Janet Badjan-Young Explained

Janet Badjan-Young (born 1937) is a Gambian playwright and administrator, "easily one of the most prolific playwrights" in the country.^[1]

Biography

She has a BA in Drama (UK, 1959) and a Master's degree in Communications (1979, USA).^[2] She has spent the greater part of her life outside The Gambia: in Sierra Leone, in Kenya, in Nigeria, and in the Caribbean.^[3] She worked for the United Nations Information Centre in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, before becoming Director of UNIC at Lagos, Nigeria. She is Director of the Ebunjang Theatre complex at Kanifing South.^[4]

In 2012, she was one of five Gambian women honoured for their significant contribution to "the development of The Gambia in all aspects of life", receiving the "Award of Excellence".^[5]

Works

Plays

• The Ultimate Inheritance, first staged 2001^[6]
• The Battle of Sankandi, first produced 2002.^[7]
• The Dance of Katchikali: a dance drama, first staged 2007.
• The Hand of Fate, published 2009.
• Chains of Inspiration, produced 2011.^[8]

Other

• "Collective War Against Poverty", A.M. News, Thursday (April, 1 1): 6.

Notes and References

1. Book: Abdoulaye Saine. Culture and Customs of Gambia. 20 November 2012. 2012. ABC-CLIO. 978-0-313-35910-1. 75–76.
2. https://books.google.com/books?id=BcEDAAAAMBAJ&dq=Janet+Badjan-Young&pg=PA62 "African Actress To Study Communications in U.S."
3. Web site: "Aunty Janet Badjan Young", Gambian Literature and Publications, Gamwriters. . 2013-03-15 . 2016-03-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304060905/http://gamwriters.com/j . dead .
4. Sheriff Janko, "Ebunjang set to host debut theatre performance", Daily observer, 20 April 2012.
5. Web site: Nyima Jadama, "5 Amazons honoured at Women of Excellence Awards", The Standard, 27 June 2012. . 15 March 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130328172902/http://standard.gm/site/news/3218-Amazons-honoured-Women-Excellence-Awards.html . 28 March 2013 . dead .
6. Cherno Omar Barry, The Ultimate Inheritance, 22 August 2008.
7. Florence Mahoney, Gambia: 'The Battle of Sankandi' - An Appreciation, The Independent (Banjul), 10 June 2002. Accessed 21 November 2012.
8. http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/theatre-preview-chains-of-inspiration-by-janet-badjan-young-a-dance-drama-based-on-the-atlantic-slav Theatre preview: ‘Chains of Inspiration’ by Janet Badjan-Young: a dance drama based on the Atlantic Slave Trade