The Words Finesse

Nine poets from Africa have been shortlisted for the sixth edition of the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa which will be awarded at the MUSON Centre, Onikan in Lagos on December 9 2018.

This edition of the rotating Pan-African prize is for poetry and had 110 submissions from 11 countries on the continent, including Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria and Rwanda.

The long-listed writers and their works are: Dami Ajayi- Clinical Blues, Servio Gbadamosi- A Tributary in Servitude, Tanure Ojaide- Songs of Myself, Harriet Anena- A Nation in Labour, Iquo Eke- Symphony of Becoming, Hyinus Ekwuazi- One Day, I'll Dare to Raise My Middle Finger at the Stark and the Reaper, Su’eddie Vershima Agema- Home Equals Holes: Tale of An Exile, Abayomi Animashaun- Sailing for Ithaca and Onesi Taiwo Dominic- Heaven on Earth: A Harvest of Poems.

A joint release by The Lumina Foundation and from its administrators of the Prize: Founding Director, Dr. Ogochockwu Promise and the Development Advisor, Mr. Ivor Agyeman-Duah, said the quality and volume of entries received were very high and expressed appreciation to the eminent jury of three for their readings and selections.

The jury was chaired by the UK-based literary and Editorial Director, Margaret Busby OBE, who is also chair emeritus of the Soroptimist International of Leeds, previously chair of the Caine Prize for African Writing and the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature.

The other two were the renowned historian of the University of Texas at Austin, Professor Toyin Falola, author of the celebrated A Month Sweeter than Salt and the Lagos-based international literary scholar, Olu Obafemi, Professor of English and Dramatic Literature.

The prize money of $10,000 and citation will be given to the eventual winner by the Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka.

The ceremony will be attended by the literary establishment in Nigeria, some writers’ associations in Africa and the United Kingdom.

Previous winners of the prize have included novelists Sefi Atta for Everything Will Come, the South African Sifiso Mzobe for Young Blood which won over another South African short-listed book the same year, The Unseen Leopard by Bridget Pitt.

The short-list of three will be announced at a press conference in Victoria Island, Lagos on November 21, 2018 and the winner will be declared on December 9, 2018.

The November edition of Writers Space Africa (WSA) is now available for free download.

Published by the African Writers Development Trust, Writers Space Africa (WSA) is a literary magazine which celebrates African Writers. 

This 23rd Issue, with the theme 'Tears of the African Child', which Sandra Unlimited covers, features the following writers:

Muyambo Mwenda, Zambia

Refiloe Thato, Motswana

Brian Ngoma, Zambia

Mylord Zulu,Zambia

Benny Wanjohi - Kenya

Tshiamiso Makole – Motswana

Muhammed Tambedou. (Hamlet kid), The Gambia.

Ridwan Adelaja, Somaliland

Nnane Ntube, Cameroon

Petronella Nyirenda, Zambia

Cynthia Katlego Matale, Motswana

Omadang Yowasi, Uganda

Sinaso Mxakaza, South Africa

Olofinnika Omobolaji, Nigeria

Namara Lwansa, Tanzania

Lisa Ndobho, Tanzania

Kelvin J. Shachile, Kenya

Robert Banda Jere, Zambia

Mbianyor Bill- Erich Nkongho Agboryah, Cameroon

Nonhlanhla Radebe, South Africa

Abu Blessing Nne, Nigeria

Meaza Aklilu Hadera, Ethiopia

Muthoni Nyaga, Kenya

To download this issue, CLICK HERE.

Meanwhile, the shortlist for the 2018 African Writers Award will be announced next week.

In a mail to The Words Finesse, there were free entries on Children's Literature category.

"... there were fewer entries under the Children's Literature category. This is not far from the truth that there are few writers of children's stories in Africa." The statement submitted.

Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Kwara State chapter on Wednesday, the 17th of October, 2018, organised a Special Reading session in honour of late Justice Mustapha Adebayo Akanbi in recognition of his invaluable contributions to scholarship and literary development in the country.

The Association also dedicated an anthology to late Akanbi, who was also a writer and poet in his own rights during his life time.

Speaking during the event held at African People's Hall, Onikanga, G. R. A, Ilorin, the ANA state Chairman, Malam AbdulRahman Aderinoye said the production of anthology in the name of Justice Akanbi was borne out of the former President of the Court of Appeal’s tremendious support to the Association when he was alive.

Malam Aderinoye explained that late Honourable Justice Akanbi was a strong pillar of support for ANA as he did everything humanly possible to promote reading culture through personal donations and self production of literary works.

He eulogised Justice Akanbi’s other related support and assistance for the growth and development of literary works and reading culture in the society.

Speaking on behalf of Akanbi’s family, Professor Muhammed Mustapha Akanbi expressed delight over the recognition and commended ANA for keeping the memory of their father, late Justice Akanbi, alive.

Professor Akanbi who doubles as Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said the reading session in honour of his father was very apt and worthwhile, adding that the event was a continuation of his father’s dreams in ensuring that all Nigerian children are well educated.

“I feel highly delighted because this is the way of putting the memory of our late father in front burner. While he was alive, he believed in scholarship and for ANA to organise this reading session, it is a continuation of dreams he had to ensure that as many as Nigerian youth are educated.” Professor Akanbi said.

Also speaking, Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor A.T. Shehu, who represented the Vice Chancellor of Al-Hikmah University at the occasion said late Justice Akanbi lived a life of integrity that worth celebrating. 

"Baba was one of the greatest man I have met on earth. He lived a life of integrity and up to today we are celebrating him."

"Nobody will lay hands on justice Akanbi's judgement and will say it's a trash and lacks honesty and integrity he lived and preached." He said.

Professor Shehu thanked the organiser for organizing such gathering in the late Wakili Ilory's honour.

Other dignitaries like Chairman, Mustapha Akanbi Foundation, Dr Mashood; and Chief Librarian, National Library, Ilorin Branch, Mrs Olani in their good will messages lauded great contributions of the late legal icon in promoting reading, writing and listening skills as well as good reading culture. 

They also outlined his various landmark achievements in the cause of adding values to lives and serving the humanity.

Anchored by the Kwara ANA Secretary, Mr Babayemi Opeyemi, the session witnessed reading from the late legal luminary's works and poetry presentations by members of the Association as well as from the students of the Secondary schools present. 

Kwara ANA members such as Col. Oladele Babajamu (rtd.), Mr Iyanda Suleiman Ayinde, Mr Mubarak Oladosu, Mrs Betty Ige, Mr Braimoh Abdulrasak, Mr Saliu Ahmad Toyin, Mr Sheriff Olanrewaju, and Mr Abdulhafeez T. Oyewole made beautiful reading from the late jurist's works and rendered poems in his honour, while some students from the invited schools like Kamaldeen Muhsinat (from Nana Aishat Academy) and Abubakar Ola-AbdulHamid (Army Day Secondary School) equally perfomed their beautiful poems in honour of the late judge.

The students of the represented secondary schools across Kwara state were in turn left with so much of good lessons, virtues and wisdom to tap from the reading session, as they listened to the remarks of members of the high table on the life and time of the first Wakili of Ilorin, Honourable Justice Mustapha Akanbi, CFR, PCA (rtd.).

Jalaludeen Shuaib Assayouti, with the pen-name Jalal Poetry, is a young talented upcoming Nigerian poet and playwright base in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. In this interaction with ABDULHAFEEZ T. OYEWOLE, he speaks about his upcoming anthology, "Song of the Slum" and other issues on poetry and writing.

The Kwara State Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) in conjunction with the Knowledge Platform and Mustapha Akanbi Foundation (MAF) are inviting the general public to Special Reading Session for the late jurist, Honourable Justice Muhammad Mustapha Akanbi CFR, PCA (rtd).

The session, which will feature reading from the late icon's works, according to the Chapter's Chairman, Mallam Abdur-Rahman Aderinoye, is scheduled to hold on Wednesday, 17th of October, 2018 at African People's Hall, MAF, Onikanga, G.R.A, Ilorin, Nigeria, by eleven o' clock in the morning. 

Justice Mustapha Akanbi until his death on Sunday, 3rd of July, 2018, remained Kwara ANA's pillar of support and benefactor. The late jurist would have been 86 years old on 11th of September, this year.

Before he passed on, he was able to published his autobiography in 2014, titled The Story of My Two Worlds: Challenges, Experiences and Achievements; and published other titles such as Corruption on Prowl (2014), Forty Seven Poetic Thoughts and Wise Cracks, and Collection of School Poems Learnt in the 1940s (2017).