All is set for this year’s edition of the NLNG Prize for Literature. Eleven Nigerian authors are gunning for the $100,000 prize money. The literati and book lovers met with the shortlisted authors in Lagos at the CORA Book Party. It was a dramatic feast of sorts, reports Evelyn Osagie.
Writers have been urged to revisit the works of their old and established counterparts to get inspiration in addressing the country’s socio-cultural and political problems.
Citing religious and ethnic upheavals, ace actress, Taiwo Ajai-Lycett advised writers to address themes that highlight contemporary issues, particularly peace and love, in their works.
Writers, she said, should tackle the “issue of love” from political, religious, socio-cultural angles, saying it would curb violence.
“There is nothing utopian about love. In fact, the fundamental thing wrong in our society is that we do not love one another. It is the intellectuals that galvanise our people, working on their collective consciousness. Writers should think about,” she said.
Hers was one of the submissions at CORA’s book party held at the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos in honour of the initial shortlisted authors of the Nigeria Literature Prize sponsored by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited. It drew the literati, publishers, booksellers and booklovers from within and outside Lagos.
The playwrights and their works that were on the spotlight at CORA’s book fiesta include: John Friday Abba – Alekwu Night Dance; Patrick Ogbe Adaofuyi – Canterkerous Passengers; Soji Cole – Maybe Tomorrow; Paul Edema – A Plague of Gadflies; Jude Idada – Oduduwa, King of the Edos; Onshore Ruth Momodu – No Fault of Mine; Attah Isaac Ogezi – Under a Darkling Sky; Julie Okoh – Our Wife Forever; Ade Solanke – Pandora’s Box; Arnold Udoka – Akon and Sam Ukala – Iredi War.
After two months of intensive scrutiny, the list of 11 playwrights was drawn from a total of 124 entries by the panel of judges, including Professor of Theatre and Drama and Vice-Chancellor, Benue State University, Prof Charity Angya; a past laureate of the prize and Professor of Theatre Arts, Prof Ahmed Yerima and Professor of Performing Arts, Akanji Nasiru.
They are contesting keenly for the $100, 000 prize. The yearly prize rotates among four literary genres – prose fiction, poetry, drama and children’s literature. This year’s focus is drama; and the sponsor’s say the final shortlist of three playwrights will be announced in September, and the winner of the $100,000 prize in October.
Its previous winners include Prof Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo (2007) for children’s literature; Chika Unigwe (2012) for prose fiction and Tade Ipadeola (2013) for poetry.
For CORA, the authors whose works make the prize’s initial shortlist are winners in their own rights. And the yearly book party, which offered guests the opportunity to interact with the celebrators, was a way of honouring them.
The event was incisive, educative and fun-filled, blending of book readings discussions, poetry and musical performances with assorted food and drinks.
This year’s had an added spice – the audience were able to interact with nominees based abroad via online conferencing.
According to CORA Secretary-General, Toyin Akinosho, the feast is part of the foundation’s intervention in spreading the word about The Nigerian Book. He said “It’s one of our several outreach programmes for the book (including Book Trek in Secondary Schools and Publishers Forum).”
In fact, on the part of CORA’s Programme Chair, Jahman Anikulapo, it is out to enlarge Nigerian reading population. “We find ourselves in the vanguard of expanding the membership of the community of booklovers. This party is one of the several events we organise to make books look cool,” he said.
Indeed the “Word” took centre stage and was served fresh and raw to the audience as the shortlisted playwrights and Nollywood celebrities celebrities read from their works and interacted with booklovers.
There were several poetic and dramatic performances as well as music.
And as charging the celebrators to honour their “covenants as writers”, poet and journalist Akeem Lasisi’s poetic renditions: “…You kept your words like the delicate egg…you have honoured your covenant with the musing drive…” reaffirmed the importance of the “Word” and the writer’s role as a conscience of society.
Celebrated scholar Dr Esohe Molokwu re-echoed Ajai-Lycett and Akeem’s words, urging the celebrators, thus: “Use your work to change society; dramatists have the power to change society”.
According to NLNG General Manager, External Affairs, Mr Kudo Eresia-Eke, the prize was established by his company as part of its corporate citizenship programme and commitment to the development of Nigerian society, adding that there has been progressive improvement in the quality of works entered and the competition is getting “sweeter and stiffer”.
He said: “We have seen continuous improvement in the quality of works, whether you call it poetry, drama, prose or children literature. The quality of works that come in every sense, the creativity of the stories, the manner in which they are expressed – the expressionism that we see, we can really say that people are gearing up even more to do better works. And African Literature is the greater beneficiary.”
On the part of shortlisted writers, it was a privilege to be on the initial shortlist, and the event, a welcomed initiative. However, for most of them, writing is beyond winning a prize but more of “affecting lives”. They decried their plights of creative writers, calling for better support and infrastructure to encourage budding ones.
“Many things militate against the health of writing in the country. How healthy is our society? These rub off on writers. What kind of encouragement do we have as writers?” Prof Ukala said. While making a case for playwrights, he said: a teacher of drama, saying: “Why not drama? As a professor who teaches drama, if I don’t write plays upon what basis would I be teaching?”
The hilarious twist of the evening came towards the end when the moderator, Mr Deji Toye threw questions to the authors. “Do you think you stand a chance of winning the prize?” he asked.
“If I am given the prize, the critics would not be disappointed,” Ogezi said, drawing laughter from the audience; while on Abba’s part, “It is not a fair question”. “I have stood on the shoulders of many great shoulders; whether I have seen far enough, standing on those shoulders, is left to the judges to decide. Am I going to win, I don’t know,” he said.
