Nigeria Prize For Literature: NLNG Shortlists 11 Entries

The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas has announced 11 shortlisted authors for the Poetry category of its prestigious Nigeria Prize for Literature. The announcement was made in the afternoon of Friday, July 8 from the gas company’s headquarters in Port Harcourt.

The prize is worth $100, 000.

The long list includes entries by poets, such as Ogaga Ifowodo, Chidi Amu Nadi, Obari Gomba, Iquo Diana Abasi and Remi Raji. Others are James Eze, Olusegun Adekoya, Romeo Oriogun, Su’eddie Agema, Joe Ushie and Sodiq Dzukoji.

The list was presented to the Advisory Board by the Chairman of the Judges panel for this year’s prize, Sule Emmanuel Egya, a professor of African Literature and Cultural Studies at Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State.

Other judges are Toyin Adewale-Gabriel and Dike Chukwumerije. AdewaleGabriel is a poet and fiction writer. Dike Chukwumerije is a spoken word and performance poet, as well as an awardwinning author.

The judges described the long list as “the best of contemporary Nigerian poetry, rich in experimentation with language, style and theme.”

Accepting the recommended long list, the Advisory Board commended the thorough work done by the judges. Reacting on behalf of the Board, Professor Akachi Adimora- Ezeigbo, the chairman, said the quality of work in the list shows that “a lot of scrutiny and work went into selecting deserving poets who have distinguished themselves by the quality of their submissions.”

The 11 poets and their collections are as follows in alphabetical order: Augusta’s Poodle by Ogaga Ifowodo, Coming Undone As Stitches Tighten by Iquo DianaAbasi, Dispossessed by James Eze, Ife Testament by Olusegun Adekoya and Memory and the Call of Waters by S. Su’eddie Agema.