Biography of Sade Adeniran

Sade Adeniran (born 1960s) is a Nigerian author whose debut novel, Imagine This, earned the 2008 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book in Africa. The novel was initially self-published. Residing in London, she is also an accomplished filmmaker.

Sade Adeniran Biography.

Sade Adeniran was born in London, England, to Nigerian parents. At the age of eight, she moved to her father’s hometown in Nigeria, where she spent her early years living with her grandmother in Idogun, Ondo State, before eventually returning to the UK.

Adeniran holds degrees in Media and English from Plymouth University and participated in an exchange program at the University of Massachusetts in the United States. Her writing journey began with a radio play, Memories of a Distant Past, created as part of her final-year university project. On a whim, she submitted it to the BBC, and it was produced for BBC Radio 4’s “First Bite” Festival. She later wrote additional theatre pieces, which were performed at venues such as the Lyric Theatre, the Bush Theatre, and the Riverside Studios in London.

While working as a business change consultant, Adeniran dedicated five years to completing her first novel, Imagine This. After facing rejections from traditional publishers and agents, she decided to self-publish. Reflecting on this decision, she noted:
“If I didn’t believe in myself, no-one else would.”
Adeniran self-published 1,100 copies of the book, launching a promotional campaign that included appearances on local radio and TV and the creation of a dedicated website.

*Told through diary entries, Imagine This spans 10 years in the life of Lola, a young girl sent from London to live with relatives in Nigeria at the age of nine. While some elements of the story are based on real events, Adeniran has clarified that Lola’s experiences differ from her own. The novel was later published by Cassava Republic Press in 2011 and garnered critical acclaim, winning the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and being shortlisted for the World Book Day “Books to Talk About” award.

Sade Adeniran Filmmaking and Other Projects.

Adeniran is developing a film adaptation of Imagine This, which advanced to the second round of the Sundance Screenwriters’ Lab and won the British Urban Film Festival Award for Best Script Talent. She is also working on other film projects, including A Mother’s Journey.

Her contributions extend to literature, as she is a featured writer in the 2019 anthology New Daughters of Africa, edited by Margaret Busby.