Travel literature arrives Bingham University, Abuja
By Simon Kure
BINGHAM University, Karu, Abuja,, Nigeria has joined the league of African institutions of higher learning that are gradually embracing the literary genre of Travel Literature. According to Prof Dul Johnson, professor of English at the university: “Travel Literature is new as a course in my university with the hope that it will be firmly entrenched in the university’s curriculum.”
Prof. Johnson emphasized that the university’s interest is to explore the differences between travel literature and other forms of literary genres, especially fiction. Historically, Travel Literature also known as Travel Narrative goes back to the times of Marco Polo, Ibn Batuta among others.
The 20th century’s interwar period has been described as a heyday of travel literature when many established writers such as Graham Greene, Robert Byron, Evelyn Waugh and other notable writers were traveling and writing notable travel books.
After a lull in the craft, there’s a new interest in travel literature with some writers adding the poetry and graphic novel formats to collections of travel stories.
In the case of Bingham University, in addition to lecture notes, the University will be using Dr. Wale Okediran ‘s two collections of travel stories: Tales of a Troubadour (Literamed Publishers, 2019) and More Tales of a Troubadour (Accessible Publishers, 2024) as reference books.
It’s on record that Wale Okediran, an exponent of Travel Literature has given seminars and lectures to students and faculties of some African universities and colleges of education. His latest contribution to the genre was a two- week seminar to some students of the Mohammed V1 University and Polytechnic, (UM6P), Benguerir, Morocco.
The seminar which was part of Okediran’s project at the university’s Institute for Advanced Studies during his 3-month Residency in 2025 at the Institute, included an excursion with his students to the snow decked Atlas mountains in the country. The result of the awesome trip is a collection of 21 travel stories by the students which is currently awaiting publication.
Prof. Dul Johnson and his students holding up travel stories books by Dr. Wale Okediran
