As the Etisalat telecom firm adds another literature prize to the array of the existing ones for African literature, Edozie Udeze speaks with Nigerian writers on this development
The voices were somewhat discordant. “The good times are here for African literature.” “No, it is not yet uhuru.”
But in a way, they all were excited to welcome this latest development to lift African literature to a higher level.
The attention seems to be focused more on prose fiction and short stories, when poetry and drama are being left out.” It was indeed with mixed feelings that Nigerian writers welcomed an additional literature prize which was announced by the Etisalat telecom company last week in Lagos.
Even though many writers have described the literature prize as quite ambitious and value-driven, aimed totally at giving African prose writers the opportunity to win and grow their trade, the emphasis, in the contention of most writers, is that literature should be allowed to breath on its own. African literature should be given the space to dictate to its readers in such a way that the stories told by Africans have to be seen to be the true representation of African scenes, African events, African affairs, African stories and indeed what the people believe and stand for.
Etisalat Literature prize.
While launching the prize last week, Ebi Atawodi of Etisalat, said the prize was being set up, among other salient issues, “to support African writing which is going through an era of great impetus.” She adde: “Now with new writers emerging each year and the popularity of African literature clearly on display at international awards it’s proper to give more attention to literature presently.”
She went on: “These examples can be seen in the Caine Prize, the Man Booker Prize and the Women’s Prize for Fiction. So, the best in African literature may yet be ahead. It is now time to create a pan-African homegrown platform that promotes and celebrates emerging talents, especially in fiction.”
Etsalat made it clear that the prize was conceived and instituted as an essentially pan-African award to look into the literary elements that constitute the African peoples where ever they are. This is why it is structured to be awarded to purely those whose works are fresh and appearing for the first time. These works have to be written by authors of African origin and descent and solely from the point of view of African values, both in terms of content and subject matter. The prize winner will get a £15,000 cash prize and a one-year residence in a university in the Middle-East, among other prizes.
Is the prize real?
While the institution of more prizes speak good of the level of literary firmament in Africa, a lot of writers still express some reservations about the motive, the conditions and reasons for these prizes. Denja Abdullahi, the Vice President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), in his own reaction welcomed “this addition to the array of prizes we have for writers to aspire to.” He, however, observed: “But like I always say, I do not believe any award or prize confers any excellence on a prize of writing. It only acknowledges the presence of merit in a given writing based on the criteria governing such an award or prize.”
Abdullahi’s argument is that no award for literature should be set up with the primary aim to correct anything or for the panel to start influencing what is written. He gave example with the Caine Prize which many have criticised in recent times for making Africans write for neo-colonial sentiments. “The Caine Prize has a lot of neo-colonial or is it post- colonial pretentions. What we are saying is that an award should be simply set up to promote good writing, encourage reading and the labour of love of writing and nothing more.” Abdullahi is an ANA award-winning poet.
In the same vain, Arnold Udoka, a renowned chorographer, playwright and poet, observed that “the Etisalat literature prize for African fiction must be considered in the context of existing literature prizes in Africa – ANA and NLNG.” He however, asked: But then, what is informing the philosophy behind the prize? It must be seen to go beyond literature prize being trendy globally or for Etisalat’s brand visibility through the arts or a UAE expression in literary capitalism.”
Udoka whose poetry collection, I am the Woman, adorns most bookshelves all over the world, noted, however, that “from the outset, the prize promises to be more than the presentations of the award, brush the dust from our backsides, walk away and wait for next year’s award. It is clear that the Etisalat African fiction award intends to fill the literary impact lacuna created by existing awards which fail to promote the book or the writer.”
“Let’s therefore hope,” Udoka said “that by this gesture, Etisalat is taking the African writer to the market space/place.” This, to him, should be the guiding spirit behind the prize which he equally pointed out should not be allowed to deviate from the principle of making African stories be wholly African.
Neglecting other genres?
Apart from the Nigerian LNG prize for literature which rotates its prize among the four genres of literature, the Caine, the Etisalat and some others have no room for drama and poetry. Many Nigerian writers have frowned at this utter neglect, saying that it does not speak well of literature. “Is this supposed to dampen the creative drive of writers in these two genres?” was how Daggar Tola, chairman of the Lagos State Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) reacted to the issue. Yet to him, “the more prizes for literature, the merrier, for it will encourage writers who labour hard to write.”
Abdullahi’s regret also is that no one even tries to look in the way of poetry and drama so as to keep those fortes in the eye of the people. He said: “Oh, my worry about all these explosion of literary prizes is that no one remembers the poet and the playwright when instituting such. Are we now saying that those who write those genres are not worthy of acclaim or that the genres themselves have no contemporary relevance?” This is what the literary clan in Nigeria and Africa have to note and bring to the attention of the public for literary discourse.
As for Udoka, this unfortunate development, as it were, calls for worry and concern. He said: “My little objection is on the emphasis on fiction and the limitation to prose only. This might in the end, limit the sphere of literary expression and discourse. But then, the prize, to me, creates an opportunity to excite, encourage, explore, exploit, promote and project the creative dexterity and vibrancy of the writers of the mother continent.”
Uniqueness
The core content of the Etisalat prize lies in the fact that more attention will be focused on the writer and his work. While other literary prizes in Africa may be for the good of the prize money and what the author can do with it, Atawodi of Etisalat declared otherwise. She said: “We are de-emphasising the money issue and focusing more on value for the writer and his craft.”
She equally drew attention to the fact that the winner will be mentored and guided by Giles Foden, the world-acclaimed author of The Last King of Scotland. And in addition, 1,000 copies of the book will be distributed to choice schools throughout Africa. The intention is to make the book known and also encourage the author to be of more relevance to literature.
Also, the winner will be taken on a four-nation tour where proper attention will be paid to his work. Apart from that, the writer will be allowed an all-expenses writers’ residence in a choice university in the Middle-East. All these, to Atawodi, are to enable the winner gain more exposure, have enough time to think and write more so that literature will continue to grow, thrive and ferment.
Generally, writers noted that the panel of judges should no longer be an exclusive affair of university professors who view literature from an elitist angle. According to Abdullahi, “we leave out the ordinary reader in the assessment of what is good literature and yet we cry that people are not reading. Therefore, members of the writers’ clan should be on the panel. That way, the views will be balanced and totally representative.”
