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Old age has not
diminished Rhoda Omosunlola Johnston-Smith’s productivity. She is still
writing at 86, even without being able to use a computer, preferring
her trusted pen and paper instead.

It was encomiums
galore for the grandmother on Thursday, March 17, at the public
presentation of her autobiography, ‘Richly Blessed’ held at NECA Hall,
Agidingbi, Lagos.

With 30 published
works and 9 yet to be published, Johnston-Smith’s works are drawn from
her life experiences and range from cookery books including ‘Miss
Williams’ Cookery Book’ (published in 1957), to books on home
management, short stories, hymns and songs.

Apart from writing
in English, the octogenarian, who trained as a Home Economist, also
writes in Yoruba. Her ‘Ise Awon Iya Ati Baba Nla Wa’ (The Occupation of
Our Forefathers) won her publisher, Longman, the NOMA Award for
Children’s Literature in 1983.

Her effort at
preserving Yoruba culture is also evident in works including
‘Traditional Yoruba Greetings’; ‘Uncommon and Special Yoruba Names’;
‘Yoruba Etiquette Good Manners’; ‘Yoruba Proverbs and Their English
Equivalents’; “A Treasury of Yoruba Proverbs -The Wits and Wisdom of
The Yorubas’ and ‘Ire’- (Blessings).

Johnston-Smith’s
works of fiction include ‘Iyabo I’ and ‘Iyabo II’ written in Yoruba;
while she offers insights into her life in ‘Never a Dull Moment’,
‘Thanking God at 75 Glorious Years’ and ‘Counting The Roses Not The
Thorns.’

Facing the sun

To share in the joy
of her latest exploits, were family and friends including head of the
Interim National Government, Ernest Shonekan, the first military
governor of Lagos State, Mobolaji Johnson, and former deputy governor
of Lagos State, Sinatu Ojikutu.

The book, according
to the reviewer, Gbemi Smith, enjoins all to “face the sun and never
see the shadow.” She added that ‘Richly Blessed’ is very witty, chatty,
and easy to read. However, she wasn’t happy with the binding which she
noted “could have been better.”

Amongst others,
‘Richly Blessed’ dwells on the author’s life as a young girl growing up
on Lagos Island and her privilege in being a student of the late
Premier of the Western Region, Ladoke Akintola, in secondary school.

It also mentions
how she fled to Paris instead of buying a sewing machine after
completing her training at Gloucester College of Domestic Science, UK;
the death of her first husband in 1970, and her second marriage to a
widower, Oladokun Smith.

Persevering spirit

Chair of the
launch, Kehinde Smith, commended the author for her perseverance. “At
Mama’s age, most people will decline to write, but it seems her own
capacity is on the increase. One does not write memoirs on nothing.
Mama has achieved a lot in her life and most especially, she has
touched many lives.”

One of the special
guests and wife of the Alake of Egbaland, ‘Tokunbo Gbadebo, recalled
Johnston-Smith’s winning of the NOMA Award for Longman in 1983 with
‘Ise Awon Iya Ati Baba Nla Wa.’

Femi Williams, a
relative, decried the non-recognition of the author’s achievements by
government. “What sort of country are we in that this author is yet to
be given a national honour?” he asked. He added that, “The quality of
her work is quite fantastic,” and disclosed that ‘Miss William’s
Cookery Book’ was a major determinant in his dating a preferences as a
young man. Williams enjoined women in gender based organisations to
push the author’s feat to the forefront for necessary recognition by
the government.

The chief launcher,
Charles Oladehinde Richards, said “after the Bible, this book is the
next book I honour” and urged everyone to get a copy.

Blessed on all fronts

In her remarks at
the occasion, Johnston-Smith disclosed that it was her late son that
asked her to write the autobiography. This is in spite of other
publications that already contained sketches of her life. “Dare is not
here today to see the end of this book but he read part of it,” she
said.

The author added
that ‘rich’ in the title of the book is not monetary but that, “I have
been richly blessed in many ways. Of course, I have had even darker
moments in my life but I feel very richly blessed despite the ugly and
painful deaths, accidents, and traumatic ups and downs.”

She later disclosed
in an interview that most of her writings were initially private and
meant for just her children and grandchildren. The idea of publishing
them came subsequently and she was further inspired by a book given to
her during her 80th birthday.

Thanks to the gift, she discovered that a missionary of her age had written over 100 books.