Leoma G. Gilley featured on Close Up Radio after decades in Africa

By AI, Created 9:54 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – Author, translator and missionary Leoma G. Gilley was featured on Close Up Radio in an interview aired April 27. The segment highlighted her more than 20 years in Africa, her work on Shilluk language resources and her memoir-writing about life in Sudan.

Why it matters: - Leoma G. Gilley’s work sits at the intersection of missionary service, linguistics and publishing. - Her books and language projects document cultures and communities in Sudan and South Sudan that have faced war, displacement and rapid change. - Gilley says her writing aims to show people the value they bring to humanity, including hospitality, creativity and resilience.

What happened: - Close Up Radio featured Leoma G. Gilley in an interview with Jim Masters on Monday, April 27, at 3 p.m. Eastern. - The program identified Gilley as an author, translator and self-described nomad. - The interview focused on her latest literary work and her years living in Africa, especially in Sudan. - Gilley’s personal and professional path was shaped by faith, language, her parents and a love of people across cultures.

The details: - Gilley earned a BS in speech and language pathology in Tennessee, an MA in the same field and a PhD in linguistics from the UK. - She began her mission and translation work with Wycliffe Bible Translators and SIL International. - Her work took her to Africa for more than 20 years. - She lived and worked in parts of Sudan that ranged from desert to city and from sparsely populated areas to metropolitan centers. - Gilley began her training in the 1980s in Cameroon, later moving to Nairobi, Khartoum and Juba. - She returned to the U.S. in 2004 to help care for her aging mother. - Since then, Gilley has written at least six books, including a devotional, three books of prayers and a memoir series about life in Sudan. - She also helped develop an online Shilluk-to-English dictionary. - Gilley wrote numerous linguistic articles on the Shilluk language, one of the largest language groups in South Sudan. - Her books and life story are available at Leoma’s Books. - The interview replay is available on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio and Spotify.

Between the lines: - Gilley’s career shows how field language work can feed directly into memoir, devotional writing and cultural documentation. - Her comments suggest a recurring theme: hardship in Sudan also produced friendships, humor and a deeper understanding of local communities. - She credits Women In Publishing, a global writing and publishing group, with helping improve her work and bring ideas to life. - The article frames Gilley’s experience as both personal witness and preservation of cultural memory.

What’s next: - Gilley is continuing to write and expand her memoir series. - Her interview suggests more stories and reflections on Africa, Sudan and the Shilluk language may follow. - Readers can follow her work through her website and the podcast replay.