The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ANA

  • X-raying a literary amazon

    X-raying a literary amazon

    The pain and horror of the killing of some University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) students referred to as ‘Aluu Four’ were brought home when the literati and scholars gathered in Lagos to celebrate a literature doyenne, Prof Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, at the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA)Vintage Wine and Flesh Blends, reports Evelyn Osagie.

    They came protesting. Teenagers- boys and girls. They raised their voices and placards to protest the 2012 carnage that took place in Aluu, a Rivers State community.

    “It was a day dream died/Faith withered in the furnace of unbelief… Adieu, oh hapless victims of Aluu…” they chanted.

    It was no protest rally but the performance of the poem Season of Carnage from the collection Dancing Masks written by seasoned writer Prof Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo.

    There were mixed emotions as the kids, from four secondary schools, took turns to give theatrical interpretation of the poem on stage. Their reaction was not far-fetched. It was weeks after several bombings and killings in the northern part of the country.

    Emotions were high.While fueling audience’s emotion, the diverse interpretations and costumes added spice to the poem’s preoccupation. The poetic lines, which the poet said was borne out of the hideousness of the act, and the theatrics not only re-enacted the scenes, but also called for firm action against such inhuman acts.

    The Lagos City College’s performance, which was the most expressive of the four schools that included National College, Gbagada; Ikosi Senior High School and Gretech Educational Foundation, clinched the first place position.

    The teen-actors with budding passion for literature, were the “Fresh Blends” while the poet was the “Vintage Wine”, explained the Chairman, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Lagos Branch, Mrs Femi Onileagbon.

    She was one woman wearing many hats. She is a prolific writer, with over 50 publications, including 14 books and numerous journal articles. She is one of Lantern books award-winning authors, who has won diverse literary prizes such as the NLNG Prize for Literature Prize and ANA prizes for Prose Fiction and Women Writing; and has judged several others.

    Her achievements are not limited to the literary front alone. She is an English Language professor and was the head of department of English at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) where the event was held. In the home-front, Adimora-Ezeigbo is also a success as wife, mother and grandmother. She was there with her hubby Prof Christain Ezeigbo, their children and granddaughter, bright Chinemenma. And on the traditional front, she is a chief with thetitle Ugonwanyi Edemede Ndi Igbo.

    With a large portfolio of accomplishments that serves as inspiration for the young and for her contributions to the advancement of the course of Literature, Onileagbon said,Adimora-Ezeigbo earned a spotlight at the Second Vintage Wine and Fresh Blends. The event was organised in conjunction with Literamed Publications Nigeria Limited, who donated books and prizes to the schools.

    According to the ANA Lagos Chair, the programme aims at creating a mentorship environment for new and budding writers. “It invites the best of established literary figures, publishers and political figures (Vintage Wine), whose experiences and life paths have the weight to influence positively the creative development of new, young or aspiring writers (Fresh Blends) with the aim to nurture them. This edition we chose to celebrate Prof Adimora-Ezeigbo and work with Literamed Publications Nigeria Limited that has published and promoted scholarship for 45 years.”

    Impressed by the efforts of the teen-actors, Adimora-Ezeigbo, who started literary voyage early as a member of Debating and Dramatic Society where she wrote her first play, encouraged the children to keep at their passion, saying she started many years ago like them. She advised parents and schools to encourage the budding talents in their wards, saying: “Encourage your children to imbibe the culture of reading and writing early. Schools should identify talents in their wards and begin to nurture them”.

    To her quiet mien are her vocal and activist sides that came alive during the interactive session with the reporter and a representative of Literamed Publications Nigeria Limited, Ms Busayo Sawyerr (Editor-in-Charge). To Ms Sawyerr’s observation of low quality of manuscripts being a reason behind fall in the number of works by budding writers published Literamed, the author advised to them not to lose faith but to engage the services of book editors.

    Adimora-Ezeigbo “the advocate” kicked against destructive criticism that seeks to damage the writer, observing that “sometimes critics can damage writers”. She opined that Nigeria has an abundance of destructive criticisms that are highly subjective. “I would wish we have more of the constructive criticism. Some so-called critics would begin to attack the writer instead of the book. Critics should look at the good and bad things about a book,”she said.

    Her novels promote African culture and cultural tolerance; the school of feminism that accommodates men. In a world that is often said to be ruled by men, the author canvassed for negotiation and cooperation between the sexes, while throwing her weight behind what she calls “Snail-sense feminism”. She said: “The Snail-sense feminism is based on the Igbo cultural belief that advocates that men and women should negotiate and work together. The snail negotiates and dialogues with its environment and other objects around it. I think that is what African women are and should be doing.

    “Some described it as an accommodative stand. Feminism is culture-based and is constrained by our social and cultural beliefs. In Africa, we believe we have to work with the men to move the society forward. If you watch women who are successful, it is not through aggression but through negotiation. You have to work together with the men. If you notice the home that is successful, it is where the man and woman work together.”

    Her novels often promote women empowerment with female lead characters with strong personalities, who wield influence and cause positive change.

    Coming from a background of strong and independent women, she hammered on the importance of women empowerment, saying it is the inspiration behind her advocacy.

    No doubt, African cultures are patriarchy and women are often at the disadvantage, however, Adimora-Ezeigbo said,the continent still prides itself of men who support and believes in the progress of their wives and daughters.

    “My husband is that kind of man. When we are talking about the best woman activist, encouraging women, he is Number One. Right from home, all the women in my family were strong, independent women, who are empowered. I grew up in a background of strong women. My two grandmothers were strong, independent women, who believe in the empowering of women. We were encouraged to be strong and independent. My parents empowered me and that is what I believe and encourage. And I am blessed to have a husband that also believes and encourages it,” she said.

    And how does it feel have a wife with such a lofty portfolio, Prof Christian Ezeigbo was asked. Hear him: “If you are lucky to have somebody who is successful, the least you can do is to encourage that person to the utmost because your joy and that person’s joy will multiply.”

  • X-raying a literary amazon

    X-raying a literary amazon

    The pain and horror of the killing of some University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) students referred to as ‘Aluu Four’ were brought home when the literati and scholars gathered in Lagos to celebrate a literature doyenne, Prof Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, at the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA)Vintage Wine and Flesh Blends, reports Evelyn Osagie.

    They came protesting. Teenagers- boys and girls. They raised their voices and placards to protest the 2012 carnage that took place in Aluu, a Rivers State community.

    “It was a day dream died/Faith withered in the furnace of unbelief… Adieu, oh hapless victims of Aluu…”they chanted.

    It was no protest rally but the performance of the poem Season of Carnage from the collection Dancing Masks written by seasoned writer Prof AkachiAdimora-Ezeigbo.

    There were mixed emotions as the kids, from four secondary schools, took turns to give theatrical interpretation of the poem on stage. Their reaction was not far-fetched. It was weeks after several bombings and killings in the northern part of the country.

    Emotions were high.While fueling audience’s emotion, the diverse interpretations and costumes added spice to the poem’s preoccupation. The poetic lines, which the poet said was borne out of the hideousness of the act, and the theatrics not only re-enacted the scenes, but also called for firm action against such inhuman acts.

    The Lagos City College’s performance, which was the most expressive of the four schools that included National College, Gbagada; Ikosi Senior High School and Gretech Educational Foundation, clinched the first place position.

    The teen-actors with budding passion for literature, were the “Fresh Blends” while the poet was the “Vintage Wine”, explained the Chairman, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Lagos Branch, Mrs Femi Onileagbon.

    She was one woman wearing many hats. She is a prolific writer, with over 50 publications, including 14 books and numerous journal articles. She is one of Lantern books award-winning authors, who has won diverse literary prizes such as the NLNG Prize for Literature Prize and ANA prizes for Prose Fiction and Women Writing; and has judged several others.

    Her achievements are not limited to the literary front alone. She is an English Language professor and was the head of department of English at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) where the event was held. In the home-front, Adimora-Ezeigbo is also a success as wife, mother and grandmother. She was there with her hubby Prof ChristainEzeigbo, their children and granddaughter, bright Chinemenma. And on the traditional front, she is a chief with thetitle UgonwanyiEdemedeNdi Igbo.

    With a large portfolio of accomplishments that serves as inspiration for the young and for her contributions to the advancement of the course of Literature, Onileagbon said,Adimora-Ezeigbo earned a spotlight atthe Second Vintage Wine and Fresh Blends. The event was organised in conjunction with Literamed Publications Nigeria Limited who donated books and prizes to the schools.

    According to the ANA Lagos Chair, the programme aims at creating a mentorship environment for new and budding writers. “It invites the best of established literary figures, publishers and political figures (Vintage Wine), whose experiences and life paths have the weight to influence positively the creative development of new, young or aspiring writers (Fresh Blends) with the aim to nurture them. This edition we chose to celebrate Prof Adimora-Ezeigbo and work withLiteramed Publications Nigeria Limited that has published and promoted scholarship for 45 years.”

    Impressed by the efforts of the teen-actors, Adimora-Ezeigbo, who started literary voyage early as a member of Debating and Dramatic Society where she wrote her first play, encouraged the children to keep at their passion, saying she started many years ago like them. She advised parentsand schools to encourage the budding talents in their wards, saying: “Encourage your children to imbibe the culture of reading and writing early. Schools should identify talents in their wards and begin to nurture them”.

    To her quiet mien are her vocal and activist sides that came alive during the interactive session with the reporter and a representative of Literamed Publications Nigeria Limited, Ms Busayo Sawyerr (Editor-in-Charge). To Ms Sawyerr’s observation of low quality of manuscripts being a reason behind fall in the number of works by budding writers published Literamed, the author advised to them not to lose faith but to engage the services of book editors.

    Adimora-Ezeigbo “the advocate” kicked against destructive criticism that seeks to damage the writer, observing that “sometimes critics can damage writers”. She opined that Nigeria has an abundance of destructive criticisms that are highly subjective. “I would wish we have more of the constructive criticism. Some so-called critics would begin to attack the writer instead of the book. Critics should look at the good and bad things about a book,”she said.

    Her novels promote African culture and cultural tolerance; the school of feminism that accommodates men. In a world that is often said to be ruled by men, the author canvassed for negotiation and cooperation between the sexes, while throwing her weight behind what she calls “Snail-sense feminism”. She said: “The Snail-sense feminism is based on the Igbo cultural belief that advocates that men and women should negotiate and work together. The snail negotiates and dialogues with its environment and other objects around it. I think that is what African women are and should be doing.

    “Some described it as an accommodative stand. Feminism is culture-based and is constrained by our social and cultural beliefs. In Africa, we believe we have to work with the men to move the society forward. If you watch women who are successful, it is not through aggression but through negotiation. You have to work together with the men. If you notice the home that is successful, it is where the man and woman work together.”

    Her novels often promote women empowerment with female lead characters with strong personalities, who wield influence and cause positive change.

    Coming from a background of strong and independent women, she hammered on the importance of women empowerment, saying it is the inspiration behind her advocacy.

    No doubt, African cultures are patriarchy and women are often at the disadvantage, however, Adimora-Ezeigbo said,the continent still prides itself of men who support and believes in the progress of their wives and daughters.

    “My husband is that kind of man. When we are talking about the best woman activist, encouraging women, he is Number One. Right from home, all the women in my family were strong, independentwomen, who are empowered. I grew up in a background of strong women. My two grandmothers were strong, independent women, who believe in the empowering of women. We were encouraged to be strong and independent. My parents empowered me and that is what I believe and encourage. And I am blessed to have a husband that also believes and encourages it,” she said.

    And how does it feel have a wife with such a lofty portfolio, Prof Christian Ezeigbo was asked. Hear him: “If you are lucky to have somebody who is successful, the least you can do is to encourage that person to the utmost because your joy and that person’s joy will multiply.”

  • ‘Cutting one’s teeth never happens to someone who wants to improve’

    ‘Cutting one’s teeth never happens to someone who wants to improve’

    He’s used to asking the questions, picking people’s brains, and deducing opinions. But penultimate Saturday, the tables turned around, and Sam Omatseye, veteran journalist and chairman editorial board The Nation newspapers, had the tables turned against him.

    The occasion was the maiden edition of Vintage Wine and Fresh Blends, an initiative of the Lagos Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) that seeks to engage established writers (Vintage Wine) and emerging writers (Fresh Blends) respectively to a forum of literature lovers. Amongst those present at the event were former ANA Lagos Chairman, Dr. Tolu Ajayi, author Modupe Adenubi, as well as students from National College Gbagada, Lagos City College, and Ikosi Senior High School, who also presented Omatseye’s ‘This is our land’, a poem which is part of Mandela’s Bone and Other Poems Collection.

    Of course, after garnering journalism experience in excess of 20 years and publishing over five books, Omatseye was honoured as vintage. His books include three poetry collections: Dear Baby Ramatu, Mandela’s Bones and Other Poems, Lion Wind and Other Poems, a novel, The Crocodile Girl, and a collection of his journalism, In Touch.

    It is known that most journalists would rather focus the search light on others rather than themselves. But in the hot seat of the Rotunda Hall of the National Library, Yaba, Lagos, Omatseye could not escape probing questions from arts journalist Evelyn Osagie. And he opened on up to a plethora of issues concerning his writing – both journalism and creative writing.

    “It is very difficult talking about myself,” Omatseye began, thanking the students from the three secondary schools in Lagos that came to perform his poetry.

    “I want to say thank you to them,” he said.

    As if the opening was the needed fillip, Omatseye delved into the story of his life. He traced his writing career to early childhood. And he talked of how his father played a crucial role in forming him.

    Omatseye was born on June 15, 1961 on the outskirts of Warri, in present day Delta State, to an Itsekiri father and Urhobo mother. Shortly after his birth, his family moved to Lagos and he started primary school there. However, due to his father’s transfers, Omatseye continued in Warri before eventually completing his primary education in Ibadan. After that, he attended Government College Ughelli before proceeding to the University of Ife (Now Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU)) to study History. He then started work at Newswatch magazine as a rookie reporter.

    “The things that really formed my life,” Omatseye said, “can be categorised as my parental upbringing, especially that of my father, in terms of my literary aspirations. He was always concerned about books. We were always surrounded by books. And I still have some of his books in my library today. I remember when I finished secondary school before I went to the university, he saw that I always read Time magazine. I always took money out of my pocket money to buy Time magazine and it affected my capacity to fund other things. When he noticed this, he made it a point of duty (that) all through that period till I left the university, there was ‘special’ money to buy Time magazine.”

    Another influence he acknowledged was his environment. “I was always concerned about sufferings around.” This suffering would stare at the young Omatseye as his family went from being almost well-heeled to one “that had to think about where the next meal would come from.” This development, he said, gave him an idea of “the temporariness of prosperity and the possibility of injustice.”

    Later on when his interest with Time burgeoned, his father again was at hand to ensure a copy of the magazine was always at his behest. And it was through reading Time he met Roger Rosenblatt, his journalism role-model, during his second year at Ife. “I loved the way he wrote essays, the way he combined ideas. He had a capacity to show that everything that happens has a dimension in philosophy, literature, the arts. He was such a great writer.”

    Other influences on his writing, Omatseye also admits, include William Shakespeare because “he re-energised and re-invented the English language,” Winston Churchill because of “his oratory” and “because he had the power of language to stand up against tyranny,” and St. Paul “for his ability to relate the spirituality of existence.”

    Omatseye’s incisive journalism which borders on the Nigeria’s socio-political milieu is often flowerily presented, using quotes and comparisons from literature, via his weekly Monday column, In Touch. Through the column which enjoys a wide love/hate relationship, one glimpses Omatseye’s creative side. And responding to a question of how he combined journalism and creative writing, Omatseye himself was at a loss.

    “It’s a question I find difficult to answer because I also wonder how I did it,” he said. “I think it was achieved by passion. It’s just like somebody who loves to sing. You find time to sing. If it means I have to spend some nights in sleeplessness, I would do it. I would stay late and do it. I would wake early in the morning and do it.”

    When asked why he only recently became a published author, Omatseye responded that he had written two earlier works; a novel and a poetry collection titled Fangs which was judged second in the 1989 poetry category of the ANA prize.

    Though, both works are lost now, because of the political crisis in the early 1990s which made him “live a scattered and unsettled life.” He quipped: “Maybe ANA can find it.”

    Attributing his life to the mercies and grace of God, Omatseye shared some of the upheavals he had faced, especially while practising as a journalist with the now rested National Concord. He recalled being one of the first callers at the site of the plane crash at Ejigbo, Lagos, on September 26, 1992, in which some senior military officers died. Omatseye was one of the journalists that arrived the scene early but not content with just waiting on the sidelines, he sought another route through the help of those in the neighbourhood to help evacuate the corpses of the army officers. After doing the rounds, the journalist in him was looking forward to the scoop when his cover was blown by a State Security Service (SSS) who later discovered he was a reporter.

    He suffered beatings from soldiers. And he said it was only the arrival of the late Gen. Sani Abacha that gave him an opening to escape as the soldiers drilling him went to meet their boss.

    That incident, coupled with his other writings, made him a marked man by the military. Even when he was offered a fellowship in the US, he was only able to fly out because the security detail, who liked his writing, decided to look the other way. And while in the US, he received a letter saying he was still hounded. This necessitated him to stay in the US for 10 years, where he worked as a journalist and also a lecturer. He returned to Nigeria in 2006.

    To round off the event, Omatseye donated copies of his books to schools present.

    Despite being a consummate journalist and author, Omatseye still believes he is cutting his teeth. “I still ask myself if I have ever cut my teeth,” he said. “I don’t think that cutting one’s teeth ever happens to someone who wants to improve. Even when I write, I only like it the time when I’ve written it. When I go back to it, it’s almost as if I have a lot of work to do.”

  • How Nigerian writers are shaping the nation

    How Nigerian writers are shaping the nation

    As Professor Toyin Falola, renowned historian and prolific author traced the developmental stages of Nigerian literature from 1914 to date during this year’s convention of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) which held in Akure, the Ondo State capital, he equally challenged Nigerian authors to do more to raise the tempo of intellectualism in the society. Edozie Udeze who attended the convention reports on this issue and others that preoccupied the authors for three days.

    In spite of the sluggishness which usually characterises almost all the yearly conventions of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), what stood out at this year’s edition held in Akure, the Ondo State capital was the quality of participation by members.

    Three of its former presidents in the persons of Professor Femi Osofisan, Dr. Wale Okediran and Odia Ofeimun who graced the convention from the beginning to the end showed how this year’s convention was topical to the Nigerian writers. With the theme as Literary Imaginations and Nation Building in Nigeria since 1914 and handled by Professor Toyin Falola, a historian and the vice-president of the International Scientific Committee of UNESCO on Slave Route Projects in Africa, Nigerian authors were taken down memory lane on the genesis and development of Literature in Nigeria.

    Falola, a professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin, USA, reminded authors that even though Nigeria in more ways than one was an imagination and invention of those for whom nation-building and development were hardly a priority, the Nigerian writer has never waivered in his audacious ability and resilience to constantly recreate the society where he has found himself. For the author, his primary calling is to write and remake the society.

    Even when people have been divided along religious, ethnic, political and social lines, what has been uppermost in the mind of the writer is to ensure that these indices of separateness do not debar him from looking at the issues at hand from the critical eyes of a writer. “Yes, colonialism created a bipolar world in which citizens and subjects were constituted as separate identities. In other words, tribes became authentic identities, with so-called particularities that ignored the normativity of nationalism…Nigerians also inherited most of those assumptions regarding the divisions of people into races, places, ethnicities and states”.

    Role of literature

    Even though the idea of the ethnic nations and the Nigeria nation emerged simultaneously, Falola reasoned that “Literature and performance have indeed responded to this dual identity thereby embracing and promoting fractional nationalism. But then, the nationalist project, identities and related notions and so on, have today become part of world literature and Nigeria has never been an exception.

    His contention was that while these poignant issues of divide along social issues predominated in Nigeria, nay Africa, some prominent writers emerged to champion and reshape the face of the society. When in 1952, Amos Tutuola published his famous the Palm-Wine Drinkard, marking a critical moment in the history of Yoruba and Nigerian literature, it became obvious that an era of literary awareness had set in. Now, conceived of as progressive and developmental, writers began in earnest to use poetry, prose and drama to dissect the many and diverse issues besetting the society.

    Beyond finding their voices in the face of mounting problems of poverty, colonialism, illiteracy, and more, writers formulated ideas on political, economic, social and other-related areas for proper commentaries. At this stage, various new poems and stories that related to the people began to capture the age. And they equally sought ways to express political position. “D. O. Fagunwa’s traditional fiction and Amos Tutuola’s six narratives then provided people with the necessary clues to the mix between politics, culture, tradition, modernity and notions of the mole of literature in shaping the society.

    Falola, known globally as Africa’s foremost historian in the Diaspora, opined that henceforth both Fagunwa and Tutuola created platforms for social and political discourses that finally set the stage for modern Nigerian literature. “Henceforth, writers became opposed to colonial domination, equating it with an evil king, the monarch who killed without reason, who took other people’s wives and who collected unjust amounts of toll and tributes. These writers equally proffered belief systems that supported equality, using the language of opportunity for all, encouraging mobility and aspirations. They were supporting agendas for solidarity and communal projects, to engineer changes and manage the institutions of modernity…”

    What authors should do

    Essentially, he challenged more writers to emerge with the same strength, voice, power, attitudes and potency displayed by the likes of Ngugi Wa Thiong’o, Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Christopher Okigbo and others to give total ideological direction to the people. To him, the responsibility of the writer is to give issues the attention they deserve and in a way to find the appropriate voice for the deprived and depraved. Writers, he said, should desist from following the footsteps of the oppressor who provided the enabling environment for ethnicity to thrive. Such writers, he noted, do not portend any good for anybody. “Texts should be used to generate progressive consciousness and progressive politics. Literary texts, most often, have to be used as expressions of power. This was how the colonised societies emerged from the status of the marginalised to that of empowered citizens. By this, they were able to create mass movements, especially in the cities to support decolonisation and make a strong case for the necessity of democracy.”

    With the presence of many established authors in the hall and the general acclaim given to him by the audience, Falola asked, “where then do we find ourselves today? Sure, we cannot put all the blame on politicians and the military. Intellectuals who preach one thing and do another must also take some responsibility. Words and actions do not get married and when they do, divorce should be expected, just as a socialist can turn a socialite.”

    He went on: “However, it is difficult to put much blame on the poverty of ideas. What I have pointed out, as a historian, is how each phase in the country’s history has been marked by the production of a large body of ideas, some of which found their ways to policies and many of which were discarded, ignored or shelved when they gathered dust.

    “And so, generally, there is no deficiency of, or limitation to, the literary imagination and the connection between that imagination and political and social realities which is deeply phenomenal. Writers have to critically connect texts and imaginations with policies and politics. Literary imaginations should continue to portray the political attitudes of the people; their feelings, their bent up emotions, quest for order and justice, the desire for social movements to produce a total revolutionary change in the society and lots more.”

    Expectedly, Falola’s lecture generated heated and intellectual reactions from writers. There was a consensus of opinion by many that time had come for authors to write and tackle issues that have direct impact on the people. “Writers have to brace up now,” was how Ikeogu Oke of Abuja ANA, put it. “And while we do so, we have to critically look at the quality of what we write so as to carry the people along.”

    Looking ahead

    Apart from the second paper on the role of children’s literature for the sake of continuity delivered by Camillus Ukah of Imo ANA, the overall concept of this year’s convention was to give a new and meaningful face to ANA and ensure that membership was taken seriously. “Henceforth”, said ANA president, Professor Remi Raji, “membership in terms of qualification to contest for elective positions have to be based on the quality of works one has produced.”

    Raji was irked, however, that a lot of members find more time for ANA politics than writing. “If you call yourself a writer, then be serious about it; sit down and write. It is what you’ve been able to produce that qualifies you to be an author ,” he said, noting, however, that “our writings should say who we are.”

    Another salient issue that also came up was the status of ANA plot of land in Abuja. In a press conference, Raji made it clear that although parts of the land have been encroached upon by some people, efforts are being made to build structures there. “Part of the land was given to the police, yet, we have decided to embark on the development of the remaining portions to avoid further encroachment,” he said.

    Raji, who, was re-elected for another term promised to take the association to an enviable level. “First, there’s no division in ANA EXCO. What we do now is to build more bridges, empower the association and run a transparent tenure. We need to grow in terms of quality of content and our commitment to the act of writing. This is our goal which we have decided to pursue to its logical conclusion.”

    The convention which began on the 7th of November and ended on the 10th and was hosted by the Ondo State government.

  • ANA calls for report submission

    As the yearly Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) convention draws nearer, its National Executive has called on the beneficiaries of the Yusuf Ali Reading Campaign Funds to submit their reports.

    The report, according to a statement by ANA President, Prof Remi Raji, should contain the nature of their activities, indicating the schools involved in the Outreach, the specific outcomes as well as the challenges, photos, videos and other media exposures.

    “All activities are expected to end by October 25. All reports should be sent October 31, for appropriate coordination, before the Convention in Akure,”

     

  • Me and my Books: My poetry is all about profundity

    Me and my Books: My poetry is all about profundity

    Denja Abdullahi, a poet and award-winning writer is the vice-president of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA). His collection of poems include Mairogo: A Buffon’s Poetic Journey Around Northern Nigeria, Abuja Nunyi, The Talking Drum, A Thousand Years of Thirst, among others. In this interview with Edozie Udeze, he says that poetry is the mother of all genres of literature

     

    Who are your favourite authors in the world and why?

    The writing world is diverse with unique styles, subject matters and brilliance that it is difficult for me to have favourites. Let us just say all good writers I have read are my favourites, and even those I am yet to read but hopeful of eventually reading.

    What sort of books do you like most?

    Books that explore people’s historical and cultural experiences in an epical sweep; whether poetry, plays or novels. I like profundity when it comes to books. Profundity of theme and style. There are too many books out there on the shelves and online begging to be read; anyone that catches my attention must have something unique about it.

    When you read a book, what are the salient things you look out for?

    What it says about the human experience, the underlying hilarity, the power of language in freshening even stale old concepts and larger-than-life characters that are in reality often life-like.

    When and where do you like to read?

    I read whenever and wherever I can have some moments to myself, away from work, family and the fulfillment of the rigours of existence. Those moments are getting fewer by the day, I must say. I read before going to bed, on the verge of sleep, in transit; by road and air, when I am not the one doing the driving or piloting (that is even when the journey is bereft of recklessness and turbulence) and whenever I am out of station, away from my usual habitué.

    What is your preferred literary genre?

    I have written more of poetry, so should I say poetry is my preferred genre? I love all the genres, I do not discriminate in my choice of genre.

    As a child, what books tripped you most?

    As a youngster, the pacesetter series greatly influenced me to contemplate the infinite world of the imagination. They were very realistic portrayal of life and living on the African continent in the popular sense. The stories and characters of that series, including even the authors, were engraved in my adolescent memory for such a long time that I penned one myself but I later lost the manuscript. The titles of the series still echo in my mind till today: The Undesirable Element, Stop Press: Murder!, Bloodbath at Lobster Close, Sweet Revenge, Sisi, Evbu My Love, Christmas in the City, etc. I later on discovered the African Writers Series and feasted on the titles accordingly.

    What book or books have had the greatest impact on you; why and how?

    Roots, by Alex Haley, for its epical sweep of the trauma of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. I was angry about the plight of the black race as I read the book. And this feeling was aggravated as I read the book at the time the TV series was first shown on national television. The African Night Entertainment, by Cyprian Ekwensi, with its quest motif, dreams, magic and expose into the northern Nigerian clime also was definitive in my reading career; so also the phantasmagoric world of D.O Fagunwa’s novels.

    At what point in your life did you begin to nurse the idea of being a writer?

    In my first year in the university, after experiencing a culture shock with the almajiri system at the Jos Main Market some many years ago; though my writerly sensibility goes way back before that encounter.

    How has writing shaped or moulded your life?

    It has made me conscious of the fact that words are double-edged, they build and destroy; their employment for either purpose is what our lives are all about.

    If you met your favourite author(s) face-to-face, what would you ask him/her?

    How did you get to do that? What the hell was going through your mind?

    Of all the works you’ve read, which character strikes you the most?

    Many are swirling in my head right now, but I will readily pick Mohun Biswas in V.S. Naipaul’s A House For Mr. Biswas. He is such a comically tragic character in a struggle of existence, like that of the average man who does not want to die in obscurity.

    What do you plan to read next?

    The much-hyped The Accidental Public Servant by Nasir El-Rufai, I just want to get it out of my reading view and of course the dashing account of the Nigerian Civil War as executed by the Third Marine Commando in Alabi Isama‘s The Tragedy of Victory. Of course if you ask me the one I would like to read first, I will go for Isama’s.

    Are you a re-reader and how often?

    There are so many good books out there still unread than to indulge in the luxury of leisurely re-reading. I only re-read strictly for academic or research purposes, and this takes various forms.

    How do you arrange your books in your private library?

    Mercifully on the shelves in the office; books for research on their own, unread stuff together in their own territory and already read ones that can be loaned out to curious friends and acquaintances at their own end. Of course, one does not have the resources of the Library of Congress. So, many other books, more than the one on the shelves, are in re-enforced Ghana-must-go bags at a dedicated depository at home, competing with other bricks and bats and getting on the nerves of madam all the time.

    What does writing mean to you?

    Writing is my alternate career that has in its way defined my main career. Writing takes you above the ordinary; it confers on you a sage-like quality and raises you above the common throng. If you are lucky to have written anything good, be sure it will endure and confer on you immortality.

    How do you get your inspiration to write?

    I am inspired most to write not by solitude or a serene atmosphere that most writers cherish, but by great activity around me, market place noises, festive music and other such ambience. When people and things are uninhibited, I derive inspiration from that and that is where I hit on some great writing ideas.

    You have written more of poetry, at least the published pieces. Why?

    It is so because poetry is the mother of all literary forms. Let me deal well first with the mother before I start dealing with the sons and daughters. I write other genres too which are largely unpublished. There was a time I declared in a published interview after my last published poetry collection A Thousand Years of Thirst that with that I had paid my debt to poetry, meaning I want to take a break from poetry. Niyi Osundare, the renowned poet who I have had an over two decades relationship with, which began with him being my subject of research as an undergraduate, read that interview and sent me a private email saying “Denja, how dare you!” He was more like, you cannot pay the debt you owe poetry. I replied that I was only joking literarily; that I was only expressing my wish to bring out my writings in the other genres and that poetry will always be part of me. Presently, I am working on a play and another collection of poetry; this time with a religious theme.

    What was the most important book to you in 2012 and which one for 2013?

    There Was a Country by Chinua Achebe for all the reiteration of the role of the writer in the society contained in it and for the issues it raised regarding the dynamics of perspective in narrating lived experiences. For 2013, none yet.

  • Author donates books to police, armed forces

    Author donates books to police, armed forces

    The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Lagos State chapter, is building mutual relationship among security outfits. Days after donating over 420 books to the police library , it donated over 450 books to the armed forces, reports Olushola Orebajo.

    A budding author, poet, and member of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Dr Chukwunyere Chukwu, has donatedbooks to the Armed forces saying it is the beginning of a new era. He said relating with the Armed Forces was an eye opener, adding that apart from establishing a relationship with them, “it has made us know who the Armed Forces really are.”

    He spoke at the Ministry of Defence, Lagos, during a visit by members of the association on the Nigerian Army.

    Chukwu, who expressed joy for the warm reception accorded them, said the impression he had of the Armed Forces was proved wrong as the visit made him to know who they truly are. His words: “Most people have the impression that the Armed Forces members are not people we can relate with. But I’m glad to see them differently from what people think they are.”

    Chukwu urged the authors to impact positively on the society saying it is a vital role in shaping the present and future of the society.

    According to him, “education has no bound; it is meant for everyone, neither your age, nor your rank because education plays a vital role in determining and shaping the future.”

    He cited books to the Police and Armed Forces as a platform for developing a great educational system among the security personnel.

    He described books as avenue of passing knowledge to everyone in the society.

    “Great writers, such as the late Chinua Achebe and Prof Wole Soyinka have impacted well on the society through books of various kinds. Through them, we should learn to allow education as an impacting role in our lives,” he added.

    The books donated were: Avenge the Avenger, Candid Lyrics, Two Plays, Stirring Melodies, Dan Iska the place of exploit, Owanbee!, You Are A Success, Echoes from the Jungle, Dynamics of positive thinking, Songs of wisdom, Escape, Are You Ready and One Good Turn Deserves Another. They range from poetry, drama, fiction, inspirational, educational and motivational.

    Vice Chairman of ANA Femi Onileagbon, praised the initiative, saying “no doubt, education is a major key to success, because it plays a vital role in shaping the future of a society.”

    According to him, knowledge is power, which can be attained through basic education. “Donating our books to the Armed Forces is to add more source of information to their library, as nobody is completely full with knowledge, he said.

    Former President of ANA and a lecturer at the Lagos State University (LASU), Folu Agoi, was delighted by the visit. He said: “People tag the Armed Forces members as people we can’t relate with. But, I’m surprised to see them different from what people believe them to be. We need to have an understanding of them, to know who they truly are.”

    He noted that some of them are good writers, who should be encouraged. “But with this relationship, more writers from the Police and Armed Forces will be authors of their own books,” he added.

  • ‘Only reading can curb violence’

    ‘Only reading can curb violence’

    •ANA takes literacy campaign to 150 schools

    To curb the wave of violence and youth restiveness, the government should seek to improve the reading culture of its citizenry, the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) National President, Prof Remi Raji, have said. People must read for society to progress, he said.

    With a mind of improving the literacy level among the young, Raji said, ANA established a campaign tagged: ANA/Yusuf Ali Annual Schools Literary Awareness Campaign (AYASLAC), last year.

    The campaign, he said, is meant to breed tomorrow leaders who are thinkers and imaginative geniuses. Hence, ANA is taking its campaign to 150 schools across 15 states in the country.

    He said: “The campaign is part of our literary agenda meant to impact on the reading culture and writing skills of the young in particular. The campaign will empower the minds of our young ones and the spirit of sportsmanship in them. When a person is enlightened, it will affect the choices he makes. When people read they would be easily influenced and it would curb violence in the society. It also is part of ANA commitment as an organisation to the development of literacy in the country.”

    After the successful implementation of its maiden edition in which 16 state branches (Akwa Ibom, Imo, Anambra, Bayelsa, Rivers, Niger, Benue, Kano, Kaduna, Kebbi, Plateau, Kwara, Lagos, Ondo and Oyo), including Abuja, benefited from the N3 million grant from its sponsor Yusuf Ali (SAN), ANA has received the same amount from him for this year’s edition, according to Raji.

    However, this year, the campaign would be extended to other states, while the states that performed better last edition would also benefit. “This is to encourage accountability”, ANA President said.

    The beneficiaries included Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi, Rivers, Niger, Kogi, Nasarawa, Taraba, Kaduna, Kwara, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo, including Abuja. Chairmen of the benefiting states were presented a cheque of N150,000 at the association’s Council of Chairmen and Secretaries Meeting at Ilorin, Kwara State.

    He charged the beneficiaries to keep to the campaign’s timetable which is from July to October that include reading tours and distribution of books worth 100,000 to the schools; two weeks to be given to the pupils within which to read; reading competition, award ceremony and submission of reports.

    While urging the beneficiaries to be transparent in carrying out the project, Raji commended the sponsor, saying: “Ali’s reposing of trust in the association is a statement of his satisfaction with the execution of the campaign last year. He called on institutions and personalities to partner with the association in its bid to promote literacy across the country.

    He said: “ANA partnership with Ali will go a long way in impacting the reading culture of the young. We are open to partnerships just like the one we already have with the SAN, Niger State Governor Dr Babangida Aliyu and his wife Hajiya Fatimat and the YSG Hubs groups in the last year to promote literacy in the country.”

    Sponsoring the campaign, Ali said, is inspired by the passion for reading. He is of the opinion that the literacy level of a person has a great impact ones subseptibility to negative influences.

    He said: “For any modern society to progress, people would have to read and soak up knowledge from written materials. Nigerians don’t read, maybe as a result of the combination of so many things. My own passion is that we must encourage people to read, especially, our children and youngsters.

    “I believe the more they read, the more their minds would be taken away from negative perceptions and acts that are detriment to the society. They would have read about what happened to people who did before and so on and they may take heed. So, reading is very good, you may not get wiser but it opens yours eyes to opportunities and choices. I encourage others who have the funds to follow suit.”

  • ANA donates books to police

    ANA donates books to police

    The Lagos State chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) has initiated moves to build mutual relationship with the security agencies through book. Some members of the association’s executive have visited the Lagos Police Command’s spokesperson, Ngozi Braide, a Deputy Superitendent of Police (DSP) and donated 420 books to the police.

    On the entourage were Dr. Chukwunyere Chukwu, Femi Onileagbon (the vice chairman of ANA) and Folu Agoi, a former ANA Lagos chapter chairman.

    The books presented include Avenge the Avenger, Dan Iska the place of exploit, Owanbee! One Good Turn Deserves Another, Echoes from the Jungle, Dynamics of positive thinking, Songs of wisdom, Escape, Are You Ready and You Are A Success.

    Chukwu said the idea to relate with the police and the armed forces is a great idea. “We want to donate our books to the police library because I know there are also writers among the police, who in one way or the other can’t express themselves. He noted that such a relationship with the police would be like the flesh and blood.

    He observed that some police are also good writers, but are not encouraged. “Relating with the police and the armed forces will go beyond exchanging books. It would be a mutual relationship where there would be agreement between us and them,” he said.

    Chukwu commended the efforts of Lagos Chapter of ANA, saying: “ANA Lagos has been of great support to the interest of writers in Lagos, especially Femi Onileagbon and Folu Agoi who see to the establishment of the relationship.”

    The Vice Chairman of ANA, Lagos chapter, Femi Onileagbon, urged writers among security personnel to express themselves assuring that the association would organise activities that would encourage and inspire them to achieve their dreams in writing.

    According to Femi, “There are certain inner pains among the forces that cannot be explored or talked about in an ordinary paper, but rather in a book that would express their minds. Piracy has being a major challenge bothering most book writers, but relationship with the police and the military, would help us eradicate such challenges through our relationship with the forces. The police will protect the interest of writers by raiding pirated books sellers.”

  • ANA calls for entries

    The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) has called for entries for its 2013 prize. The annual literary contest is open to Nigerian writers, at home and abroad. Prospective applicants are to enter their works which must have been published between March 2012 and May 2013.

    To apply, they should submit six copies of the book or manuscript to be entered, specifying the prize entered for, with a covering letter and the photocopy of a receipt of payment of annual dues to a state chapter for the year of entry. All entries, with a covering letter should contain accurate contact details of the writer or/and publisher of the work, including email and surface mail addresses and telephone numbers.

    Entries should be sent to The General Secretary, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), C/o Suite 63, National Theatre Complex, Iganmu, Lagos.

    According to the organisers, multiple entries, where applicable, are allowed but a work must not have been entered for the same prize prior to the present entry; and must have been published between March 2012 and May 2013.

    A release signed by the General Secretary, Mallam Baba Muhammad Dzukogi, said the deadline for the receipt of all entries, except the Prize for Literary Journalism for the 2012 ANA Literary Prizes, is May 30. A shortlist will be announced in early October.

    ANA will announce the prize winners at the awards dinner during the 32nd International Annual Convention of the Association of Nigerian Authors in October.

    The prizes include ANA/Chevron Prose Prize on Environmental Issues (Prose) $2,000 (published works only); ANA/Esiaba Irobi Prize for Play writing, N50,000 (published & unpublished works); ANA/Lantern Books Prize for Children’s Fiction N100,000 (unpublished works only, ages 8 – 15). Winning entry to be published by Lantern Books; ANA Prize for Poetry (published & unpublished) – N100, 000; ANA Prize for Prose Fiction (published & unpublished) – N 100, 000; ANA Prize for Drama (published & unpublished) – N100, 000; ANA Prize for Literary Journalism – N 100, 000 (Deadline: September 30, 2012); ANA/NECO Teen Author Prize (prose) N100,000 (published & unpublished works) and ANA/Mazariyya Teen Author Prize (poetry) N50,000 (published & unpublished works).