Eleven contenders are gunning for this year’s The Nigeria Prize for Literature, worth $100, 000.
The prize is sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited.
The shortlist of 11 drawn from 173 books was announced by its Advisory Board on Thursday.
The 11 books on the shortlist are:
A Hero’s Welcome, Ndidi Enenmor
Boom, Boom, Jude Idada
Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree, Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani
Double ‘A’ for Adventure, Anisa Daniel-Oniko
Ginika’s Adventures, Nnena Ochiche
Igho Goes to Farm, Anote Ajeluorou
Mystery at Ebenezer’s Lodge, Dunni Olatunde
Obioma: A Girl’s Journey to Self-Discovery, Nkiru Uzoh
She Calls Him Daddy, Oladele Medaiyese
Spurred Surprises, Lami Adejoh Opawale
The Great Walls of Benin, O. T. Begho
The list was presented by the chairman, panel of judges for this year’s prize, Professor Obodimma Oha, professor of Cultural Semiotics and Stylistics in the Department of English, University of Ibadan.
Other members of the panel of judges include Professor Asabe Usman Kabir, professor of Oral and African Literatures at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto and Dr. Patrick Oloko, a Senior lecturer at the University of Lagos Nigeria who specialises in African postcolonial literature, gender and cultural studies.
“The prize rotates yearly amongst four literary genres: prose fiction, poetry, drama and children’s literature. The 2019 prize is for children’s literature. Next year’s competition will focus on prose fiction,” it was said.
It has since 2004 rewarded eminent writers such as Gabriel Okara (co-winner, 2004, poetry), Professor Ezenwa Ohaeto (co-winner, 2004, poetry) for The Dreamer, His Vision; Ahmed Yerima (2005, drama) for his classic, Hard Ground; Mabel Segun (co-winner, 2007, children’s literature) for her collection of short plays Reader’s Theatre; Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo (co-winner, 2007, children’s literature) with her book, My Cousin Sammy; Kaine Agary (2008, prose); Esiaba Irobi (2010, drama) who clinched the prize posthumously with his book Cemetery Road; Adeleke Adeyemi (2011, children’s literature) with his book The Missing Clock; Chika Unigwe (2012, prose), with her novel, On Black Sister’s Street; Tade Ipadeola (2013, poetry) with his collection of poems, The Sahara Testaments; Professor Sam Ukala (2014, drama) with his play, Iredi War; Abubakar Adam Ibrahim with his novel Season of Crimson Blossoms (2016, prose); Ikeogu Oke with his collection of poetry, The Heresiad; (2017, poetry) and Soji Cole with his play, Embers (2018, drama).
Nigeria LNG Limited restated its commitment to promoting the development of Nigeria literature through the prize.
A shortlist of three is expected in September. A winner, if any, will be announced by the Advisory Board in October.
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