Aya Taliba Ayodike
Debut Author
My Story
Aya Taliba Ayodike is a retired educator, teacher and administrator with 35 years in the education system. Her focus is now on writing fiction, on pursuing her passion for story-telling. She lives in the Caribbean, on the island of Trinidad.
Known as “Joy” to those close to her, Aya Taliba brings this essence of joy and deep emotional understanding to her writing.
In August 2024, she self-published ‘Tilt-the Novel’, an intriguing debut narrative, set in Trinidad. Tilt is a poignant tale that delves into the real-life challenges of marriage and family, beyond the fairy-tale ideal. The novel reflects her wisdom and insight into the human experience, particularly the complexities of family and relationships. It appeals to readers who are navigating their own relationships, as well as those interested in exploring the deeper truths about love, loss, and commitment.
Her hobbies and interests include reading a wide variety of literature, viewing theatrical productions, following international trends in education and researching the reasons behind human behaviour.
She is one of a group of writers, Caribbean Fine Writers, exploring multiple genres. All have a deeply Caribbean focus.
Over the years she had been privy to the oddities of thousands of human stories, many of them with unanswered questions. What had triggered certain actions and reactions? She felt compelled to unravel their enigmas. This last is the impetus that fuels her writing.
By Aya Taliba Ayodike
Tilt
Family / Drama Novel
When workaholic architect Peter comes home, one day, to find his family gone, he must figure out the real reasons for his loss and correct them in order to regain his family.
Highlights
- 1 of 3 winning entries in short story competition at age 18
- Turning point was the six-week writing workshop with renowned author, Merle Hodge
- Short fiction, ‘Belonging’ was awarded 3rd place in the TalenTourney9 online writing competition
- Short story, ‘Better’ long-listed at the Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival 2024 Competition
Novel First-Drafts
PEN-PALS
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
ACADEMIC CITATIONS
Featured In
From the first page of the novel ‘Tilt’ I could not put it down. I read it in less than a week, I was just anxious and wanting to know what happened next. The story was touching, down to earth and practical. There are some important lessons in the novel about spending quality time with family. I liked the way the story ended on a happy note. Well done. I want all my friends to read this novel!
Pam
Meet Aya Taliba
My dream had always been since I was twelve, to be a writer, and I scribbled ideas, recording them in what I called my Idea Book. I became in turn the memoir writer, the article writer, the short story writer, trying my hand at different forms. I even tried poet and playwright, but finally settled into prose fiction.
Every time I got discouraged, some little incident would lift my spirits and make me try again. Of great significance was the long-listing of ‘Better’ by BCLF and its reception by all who read it.
Here is one reaction:
While I appreciated the work as a whole and, especially Nogood’s compelling journey to asserting his name and identity, I was most captivated by your masterful use of imagery to capture the essence of a moment, a scene, a character, and to powerfully evoke meaning. I kept thinking, “Taliba is a wordsmith in the best and fullest meaning of that term!” Hats, caps, your black beret, off to you, my dear Taliba! Keep the flow going!