Jibrilla window biography of martin

He was recently awarded the An Post Lifetime Achievement Award and been thrust once more into the limelight after a decade of relative retirement as he cared for his beloved wife. Now on his own he still lives at the foot of the Mourne Mountains where it sweeps down to the sea — his year old house hewn into the rock overlooking the coastline and a mere 3 houses up from where he was born over 80 years ago.

Mohammed Umaru Jibrilla (born 16 June ), known as Bindow Jibrilla is a Nigerian businessman and politician who served as governor of Adamawa State from to He previously served as the senator representing Adamawa North senatorial district from to Bindow was elected governor of See more.

He suffered a setback in when he was blown up and buried alive in an explosion in Donaghadee which left him traumatised and unable to work for a number of years. He stayed home and minded his young family while his wife, a teacher, put the food on the table, and gradually Martin was able to resume his writing, some under the pen name of Catherine Sefton.

As he shows me through the house and into his book room I can sense the pride he feels towards the over titles that he has accumulated here over the years, some in many different editions as well as different languages. He tells me that these are stories based on familiar fears that all children can identify with — getting lost or fear of the dark.

He tells me how he has used this interactively over the years with many school classes and assemblies to great effect. Tapping into the emotion of the stories is what makes the difference he says — it is what children respond to most. He shows me titles over a variety of age groups from toddler to teen some which have struggled to do well and others which have soared.

Illustrators such as Helen Oxenbury, Barbara Firth and Patrick Benson among others have taken his words and interpreted them in their own way to produce some very successful work for which he is very grateful.

Mohammed Umaru Jibrilla, often known as Bindow, is a Nigerian politician and businessman who gained prominence as the Governor of Adamawa State from to His political career .

He is the only Irish author to ever have been awarded this and he proudly shows me the medal he received. The An Post Award Lifetime Achievement Award is the latest and most unexpected accolade to be received, coming so late in life and is now in pride of place on his packed awards table. He tells me that he is teaching himself to paint and has even had some of his art exhibited and sold locally.

His enthusiasm for his new pastime is evident and I am thrilled to see so many aspects of both the mountainous landscapes of the Mournes and the vastness of the sea featuring in many of his paintings. He is busy doing something he loves and that is all he can ask for. Many teachers, parents and librarians have gratefully benefited from reading his stories to captive audiences over the years, not to mention the thousands of children who have gone to sleep at night with his words reverberating in their ears.