The Words Finesse

A fast rising Nigerian writer and publisher, Kukhogo Iruesiri Samson,  fondly called KIS, has won the maiden edition of the Guaranty Trust Bank (GT Bank) Dusty Manuscript Contest. 

Samson won the cash prize of a million naira and a publishing contract with one of the Nigeria's finest publishing outfit, Farafina Books with his nine years old manuscript titled "Devil's Pawn".

Announcing his win in a series of post on Instagram yesterday's evening, KIS wrote:

"I want to thank all of you who supported my writing over the years. I am pleased to announce that I have won the 2018 Dusty Manuscript Contest - 1 million naira cash prize and a publishing contract with Farafina Books..."

His manuscript triumphed out of the over a thousand submissions and the carefully selected Top 20 entries later shortlisted a week ago, based on originality, language, grammar, narrative strength, coherence and dramatic intensity.

Throughout the selection process, the Judges which include renowned authors Eghosa Imasuen, Yejide Kilanko and Toni Kan, as well as an Assistant Professor of English Dr. Ainehi Edoro-Glines, were not made aware of the identities of contestants. 

Finalising on a blind review process that led to the winning of KIS's "Devil's Pawn", the Contest Judges have this to say:

“The winning entry was a unanimous choice…The story is the best example of the possibilities inherent in genre fiction switching from crime to adventure, thriller to horror. Told in a fast paced narrative style that keeps you glued to the pages, our winning entry is a gift that keeps on giving.”

Recall that Devil's Pawn was shortlisted and became the 1st Runner Up in the ANA's 2017 Prose Prize.

Before its shortlist last year for ANA Prize, Samson had episodised the draft on Pulse.ng some years back.

Organized in partnership with publishing houses: Okadabooks and Farafina, The Dusty Manuscript Contest is part of GTBank’s YouREAD initiative, which is aimed at promoting the culture of reading and inspiring the next generation of award-winning and globally renowned authors.

Congratulations on a well deserved win.

Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has won this year's PEN Pinter Prize.

Named in memory of playwright Harold Pinter, the prize celebrates his respect for British and Commonwealth writers who take an "unflinching, unswerving" look at the world.

The judges praised Adichie's "sophisticated" approach to "gender, race and global inequality".

The Half of a Yellow Sun author described the award as an "honour".

"I admired Harold Pinter's talent, his courage, his lucid dedication to telling his truth," she said.

Adichie will receive the award - established by literary charity English PEN - at a ceremony at the British Library in October, where she will deliver an address.

This will include announcing the writer named this year's International Writer of Courage, reflecting English PEN's support for freedom of expression in the face of danger.

A limited edition anthology of 10 Pinter Prize lectures will be printed to celebrate the prize's 10th anniversary.

Adichie's debut novel, Purple Hibiscus, won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize in 2003. It was followed three years later by Orange Prize winner Half of a Yellow Sun.

An outspoken feminist, she delivered two hotly debated Ted talks that were published as a book titled Why We Should All Be Feminists in 2014.

Lady Antonia Fraser, Harold Pinter's widow, said she greeted the award of the prize with enthusiasm.

"Not only is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie a brilliant, compelling writer but she embodies in herself those qualities of courage and outspokenness which Harold much admired," she said.

Antonia Byatt, director of English PEN, said Adichie's writing and activism had "travelled across so many frontiers, showing us what is important in the world".

"She is a very worthy winner of this extraordinary prize."

The PEN Pinter Prize is awarded annually to a writer from Britain, Ireland or the Commonwealth.

Recent recipients include Margaret Atwood, Sir Salman Rushdie and the poet James Fenton.

After spending several weeks to go through over more than 1000 stories submitted for the Dusty Manuscript Contest, the judges of the competition have selected their top 20 entries.

The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) has joined other Nigerians to mourn the death of the pioneer Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and a former President of the Nigerian Court of Appeal, Justice Muhammad Mustapha Adebayo Akanbi.

Association of Nigerian Authors, Kwara State Chapter (Kwara ANA) has grieved the passing away of its pillar of support, retired Hon. Justice Muhammad Mustapha Adebayo Akanbi, who its referred to as its Grandpa.

The authors' body in a statement signed by its Chairmen, Mallam AbdulRahman Aderinoye, described the deceased Pioneer Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practises and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) as "a man of many parts who walked his talk throughout his life time. He was truth and Integrity personified and dared to be 'different' amongst his generation."

According to the statement, the late czar, "apart from being an iconic justice of repute, a highly revered elder-states man and a philanthropist of note, Baba was also a prolific writer as well as an inestimable honorary member of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA)."

The release recalled a recent National Workshop for some selected State-Chapters' Chairmen of the Association which was the last formal function attended by the erudite incorruptible judge, during which the late jurist stressed his very passionate, penchant love and ceaseless zeal for reading and writing.

"Reading makes you a full man. It makes you respectable. If you read, you will find out that among the great, you will be respected", the late Justice said. He further stated that his voracious reading culture made him achieve great feats in life and therefore charged authors to be avid readers.

"We must live our lives sublime, the path we leave behind us, would remain in the sands of time". Baba therefore commended ANA in that gathering, adding that he owes the Association and its leadership all the gratitude for their impactful nationwide programmes and activities and prayed that God Almighty shall reward them abundantly.

Among his very wonderful and trail-blazing philanthropic contributions to the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), most especially Kwara ANA could be surmised as follows: provision of venue and facilities for the conduct of Chapter activities in the state for more than a decade (a state secretariat office) and provision of Venue and Facilities for the conduct of the Association's Annual National Congress Meeting of the National Executive Council and Chapter Chairmen and Secretaries since inception (2012), about seven years ago.

The Kwara ANA Chair, therefore lamented, "No doubt, Kwara ANA, the entire Association of Nigerian Authors, the Nigerian Judiciary, Nigerians cum Ghanaians alike, the African Continent and indeed, the entire humanity has lost its Benefactor, we have lost in Justice MMA Akanbi, a Philanthropist per excellence."

By: Abdulhafeez T. Oyewole