The shortlists for the Betty Trask, McKitterick, Tom-Gallon and Somerset Maugham awards have been announced by The Society of Authors, with Nigerian writer Anietie Isong, amongst the 22 shortlisted names.
The four prizes will be awarded at The Authors’ Awards on Thursday 19th July, in London, a unique night of riches with all the awards judged by authors for authors.
The event has rewarded the early works of some of today’s most prominent literary figures such as Zadie Smith, Seamus Heaney, Helen Dunmore, Hari Kunzru, Carol Ann Duffy and Mark Haddon.
The evening will see the UK’s biggest literary fund of more than £98,000 awarded to established and emerging writers of fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
Anietie Isong is shortlisted for the McKitterick Prize, for his debut novel, Radio Sunrise.
Frances Fyfield, McKitterick judge says of Radio Sunrise: "A small volume, staying long in the imagination, with the huge backdrop of a young, utterly likeable Nigerian journalist trying to live a life and get ahead. Lovely, simple first-person narrative of youthful manhood, getting it wrong, getting it right, learning on the hoof. Makes the reader long to meet him, while engendering both hope and despair for the society he inhabits, all enlivened by humour."
Anietie Isong has worked as a journalist, speechwriter and public relations manager in the UK and in Nigeria. His writing has received some awards, including a Commonwealth Short Story Award.
Maya Angelou, who would have been 90 on 4 April, remains one of America’s most influential writers, artists and cultural figureheads.
Afro Anthology Series and Enkare Review have invited African story writers to submit a fictional work that centers around a blind protagonist or has blindness as its core theme.
According to them in their release, the anthology will be published on World Sight Day 2018 which comes up on October 11 in recognition of blind citizens and to draw attention to blindness and visual impairment.
The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Lagos Branch has expressed her sympathy to victims of last Thursday petrol tanker explosion which occurred on the Otedola Estate Bridge-side of Lagos-Ibadan Express Way of Lagos, applauding various state agencies for taking quick action to rescue the situation.
Lagos State chapter Chairman of the Association, Mr Yemi Adebiyi expressed shock at the losses due to the incident.
“It is saddening that at a time Nigerians are yet to overcome the trauma of the Plateau massacre by unknown gunmen, the incident in Lagos which occurred due to the unfortunate explosion of a moving petrol tanker ended in not only throw Lagosians into mourning but, also aggravated our pains for the several disasters which have befell our nation in recent time.
“Members of the ANA are greatly agonised by the losses of lives in the incident. We feel the pains and sorrow of the injured, death of loved ones and loss of properties and commiserate with Lagosians and Lagos State government on the sad incident.”
He further added that “one cannot fail to notice and commend the swift response of relevant disaster rescue and emergency agencies of the Lagos State authorities, including men of the Nigeria Police as they rallied round to salvage the situation in order to ameliorate the possible ripple effects of the disaster, which could have aggravated the pains on Lagosians, in record time."
It would be recalled that Lagos is the hosting state of the forthcoming international convention of ANA, holding between October 25 and 28, 2018.
