By Oyelami Sanusi
In a significant development for the haiku community in Africa and the world, the Nigerian-born talented haiku writer and literary critic Ibrahim Nureni has been appointed as the Assistant Editor of The Mamba, a prestigious publication that showcases the best Afro-centric haiku from writers across Africa, the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, and beyond.
Ibrahim Nureni is a prominent haiku expert who has significantly contributed to the growth of Afro-centric haiku, using his work to address environmental, medical, and cultural issues around the globe. His appointment confirms his exceptional contributions to the development of haiku in Africa and globally, demonstrating his extraordinary skills and ability to evaluate the works of other prolific writers.
The Mamba, a periodical haiku and senryu publication of the Africa Haiku Network, has featured works from distinguished global writers. Valued contributors include Professor Susan Nalugwa Kiguli, a judge for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize (African Region, 1999) and advisory board member of The African Writers’ Trust, and Professor Wole Soyinka, the first sub-Saharan African to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986. Ibrahim’s appointment to support the editorial team in assessing and judging haiku for publication in the journal underscores his exceptional capabilities and significant impact on the global haiku community. His appointment is seen as a significant step for The Mamba, which continues to uphold its reputation for excellence in literary publishing.
Before his appointment, Nureni had made a name for himself in the international haiku community. His haiku have been published in prestigious journals such as Heron’s Nest and Shamrock, and he has been recognized in haiku competitions, including the 2019 Bulgarian International Haiku Contest. Ibrahim’s consistent, high-quality work in haiku and literature, along with his international recognition, make him a valuable addition to The Mamba.
Beyond haiku, Nureni has also gained prominence in reviewing artistic productions. His book reviews have been published in Wawa Book Review, Open: Journal of Arts & Letters, The Nigeria Review, and Baram House. Nureni’s publications share similar thematic concerns, utilizing artistic and scholarly works to address medical, environmental, and socio-political issues. This demonstrates his passion for using literature to heal and correct societal ills. He has also presented papers on socio-political and environmental issues at several international conferences. He is also a performance poet, having performed poetry at the Footprints of David Arts Festival and ABU Day of Literature, both in 2017. As an academic researcher, Ibrahim’s current research explores the use of literature as a therapeutic medium to heal people who have experienced traumatic encounters.
Several haiku writers have lauded the Africa Haiku Network’s decision, expressing that Ibrahim will usher in an era of smooth editorial process with integrity and quality of the haiku published.
The journal said it extends its heartfelt congratulations to Nureni on his new role as Assistant Editor and looked forward to seeing how he would use this platform to further develop the haiku community and continue his important work in literature.