Daughters of Ashes’ Drafts of My Life Story Infused With Creativity – Guyuur

When the Chairman of the T.Y Buratai Literary Initiative, Dr Lizzie Ben-Iheanacho, introduced the winner of its Young Adult Literature Prize (YALP), Adoo Guyuur knew she was talking about her book, ‘Daughters of Ashes’. But she could hardly believe she’d won.

“It’s one of those things where you have put in your best, and prayed, but you just didn’t think you’d win. I knew I was good with sad stories, but I didn’t think I would win,” said Guyuur, second winner of the literary prize aimed at promoting and supporting young adult literature and writers.

Guyuur’s reason is understandable. This is her first book ever. She also hasn’t had any formal training in writing, more so, in fiction writing. Her writing experience stems from her one-year tenure as the NYSC Magazine editor in 2018/2019, during her service year, and from her experiences crafting stories for her pupils in school, which helped ensure an easy and interactive learning experience for the children.
“Daughters of Ashes,” she said, “are the drafts of my life story which I have been writing since secondary school.” Growing up in the homes of her older step-siblings, life wasn’t golden, and Guyuur, like every other child, had contemplated running away from home, imagining a better life than what she had.

While she hadn’t run away from home, her protagonist did, and whilst fleeing a child/early marriage, she ran into the hands of a driver who took her to a facility that supposedly catered to runaways or less privileged children, but in reality, made profits off them via child labour.

While the story sounds more like a grim reality, restricting the protagonist between two unsavoury choices, Guyuur said the takeaway for young people is ‘resilience’ to keep pushing through problems without resignation, and the ‘courage’ to speak up at every turn.

“It was her resilience and courage that saved her and the other children,” said Guyuur.
She continued, “I have always had drafts of my life story, but it wasn’t until I saw a news clip of the YALP maiden edition of the winner (Taofeek Olatunbosun), last year, did I make the conscious decision to begin to piece them together, so that I can contest for the prize this year.

The financial aspect was also a huge motivator for her, though not initially, as the regional prizes last year were N250,000. However, the success of the first edition led to increased support from sponsors and friends of T.Y. Buratai, the initiator of TYBLI, which resulted in the prices being increased from N250,000 for regional winners to N500,000. The three best regional winners then duel it out for the N1 million cash prize, grand winner prize.

Hence, the grand prize winner, Guyuur, walks away with N1.5 million; while Sarah Yousuph’s ‘When the Road Bends’ (South West) and Lawrence Chinenyeike Ezemagu’s ‘Garden of Gadget: DIGITeen’ (South East) placed second and third place.

“I initially thought even if the prize money of N200,000 wasn’t that much, the visibility the opportunity would offer is worthwhile. Also, I love a challenge, and this is challenging.”

On whether she has another book in the offing, Guyuur said, “not yet, for the moment I am chilling, but I am definitely challenged to do more. I don’t know what that is yet, but I am challenged to do more.”
TYBLI also launched the maiden edition of ‘Truth or Dare’, a 700-page anthology comprising selected winning entries to the YALP 2024 maiden edition. The publication was compiled and edited by TYBLI Chairman, Dr Lizzie Ben Iheneacho, and Mr Jerry Adeswo.

Founded by the TYBLI in 2024, YALP is part of the initiative’s effort at promoting young adult literature writing and authors, in addition to encouraging literature for leisure and literacy. The 2025 edition reinforces the initiative’s vision of deploying literature as a tool for creative empowerment and national development.