Biyi Bandele, the Nigerian playwright, novelist and writer-director known for his adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s “Half of a Yellow Sun,” died Sunday in Lagos, Nigeria. His daughter Temi Bandele announced the news of his passing on Facebook. He was 54.
No cause of death was revealed.
“Biyi was a prodigiously talented writer and film-maker, as well as a loyal friend and beloved father,” she wrote on Bandele’s official page. “He was a storyteller to his bones, with an unblinking perspective, singular voice and wisdom which spoke boldly through all of his art, in poetry, novels, plays and on screen. He told stories which made a profound impact and inspired many all over the world. His legacy will live on through his work.”
The post continued, “He was taken from us much too soon. He had already said so much so beautifully, and had so much more to say.”
Born in 1967 in the town of Kafanchan in Nigeria, Bandele began his prolific career in the arts after graduating from Obafemi Awolowo University with a drama degree. While in London for a theater festival, he secured a publisher for two novels he had in the works, followed shortly by a grant from the Royal Court Theatre.
In addition to authoring seven original plays and adapting several other works for the stage, Bandele published five novels: “The Man Who Came in From the Back of Beyond” (1991); “The Sympathetic Undertaker and Other Dreams” (1991); “The Street” (1999); “Burma Boy” (2007) and “The King’s Rifle” (2009). He adapted “The Street” into a stage play, “Brixton Stories,” in 2001.
Bandele’s first foray into screenwriting was the anthology drama series “Screenplay,” which ran from 1986-1993 on the BBC. The series was directed by a young Danny Boyle.
In 2013, Bandele made his screen directorial debut with “Half of a Yellow Sun,” starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandiwe Newton and Anika Noni Rose. The film, which follows two Nigerian sisters living in 1960s Nigeria on the cusp of civil war, was nominated for several prizes, including Outstanding Independent Motion Picture at the 2015 NAACP Image Awards.
Subsequently, he wrote and directed TV series “Shuga” for MTV; romantic drama film “Fifty”; and documentary “Fela Kuti – Father of Afrobeat.” Most recently, he helmed two episodes of Netflix’s “Blood Sisters.”
Bandele’s upcoming feature film “The King’s Horseman” will make its world premiere at next month’s Toronto International Film Festival, his second TIFF showing after “Half of a Yellow Sun.” He wrote and directed the dramatic adaptation of the Nigerian Nobel Prize-winner Wole Soyinka’s play, “Death and the King’s Horseman.”
“After dazzling audiences with his TIFF ‘13 film ‘Half of a Yellow Sun,’ we are honoured to celebrate his legacy as we present the World Premiere of Biyi Bandele’s final film ‘The King’s Horseman’ at #TIFF22,” the festival tweeted, writing separately: “Today we mourn the sudden loss of acclaimed novelist and filmmaker Biyi Bandele.”
Netflix Nigeria’s official Twitter account called Bandele’s passing “a monumental loss to Nigeria’s film and creative industry.”
“He will be remembered as a powerhouse who made some of the finest films out of Africa,” the post continued. “As we mourn him, we commiserate with his family, friends and colleagues. May he rest in power.”
Read on for more tributes to Bandele.