With Eyes Riveted On $100,000, 11 Vie For The Nigeria Prize For Literature
Act iv i ties swirling around this year’ s edition of The Nigeria Literature Prize (sponsored by N LNG) have started revving up with its advisory board’ s recent announcement of a shortlist of 11. This shortlist–which not a few literary enthusiasts would rather call along list–was drawn from 202 entries in contention for this year’s – 2021 – edition of the prize. Another shortlist of three, from which a possible winner could emerged, is expected to be announced in September, a statement signed by th eN LNG’ s General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development Eyono Fatayi-Williams reminded the literary community.
The prize, which rotates annually among four broad literary categories – namely, prose fiction, poetry, drama and children’s literature – is worth $100,000, which will be awarded by the advisory board in October. It runs con currently with the Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism( also sponsored by N LNG ), which is valued at N 1 million. Talking about the latter, four entries for it were received in 2020. Meanwhile, the current shortlist of 11, which was presented by the chairman of the prize’ s judging panel the University of Ibadan’s professor of Literature in English Toyin Jegede, consists of the following books: Delusion of Patriots by ObianujuV. Chukwuorji, Give Us Each Day by Samuel Monye, Imminent River by Anaele Ihuoma, In the Name of Our Father by Olukorede S. Yishau, Mountain of Yesterday by Tony Nwaka, Neglected by Lucy Chi am aka O kw um a, The Colours of Hatred by Ob inn aU denwa, The Girl with The Loud ing Voice by A bi Dare, The Return of Half-Something by Chukwudi Eze, The Son of The House by Cheluchi On ye me lu kw e-O nu obi a and Your Church My Shrine by Law Ikay Ezeh.
The other judges, besides Professor Jegede, are Professor Tanimu Abubakar and Dr Solomon Az um ur ana. While Professor A bub a karisa professor of literature in the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria’s Faculty of Arts, Dr Azumurana is a senior lecturer in the University of Lagos’s Department of English.
On the just-announced shortlist, the judges lauded the entries as fresh approaches to looking at issues, using new and exciting narrative strategies, techniques and well-written organic plots to present topical discussions in realistic ways.
They enthused about what they deemed a visible improvement in writing skills, while commending the N LNG for giving writers the platform to blossom and experiment. Also commending the shortlist, the advisory board’ s chairperson, Professor Aka chi Ad imora-Ezeigb odis closed that there was a unanimous agreement among the board members that it was an excellent one. Professor Ad imora-Ezeig bo also comm ended the judges for doing a thorough job, which chimes with the watch word of the prize: excellence, and added that the onus was on the advisory board to continue in the tradition that was handed to them by the past board.