Author, Fausat Omolara Arilewola, popularly known as Fausat Omolara Ayinla, is championing African storytelling through books, audiobooks, music, visual art and programmes designed to inspire children and young people to tell their own stories.
Ayinla, whose works draw extensively from Yoruba history, mythology, folklore and contemporary experiences, said her passion was driven by a desire to create stories that would make readers connect with the characters, while reflecting on the issues and experiences woven into the narratives.
One of her notable works, Atinuk?´, explores the fall of the Old Oyo Empire through the experiences of individuals confronted by war, displacement and the struggle for survival.
Beyond the written story, Ayinla expanded the work into other creative forms by producing an original soundtrack and commissioning sand art portraying a traditional Yoruba home and characters from the novel.
Her other work, Àtupa: The Narrative, is rooted in Yoruba mythology and African folklore. It tells the story of À?àk?´, who embarks on a perilous journey to save a prince and the kingdom of Iledu from a devastating curse.
The story was subsequently adapted into an audiobook, narrated by Rafiat Akinwande, further demonstrating Ayinla’s approach to taking African narratives beyond the conventional printed page.
Her other literary works, including Career or Family Ties, This Foolish Heart Did Not Forget and The One Left Behind, explore themes such as marriage, ambition, family, grief and loss, reflecting both personal and wider societal experiences.
Ayinla’s interest in children’s storytelling began with bedtime stories she created for her son. What started as a family activity eventually evolved into Adventures of Bobo and Friends, a series centred on Bobo, a six-year-old Nigerian boy navigating friendship, curiosity, mistakes and everyday experiences.
Determined to move children from being mere consumers of stories to becoming creators, the author developed the Storytelling Advantage Framework, a methodology designed to help children and adults build confidence, find their voice and develop a stronger sense of community through storytelling.
For children, the framework is built around six stages: Read, Think, Discuss, Create, Improve and Publish. The process encourages young readers to engage with stories, think critically about what they read, exchange ideas and ultimately develop, refine and share their own narratives.
In 2026, Ayinla began applying the framework through the Storytelling Advantage Programme, taking her advocacy beyond her books and into educational and community spaces.
She delivered a virtual session, From Idea to Story, for Leaf for Good Africa’s Rooted and Rising programme in Nigeria, where she guided young people on how to develop ideas and transform them into compelling stories.
In September 2026, she also held a My First Story session for children at Leicester Central Library in the United Kingdom. The session featured a reading of Bobo and the Biscuit Playground, followed by discussions and creative activities that enabled the children to develop their own characters, settings and storylines.
Through these initiatives, Ayinla is demonstrating that African storytelling can serve not only as a means of preserving cultural heritage but also as a powerful tool for nurturing creativity, confidence and self-expression among children and young people.
Her body of work also highlights the versatility of storytelling, showing how a single narrative can move from a book to an audiobook, soundtrack, visual artwork or classroom activity while retaining its ability to connect people with culture, imagination and identity.