Abimbola Gbemi Alao

Abimbola Alao is a performing storyteller, writer and translator of children’s books. She is the author of 'The Legendary Weaver: New Edition', a young-adult fiction book (2003 and 2011), and 'The Goshen Principle: A Shelter in the Time of Storm', a non fiction book (2010). Abimbola has also written numerous poems, short stories and plays. In 2008, her short play, 'Legal Stuff', won the BBC and Royal Court Theatre '24 Degrees' Writing Competition. In 2012, Abimbola wrote a collection of fables for KidsOut World Stories Programme. This project won the 2013 Talk-Talk Digital Heroes award for the East of England. Abimbola is a children’s book translator and her work include translation of the classics: 'Hansel and Gretel', 'The Little Red Hen and the Grain of Wheat' and several other books. She was a regular contributor to the BBC Radio Devon 'Pause for thought', between 2004 and 2009. Abimbola teaches part time at the University of St Mark & St John. The modules she teaches include: children's writing, script writing and storytelling. Her storytelling performances and story-making workshops are very popular with children in Devon, Cornwall and many other counties in the UK. In 2011, Abimbola started the Story-Weaver for Dementia Programme. This workshop uses improvisational storytelling and percussion music as a non-pharmacological approach to dementia care. In May 2014, Stoke Damerel College in Plymouth, one of the schools she trained to run this programme, won the Prime Minister's Dementia Friendly Award: Schools category. www.lampoeducation.org

Credentials

Abimbola Gbemi Alao in 60 seconds

When did you start writing?

1992 Plymouth, UK

What do you love about Short Stories?

Short stories train authors to be concise and coherent

Do you write in other forms?

Novel, Stage Plays, Poems - I love writing Haiku for children

What distracts you from writing?

Internet Surfing!

Outside of writing, what are your other passions?

Storytelling Performance in schools, Basket Weaving, Hair braiding, Reading

What is your favourite book?

The Pilgrims Progress by John Bunyan

Who are your favourite writers?

Alexander McCall Smith, Henrik Ibsen and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Where is your dream location?

Malta

What one item would you put into Room 101?

Nothing

Do you have any advice for new writers?

Read, read, read, DO NOT give up, write, write, write!