With Eyes Riveted On $100,000, 11 Vie For The Nigeria Prize For Literature
Books
Activities swirling around this year’s edition of The Nigeria Literature Prize (sponsored by NLNG) have started revving up with its advisory board’s recent announcement of a shortlist of 11. This shortlist – which not a few literary enthusiasts would rather call a longlist – was drawn from 202 entries in contention for this year’s – 2021 – edition of the prize. Another shortlist of three, from which a possible winner could emerged, is expected to be announced in September, a statement signed by the NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development Eyono Fatayi-Williams reminded the literary community.
The prize, which rotates annually among four broad literary categories – namely, prose fiction, poetry, drama and children’s literature – is worth $100,000, which will be awarded by the advisory board in October. It runs concurrently with the Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism (also sponsored by NLNG), which is valued at N1 million. Talking about the latter, four entries for it were received in 2020. Meanwhile, the current shortlist of 11, which was presented by the chairman of the prize’s judging panel the University of Ibadan’s professor of Literature in English Toyin Jegede, consists of the following books: Delusion of Patriots by Obianuju V. Chukwuorji, Give Us Each Day by Samuel Monye, Imminent River by Anaele Ihuoma, In the Name of Our Father by Olukorede S. Yishau, Mountain of Yesterday by Tony Nwaka, Neglected by Lucy Chiamaka Okwuma, The Colours of Hatred by Obinna Udenwa, The Girl with The Louding Voice by Abi Dare, The Return of Half- Something by Chukwudi Eze, The Son of The House by Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia and Your Church My Shrine by Law Ikay Ezeh.
The other judges, besides Professor Jegede, are Professor Tanimu Abubakar and Dr Solomon Azumurana. While Professor Abubakar is a professor of literature in the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria’s Faculty of Arts, Dr Azumurana is a senior lecturer in the University of Lagos’s Department of English.
On the just-announced shortlist, the judges lauded the entries as fresh approaches to looking at issues, using new and exciting narrative strategies, techniques and well-written organic plots to present topical discussions in realistic ways.
They enthused about what they deemed a visible improvement in writing skills, while commending the NLNG for giving writers the platform to blossom and experiment. Also commending the shortlist, the advisory board’s chairperson, Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo disclosed that there was a unanimous agreement among the board members that it was an excellent one. Professor Adimora-Ezeigbo also commended the judges for doing a thorough job, which chimes with the watchword of the prize: excellence, and added that the onus was on the advisory board to continue in the tradition that was handed to them by the past board.
The Nigeria Prize for Literature, which was instituted in 2004, has so far rewarded such eminent writers as Gabriel Okara (co-winner, 2005, poetry) for The Dreamer, His Vision; Professor Ezenwa Ohaeto, for his volume of poetry, Chants of a Minstrel (co-winner, 2005, poetry); Ahmed Yerima (2005, drama) for his classic, Hard Ground; Mabel Segun (co-winner, 2007, children’s literature) for her collection of short plays Reader’s Theatre; Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo (co-winner, 2007, children’s literature) with her book, My Cousin Sammy; Kaine Agary with her book, Yellow Yellow (2008, prose); Esiaba Irobi (2010, drama) who won the prize posthumously with his book Cemetery Road; Adeleke Adeyemi (2011, children’s literature) with his book The Missing Clock; Chika Unigwe (2012, prose), with her novel, On Black Sister’s Street; Tade Ipadeola (2013, poetry) with his collection of poems, The Sahara Testaments; Professor Sam Ukala (2014, drama) with his play, Iredi War; Abubakar Adam Ibrahim with his novel Season of Crimson Blossoms (2016, prose); Ikeogu Oke with his collection of poetry, The Heresiad; (2017, poetry); Soji Cole with his play, Embers (2018, drama); and Jude Idada with his book, Boom, Boom (2019, Children Literature).
