerment and the Nigeria of her dream. A mother of five children,her hobbies include travelling, cooking, reading, and is currently working on her MBA. She is a craftsman of the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild USA, and considers writing as her life’s purpose.