The literati will converge on Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital next month, for a literary festival in honour of a nonagenarian poet Gabriel Imomotimi Gbaingbain Okara. It is being organised by the Institute of Arts and Culture of the University of the Port Harcourt as a special bouquet for the literary icon who will turn 96 on April 24, Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports.
Renowned literary icon and author of Call of River Nun, Fisherman’s Invocation and winner of Commonwealth poetry prize and the NNLG prize, Pa Gabriel Okara, who will turn 96 on April 24, will be honoured with a literary festival.
The Gabriel Okara Literary Festival, according to the convener, Prof Julie Okoh, director, Institute of Arts and Culture of the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, is borne out of the desire of some intellectuals to celebrate the literary icon.
Okoh said at 96, Okara is still writing and mentoring young writers, adding that such a mentor should not be celebrated after his death. “We strongly believe that we should not only celebrate our heroes when they are dead, but that they should also be part of that heroic celebration. Hopefully in April, Gabriel Okara will feature prominently in all the programmes of activities of Gabriel Okara Literary Festival. He will read, sing and dance as much as his health and strength will permit,” she added.
The festival is a brainchild of the Institute of Arts and Culture and her affiliates, and will run from April 25 to 28 at the University of Port Harcourt. The institute was established in 2011 to promote arts and culture.
Okoh noted that the content, scope and magnitude of the festival are different from others, such as Port Harcourt Book Festival. But the purpose, she said, remains the same, which is to promote literature and reading culture in the country.
She disclosed that a budget of N16 million has been earmarked for the festival and that fund raisers have been sent to the government of Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta states, corporate bodies and individuals for sponsorship.
She also debunked the insinuation that the Gabriel Okara Literary Festival is a subtle replacement for a festival organised by Rainbow Book Club in Port Harcourt, saying: ‘’How can? Impossible! Gabriel Okara Festival cannot be a replacement for Rainbow Book Club’s literary festival.’’ The latter, she said, was principally a government conceived, nurtured and sponsored initiative unlike the Gabriel Okara Literary Festival.
On the sustainability of the festival at this period of recession, she said: “There is nothing assured in life. But that doesn’t prevent one from making attempts. Whatever one does, one should be optimistic that it will succeed. So, the organisers are optimistic that the Gabriel Okara Festival will succeed and will, by the special grace of God, withstand the test of time.”
She acknowledged that there is a growing interest in the promotion of literature via festivals, and that the more festivals there are the better for the country. But what differentiates Gabriel Okara Literary Festival from others? She said: “The vision of Gabriel Okara Literary Festival is to become one of the most popular literary festivals in the country and to be a common meeting ground for creative writers, literary critics, lovers of literary works and publishers. It is a forum where they can all meet, create, discuss and feel the power of creative writing through readings, panels and workshops. Participants can listen to the reading of some of the world’s greatest writers, read their own works, participate in debates and enjoy special affiliated programmes.”
According to her, the festival, which has as theme, Nigerian Literature since Gabriel Okara: continuities and departures will feature Gabriel Okara yearly legacy lecture, book presentation, paper presentation, panel discussion, workshops, readings, performances, cultural excursion, book exhibition and an award dinner.
Keynote speaker is Mr. Odia Ofeimun, while guest lead paper presenters are Dr Kudo Eresia-Eke and Dr. Barclays Ayakoroma. Chairman of the event is Emeritus Prof Nimi Briggs, Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State.
Sub-themes for papers to be presented include theory and criticism in Nigerian literature, oral tradition autobiography in Nigerian literature, art and culture management and Nigerian literature, Nollywood and Nigerian literature.
One interesting aspect of the festival is the two literary awards: the Young Writers’ Award and Nigerian Young Poetry Award.
According to the convener, the objectives of the festival include to promote reading culture in Nigeria, open up platform for creative writers and artists to exhibit their works, organise seminars, conference and symposium that will serve as a forum for creative writers and literary critics from Africa and the Diaspora to meet and discuss emerging Black aesthetics, encourage readings from some of the most distinguished international voices alongside prominent African writers, expose emerging Nigerian poets, prose writers and playwrights by creating a forum for them to read from their works.
The focus will be on a different genre yearly, offer a workshop that will also help to hone the craft of participants, organise literary competitions for adults and, especially, youths, stimulate and develop creative writing skills in youths and promote young writers by editing for publication a series of anthologies of creative writing.
Others are to bring unrecognised/hardly recognised old writers to limelight, and organise an Award Night and stimulate tourism.
Born in 1921, Okara is the first renowned English language Black poet and the modernist writer on the continent. In 1960, he became the first African to be published in the prestigious literary journal, Black Orpheus.
In the same year, he also became part of the journal’s Editorial Board. In 1953, his poem Call of river nun won the best prize in literature in Nigeria’s festival of arts. In 1979, his collection Fisherman’s Invocation won the Commonwealth Poetry prize. In 2005, he bagged the highest prize in Nigeria, the NLNG prize.
At 96, he is still engaged in literature and appears as a guest writer in major literary gatherings.
