The Words Finesse

Romeo Oriogun from Nigeria has won 2017's £3,000 Brunel International African Poetry Prize for his "complex and ultimately beautiful" writing on masculinity, sexuality and desire in the face of LGBT criminalisation and persecution.

The judges were unanimous in their decision, choosing Oriogun from a shortlist of 10 new poets, in turn selected from nearly 1,200 entries in total. Oriogun only begun writing three years ago but was hailed by the judges "a hugely talented, outstanding, and urgent new voice in African poetry".

As part of this year's birthday celebration package of the Edutainment Presenters, MKO and Prince HTO (Precioustwins), the latter Abdulhafeez Taiye Oyewole (i.e Prince HTO) has released a poetry collection titled Air Around Us- A Collection of Compelling Poems for the reading pleasure of all literary enthusiasts.

It was last Saturday morning that I received the news from an unknown number about a prize I had just won for participating in The Message Competition- A contest about scribbling ones  thoughts in five minutes into any meaningful message, written in any form of writing on the dedicated site for the bout. 

Getting updated on how I'd won that amazingly fun competition, I was told their dectective software had analysed the truism of every click, tap, space and press that came through each contestant's electronic inputing device they used to access the site to contest for the prize and they had discovered everyone cheated except few entries that were genuine as mine. And that after thorough examination and cross examination of the 40 shortlist, they found the wow factor they'd expected in my entry.

As the birthday of the popular Ilorin finest OAPs is near, the duo of MKO, Abdulmajeed Kehinde Oyewole and Prince HTO, Abdulhafeez Taiye Oyewole (Precioustwins) have revealed their plan to mark their birthday in a grand style.

The birthday which comes up on Saturday, 15th of April, 2017 is promised to be made  memorable by the celebrants, as listeners, fans, family and friends are going to be uniquely appreciated.

According to the Edutainers, the day would be celebrated with the listeners to their educative and entertaining  radio show,  EDUTAINMENT on Radio Kwara 2, Midland FM 99.0, promising that free recharge vouchers would be gifted to the first and last callers to the programme, while all Nigeria's communication airtimes would also be called out for fast fingers on their mid-month show of Saturday, 15th of April, 2017 as it holds on their birthdate.

The presenters also said that they would as well mark the day with their friends and family in Ilorin at a joint to be later disclosed.

Coupled with that, one of Precioustwins, AbdulHafeez T. Oyewole, popularly known as Prince HTO has made known his intention of releasing his second collection of poetry, titled: Air Around Us for free download by all literary enthusiasts world wide as an offering from him to all and sundry.

Prince HTO who said the link to the book will be unveiled on their birthday via his Facebook page, Princehto.com; Edutainment show page, Edutaiment and Precioustwins page, Precioustwins, urged everyone to download, read, review and share it with friends and family on the release date.

Describing the literary effort, the presenter and poet said: "Air Around Us is a poetry anthology born out of the will to contribute one's voice to the existing voices and to explore the unexplored boundaries. Hence, this work is an embodiment of potencies in experimented crafts as well as indefatigable drifts toward known and unknown atmospheres, as the state of the Air we breathe Around Us in this fleeting world is not constant. So, also is the drive and inspiration of the poems birthed in this collection."

Photo: Precioustwins

In the night when it falls still and dark
With the earth crust:
I can see the moon waving at us,
Saying the life is going to an end.
Oh my people,
Try not to be mischievous
Around the world.
Try to be a good ambassador
Of your home.