Biyi Bandele-Thomas

Biography

Biyi Bandele (1967–2022) was a Nigerian writer, playwright, and filmmaker whose work bridged literature, theater, and cinema. Born in Kafanchan, Kaduna State, he was influenced early on by his father's wartime stories and his mother's storytelling. By age 14, he had published his first story and began writing his first novel at 16. He studied drama at Obafemi Awolowo University and won the International Student Playscript Competition in 1989 for his play Rain. Relocating to London, Bandele published novels like The Man Who Came in From the Back of Beyond and Burma Boy, the latter drawing from his father's WWII experiences. His plays were staged by the Royal Court Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. In film, he directed Half of a Yellow Sun (2013), Fifty (2015), and Elesin Oba: The King's Horseman (2022), the first Yoruba-language film to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. His final novel, Yorùbá Boy Running, published posthumously in 2024, tells the story of Samuel Ajayi Crowther, the first Black Anglican bishop. Bandele's work remains a testament to his storytelling prowess and cultural insight.