Next Journalism [Search results for nigeria literature] 

Deadline: 30 June 2011

In continuation of the Literature in Northern Nigeria Conference tradition started in 1989 by Bayero University Kano, it has been resolved that henceforth future conferences will be jointly organized by Bayero University, Kano andKwara State University, Malete, and the venue shall be rotated between the two universities. This year’s edition being the 6th will be hosted by the Kwara State University, Malete. The collaboration is intended to:

a) Enhance the position of the conference as a major intellectual and scholarly destination in Nigeria
b) Aim at helping to achieve intellectual excellence through the high level academic standard of discourse.

This year’s theme shall be on the issue of women, gender, and sexuality and will form the basis of the academic scholarship for this year’s conference. Women as creative writers and as characters in northern Nigeria and their constraints as individuals within a religious and socially conservative society will also be examined in relation to the representations of women issues in the literature and films of contemporary Northern Nigeria. Critical evaluation is expected to be made of the choice of genres, and how writers have applied individual imaginative and instructive emphasis to the treatment of such chosen and selected creative genre by the women creative writers. Furthermore, the role of religion in gender groupings, in the identification of themes and the understanding of characterization in the creative works, will be subjects of discourse by interested scholars. “kannywood” (Kano) movie industry which is predominantly of Hausa content, context, and of northern Nigerian thematic preoccupation inline with the portrayal of women will also be examined. The presentation of women as symbols of the stories and characters or as ‘caricatures’ in the films within northern sociological norms will also be examined. Other themes in the works of the women writers, traditional singers and performers, themes in the works in which women are portrayed such assaranrhya, ‘victimhood in popular culture’, love themes and violence within domestic situations, women in rural communities, politics and women, rural women and global perspectives, women as ethnic, religious and cultural stereotypes and their acceptability by both the reading and viewing audience, will also be discussed.

Sub Themes:

• Women images in popular culture
• Psychology of gendered behaviours in literary works
• Language in northern Nigerian women literature
• Northern Nigerian women literature and political awareness
• Women writers and images of women
• The works of Zaynab Alkali
• Islam, women, literature and films in Northern Nigeria
• Portrayal of women in northern Nigerian Literature
• Imaging of women in northern Nigerian films
• Kannywood and representation of gender issues.
• Women as sexual symbols in northern Nigerian literature
• Women singers and performers
• Women film makers and actresses.
• Women, dance and music in northern Nigeria dramatic performance
• Women themes in traditional oral performances
• Women and religion in northern Nigerian films or literature
• The influence of Western Education on northern Nigerian literature

One page abstracts are invited from interested participants on any aspect of the conference theme and sub-themes, to reach the organizers immediately but not later than June 30th, 2011.

Hotel Reservation : October 10, 2011

Registration: Local Participants: N5,000; Conference Fees: N5,000

International Participants: $100 each.

Send abstract to:

ahmed.yerima@kwasu.edu.ng, sakah.mahmud@kwasu.edu.ng, samba.diop@kwasu.edu.ng, lit.northernnigeria@kwasu.edu.ng

CONVENER: Prof. Ahmed Yerima, Dept. of Performing and Visual Arts

CO-CONVENERS: Prof. Samba Diop., Dr. Sakah Mahmud.

DATE: NOVEMBER 29TH- DECEMBER 2ND, 2011.

VENUE: KWARA STATE UNIVERSITY,MALETE, NIGERIA.

THEME: Women in Literature and Films in Northern Nigeria

Contact Information:

For inquiries: ahmed.yerima@kwasu.edu.ng

For submissions: ahmed.yerima@kwasu.edu.ng, sakah.mahmud@kwasu.edu.ng, samba.diop@kwasu.edu.ng, lit.northernnigeria@kwasu.edu.ng

Deadline: 31 March 2011

Entries are hereby invited for The Nigeria Prize for Literature. The yearly literary prize is endowed by Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) to honour the author of the best book by a Nigerian within the last four years.

The prize will rotate amongst four literary genres – prose fiction, poetry, drama and children’s literature. This year, the competition is for Drama.

The competition is open only to published works by Nigerian writers. It carries a prize of $50,000. Two other writers may also be accorded honourable mention.

Submission Procedure

Six copies of the entry together with evidence of Nigerian citizenship (photocopy of Nigerian passport or National Identity Card) may be submitted either by authors or publishers, in accordance with the genre in competition.

Books should be submitted to Nigeria LNG Limited’s External Relations Division, promoters of the prize, by the stipulated deadline. Failure to meet the stated conditions will lead to disqualification of the entry.

This being an annual prize, the date of publication on the works submitted must be within the previous three years. Complete contact information, including full postal address and/or email and evidence of Nigerian citizenship, should accompany each submission.

An author in any competition will enter only one published work. Manuscripts will not be considered. No book previously submitted for this competition may be resubmitted at a later date, even if major revisions have been made or a new edition published.

The prize will be awarded for no other reason than excellence.

Judges for 2011 competition

Prof. Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo – Chairperson
Prof. IniObong Uko - Member
Prof. David Ker - Member
Prof. Yakubu Nasidi - Member
Prof. Lekan Oyegoke - Member

Calendar for Prize Administration

Close of entries (deadline) – March 31, 2011. Late entries will not be entertained.

All entries should be sent to:

The Nigeria Prize for Literature
External Relations Division
Nigeria LNG Limited
7th Floor, C & C Towers
Plot 1684, Sanusi Fafunwa Street
Victoria Island, Lagos
Nigeria

For entries outside Nigeria:

The Nigeria Prize for Literature
External Relations Division
Heron House,
10 Dean Farrar Street
London
SW1H oDX

Deadline: 30 April 2011
Contact: info@emgeepublishing.com

Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, in Nigeria's literary history occupies a most prominent place, having produced almost all of the giants in Nigerian Literature, e.g., Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, John Pepper Bekederemo Clark, Femi Osofisan, Bode Sowande, Akinwunmi Ishola, to mention just a few!

But despite its huge contribution to Nigerian Literature, there's no major Literature prize coming out of Ibadan. This is what informed the inauguration of the IBADAN LITERATURE PRIZE.

CALL FOR ENTRIES

The Ibadan Literature Prize is the brainchild of EMGEE PUBLISHING LIMITED-a new publishing kid on the block with a difference. Emgee Publishing Limited, based in Ibadan, which is also the publishing capital of Nigeria, aims to give a new fillip to Nigerian literature and promote reading culture, particularly among young Nigerians.

WIN US$4,000

A total prize of US$4,000 is up for grabs in four categories of Nigerian literature.

Each category carries a prize of US$1,000.

CATEGORIES

The categories where writers can enter for prizes are:

i. Short Story
ii. Children’s Story
iii. Story in Yoruba language, and
iv. Story in Hausa language

WINNERS

Three winners will emerge in each category, and US$1,000 prize in each category will be shared by the three winners in the following proportions:

1. First Prize – US$500
2. Second Prize – US$300
3. Third Prize – US$200

In addition the winners will receive a plaque each.

Download FREE Entry Form Here

CONSOLATION PRIZES

Seven consolation prizes of CERTIFICATE OF HONOURABLE MENTION will be given to seven other entries in each category.

AWARD CEREMONY

The prizes will be presented to the winners at a glamorous ceremony in Ibadan which will involve readings of the winning entries, music and drama.

PUBLISHING DEAL

All the winning entries will also be published by Emgee Publishing Limited. The entries in the short story, Yoruba and Hausa languages categories will be published in three separate anthologies, while the children story winners may be published a book per story.

ROYALTY

The authors whose stories are published will, in addition to the prizes they won, be paid royalties yearly based on the sales performance of the books in the market.

JUDGES

All entries in each category will be assessed by a panel of competent judges comprising eminent literati who shall be barred from entering for the competition.

DEADLINE

The deadline for the submission of all entries is April 30, 2011.

The competition shall be a yearly event and, April 30 of every year will be the deadline for the submission of entries.

Download FREE Entry Form Here

ENTRY FEES

Participants will pay a two thousand five hundred naira only (=N=2,500) entry fee for each category.

A writer can enter more than one story for any category or for two or more of the four categories. In which case, the writer must pay =N=2,500.(two thousand five hundred Naira only) separately for each story entered.

For example, if a writer is entering for both the short story and children’s story categories or is entering two stories for the children story category, (s)he’s expected to pay =N=5,000 and if (s)he’s entering stories for all the four categories, (s)he’s expected to pay =N=10,000.

HOW TO PAY

Entry fees should be paid into the account of:

Account name: EMGEE PUBLISHING LIMITED
Account Number (GTBank: 402/489 454/110),

Or

Account Name: Emgee and Associates Limited
Account Number: (WEMA Bank: 040 108 620 7219)

ENTRY DETAILS

Once the payment has been made, the entry and payment details- i.e. Your story, teller number, amount paid, date of payment and branch where payment is made should be sent to:

a. info@emgeepublishing.com

or

b. mganiyy@emgeepublishing.com

or

c. mganiyy@gmail.com

If you prefer to send in your entry by post (through snail mail), you can do to the following address:

Emgee Publishing Limited,
P. O. Box 21123,
Ibadan, Oyo State
Nigeria.

NB: sending your entries and details through email is preferred.

FREE ENTRY FORM

You can also download FREE Entry form Here

No entry would be entertained without the evidence of payment of entry fees.

Late entries will not be considered.

Muda Ganiyu
(President/Publisher)
Emgee Publishing Limited,
Plot 20/21 Ogunmola Layout,
Believer's Quarters
Osajin, Apete
P.O. Box 21123, U.I. Post Office 200005
Ibadan, Oyo State
NIGERIA
È+234 803 049 7997

Deadline: 25 January 2011

Associate Professor/Reader (Francophone and African Literature)

The Nigeria French Language Village is Nigeria’s inter-university Centre for French studies, established by the Federal Government of Nigeria to cater primarily for undergraduate students of French in tertiary institutions. It is an autonomous institution operating under the ambit of the National universities Commission (NUC)

Applications are hereby invited from suitably qualified candidates to fill the positions below.

Position: Associate Professor/Reader

(Francophone and African Literature) – Connuass 06

Requirement and Qualification

* Exceptional teaching ability
* Ability to initiate and supervise research
* Adequate experience including, where applicable, membership of relevant professional bodies
* Outstanding research/scholarly publication (15)
* Administrative ability and competence
* Evidence of leadership in research and Postgraduate supervision
* Candidate should possess at least a good B.A. degree in French/French Linguistics with a minimum of 2nd class (Lower)
* A Master’s degree in Francophone literature, Linguistics/Applied linguistics
* A Ph.D in African literature, linguistics/Applied linguistics in French
* Must have not less than nine (9) years cognate experience in the University or a similar educational environment
* Must have experience of ample publications in recognized journals and ability to lead research.

Basic Competence Requirement for all Positions

* It is to be noted that for any of the positions above the ideal candidate must be someone with the following relevant skills and competences.
* Good team player able to effectively co-ordinate the activities of adepartment
* Excellent communication skills
* Good interpersonal relations skills
* Ability to work with limited supervision,
* Ability to co-ordinate diverse but relevant activities and projects,
* Ability to work under pressure,
* Good presentation and advocacy skills,
* Good internet skills,
* Good knowledge of ICT software eg Microsoft office package,
* Proven professional competence and enviable administrative pedigree
* The candidate must be diligent forthright but diplomatic,
* Ability4 to initiate proactive policies geared at propelling the French Village forward.

Method of Application

* Application letters with photocopies of relevant supporting documents should be
* submitted in ten (10) copies along with ten (10) copies of detailed Curriculum
* Vitae containing the following information.
* Name in full
* Place and Date of Birth
* Home Address
* Present Postal Address and phone No,
* Nationality at birth
* Present Nationality
* State of origin
* Marital status
* Number and ages of children
* Academic and Professional qualifications.
* Working experience (up to present status, grade and Salary, photocopy of last pay slips should be attached) Proposed date of availability for duties, if appointed

Applications with supporting documents are to be sent by registered post or handed directly to:

The Registrar
Nigeria French Language Village
P.M.B 1011, Ajara-Badagy
Lagos State.

Closing Date

Interested applicants should apply on or before 25th January, 2011. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interview.

Deadline: 20 September 2010

Heinrich böll Stiftung, Nigeria office is pleased to extend the call for essays/short stories and photographs competition for a publication on the theme “Unity in Diversity: Diversity is positive for Nigeria”. This is part of the Foundation’s contribution towards addressing the recurrent and protracted conflicts in Nigeria rooted in diversity issues.

Attached is the call for entry document. Deadline for submission is extended to 20th September 2010. Feel free to circulate it amongst your networks and contacts.

We look forward to receiving your essays/short stories and photographs on the above theme.

Call for Essays/Short Stories and Photographs
For a Publication on:
UNITY IN DIVERSITY: DIVERSITY IS POSITIVE FOR NIGERIA

The Heinrich Böll Stiftung is a German political foundation, affiliated to the Green Party Germany. The Foundation is engaged in civic education worldwide with 28 offices. The Foundation was named after the writer Heinrich Böll (1917-1985) who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for his novels and short stories in 1972. His courageous and unerring intervention significantly enriched and influenced political culture in Germany. He personifies the values the Foundation now stands for: the defense of freedom, civic courage, tolerance, open debate and the valuation of art and culture as independent spheres of thought and action.

The Conflict Management Program of the Foundation’s Nigeria office emerged as a response to threats at Nigeria’s democratic processes (see www.boellnigeria.org). As part of the Foundation’s contribution towards addressing the recurrent and protracted conflicts in Nigeria rooted in diversity issues, the proposed publication should underline the positive role the rich diversity of the country can play and explore ways of transforming the current negative social cohesion into a common strive for development.

This call for essays/short stories and photographs on the theme: “Unity in Diversity: Diversity is positive for Nigeria” intends to:

- Encourage Nigerians to be part of a solution to the recurrent diversity related violent conflicts in the country.

- Explore new ideas/strategies to solve the incessant violent conflicts.

- Provide a platform for citizenship participation in the quest for sustainable peace in Nigeria.

The essays/short stories should concentrate on:

- Telling a true-life story of how the diversity of Nigeria’s people enriched your personal, your families or your friends’ life and explore how the positive aspect of diversity could benefit Nigeria’s social and economic development

- Drawing conclusions from your own positive experiences to develop new ideas/strategies for integrating the positive role of diversity into the social and political structures

- The role of future generations of Nigerians to ensure peace is sustained in the country

The photographs should

- Concentrate on the theme “Diversity is Positive for Nigeria” and include a brief description of how the photograph depicts the theme

Send entries to: competition@boellnigeria.org

Word Count: Not more than 3000words. Quotes and references must be clearly marked as such and properly cited at the end of the text

Format: Texts are accepted in the following formats: word or pdf, they must be in English language

Age Limit: No Age Limit

Deadline for submission: Extended to 20th September 2010

Notification: Selected entries will be notified in October 2010

Further information: Roselyn@boellnigeria.org, http://www.boellnigeria.org/

A jury of Nigerian writers, conflict experts and photographers will select the best entries which will be posted onto the Foundation’s website and published as a book. There will be an official presentation ceremony (date to be communicated) followed by a short expert roundtable discussion. Note: We reserve the right to modify the format and content of the submissions for publication purposes.

Rewards:

- A 5-day trip to Berlin / Germany to participate in an arts festival and educational event organized by the Foundations head-office for the overall best entry!
- The selected essays/short stories will be rewarded with N 25 per word up to a maximum of 3000 words.
- The selected photographs will be rewarded with N 30,000each

Deadlines:

Publication Date: February 15th
Submit by December 31st

Publication Date: May 15th
Submit by March 31st

Publication Date: August 15th
Submit by June 30th

Publication Date: November 15th
Submit by September 30th

Submission Guidelines

Poems: Submit up to 6 poems on any subject of 60 lines or less, or a long poem up to 200 lines plus 2 shorter poems.

Fiction: Submit Short Stories, or Excerpts from Novels on any subject or theme up to 5,000 words long.

Essays: Academic essays may be up to 6,000 words long.

Plays: Up to 5,000 words.

Reviews and Interviews: These may be up to 3000 words long.

All materials submitted must be in English Language. We encourage poems written in Nigerian languages as long as they are sent together with appropriate translations.

The name of the author as he/she would like to be credited must appear on the materials.

VERY IMPORTANT:

All submissions should be in Microsoft Word and MUST attached to an email saved in this format:

Title of Submission – Authors Name

{Example – “Divisadero – Michael Ondaatje.doc”}

Include biographical information up to 100 words long in the body of the e-mail.

Keep the bio to the point: Your name, where you live, and your publications. If you have won some awards, feel free to blow your own horn. There is no need to say you are a creative person or are heading for writing mastery. Let your work speak for you.

Try this format:

Okeke Alabi was born in Maiduguri in 1965. He studied African Literature at the University of Ibadan, and currently teaches Literary Composition at the University of Lagos. His poems, short fiction and essays have been published in That Magazine, That other Magazine, and This Journal. His work is also forthcoming in Future Mag International. Author of the Ultimate Nigerian Book (2007), He won the ANA Prize for Fiction (2004), and the Nigerian Writers in Nigeria Award 2008.

Please attach a photograph of yourself in Jpeg, PNG or Gif format to go on your page. It should be sent as an attachment file in the same email as your submission in the format below -

Name of Author

{EG Michael Ondaatje.jpeg or Michael Ondaatje.jpg}

(Some people feel uncomfortable sending their photographs and have sent pictures of their cats or other pets instead. The editor does not like that and may not read those submissions. If you don't wish to send a picture, please don't, but you should send some picture that illustrates the idea or theme of your submission.)

Copyright: Once we accept materials for Sentinel Nigeria, we acquire the copyright until they have been published. 90 days after publication, the copyright reverts to the authors.

Simultaneous Submissions: We discourage simultaneous submissions. The turnaround time is 8 weeks.

Previously Published Work: Generally we discourage submissions of previously published work. If we feel strongly about a previously published work we may solicit it. If your work has been published elsewhere and you feel it has not been given the exposure it deserves, and you feel strongly about it, by all means submit it, but please mention where and when it was first published.

Important: Please submit only materials that are your original work. Bear in mind that Sentinel Nigeria is a magazine and not a blog or discussion forum. Therefore the form and content of any work published in the magazine is final and any aspect of the work, or its authorship, may not be modified after 7 days of publication. Requests for modification of content, authorship or deletion will not be entertained. Copyright reverts to all authors 90 days after publication.

Submission to Sentinel Nigeria

richard.ali@sentinelnigeria.org
Sentinel Literary Movement of Nigeria
a chapter of Sentinel Poetry Movement
International Administration: Unit 136,
113-115 George Lane, London E18 1AB, United Kingdom

Deadline: 15 March 2011
Contact: d.kerr@bham.ac.uk

Call for Applications: ASAUK Writing Workshop for African Scholars

26-28 April 2011 in Nigeria

The African Studies Association of the UK (ASAUK) is currently organising a writing workshop in Nigeria to assist young scholars to prepare material for publication in international journals. The ASAUK is committed to enhancing academic links between British and African institutions and to increasing representation in British journals of work by scholars based in Africa. Previous ASAUK workshops in the UK and in other parts of Africa have been extremely well received and there has been a strong demand for places. The workshop will bring the editors of three UK-based Africanist journals, namely Africa, Journal of Modern African Studies (JMAS) and Review of African Political Economy (ROAPE) to Nigeria in order to support doctoral and recently post-doctoral students as well as junior staff based in Nigerian universities in submitting articles for publication in international Africanist journals. The participating journals have asked prospective participants of the workshop to submit articles which address the journal themes outlined below. A second aim of the workshop is to bring together Nigerian and UK-based journal
editors to discuss shared interests and problems, and to explore possibilities for future co-operation.

The workshop is planned to take place in Nigeria on 26-28 April 2011, and it will be organised in collaboration with the Osun State University (UNIOSUN) at Osogbo, a peaceful city famous for its artistic community roughly 120 miles northeast of Lagos. The workshop organisers will provide accommodation and food for the duration of the workshop. Applicants may also be eligible for the reimbursement of travel costs.

The African Studies Association of the UK looks forward to hearing from you.

For more information, please see the Applicant details below or contact Mr David Kerr (d.kerr@bham.ac.uk).

Applicant Details

Eligibility: Scholars of all nationalities who have spent the past 3 years at a Nigerian university.

Deadline for receipt of applications: 15 March 2011.

In order to qualify for the workshop, scholars are invited to send in the following documents: A short CV including their name, gender, academic career and position at their current institution. A completed, full-length article (5,500-7,000 words) based on original research. Please indicate clearly whether you are addressing a theme and which journal you are targeting. If you would like to stay for the second part of the workshop, please give information about the journal you wish to represent. If you wish to apply for a reimbursement of travel costs, you must also submit an estimate of expenses (least expensive option, by road only).

Selection criteria: The primary selection criterion is the quality of the article submitted. The organisers also aim to attract scholars from institutions in the different geographical regions/ zones of Nigeria. Senior scholar are invited to apply if they feel this workshop would benefit them, but once the above criteria have been addressed, preference will be given to junior scholars.

Please send applications electronically to Mr David Kerr and Dr Insa Nolte at the University of Birmingham, email addresses: d.kerr@bham.ac.uk and m.i.nolte@bham.ac.uk.

Journal themes

Africa

Africa encourages an interdisciplinary approach, involving humanities, social sciences, and environmental sciences. The journal aims to give increased attention to African production of knowledge, highlighting the work of local African thinkers and writers, emerging social and cultural trends ‘on the ground', and links between local and national levels of society. At the same time, it maintains its commitment to the theoretically informed analysis of the realities of Africa's own cultural categories. For this workshop, we would be particularly interested in papers that focus on some aspect of local intellectual or cultural production – e.g. community newspapers, local histories, posters, pamphlets, oral genres or private video entrepreneurs. For more information, please see http://www.internationalafricaninstitute.org/journal.html

JMAS

The Journal of Modern African Studies places a very high emphasis on original research studies, usually derived from fieldwork in Africa, which at the same time help to illuminate issues currently affecting Africa. We do not publish general overviews, literature reviews, purely theoretical articles, or polemics. We do whatever we can to encourage African authors, and especially scholars based in Africa and carrying out research there. The journal is however internationally refereed, and accepted papers have to meet the standards required.We range broadly across the social sciences, though with a concentration in political science, sociology, gender, economics and international relations, while insisting that papers must be sufficiently non-technical to be read with interest and understood by Africanists working in other disciplines. We do not normally publish papers that fall into the fields of history, linguistics or literary studies, unless these illuminate issues of broader current concern. We do not publish studies on the African diaspora, but would be very interested in research into the impact of the diaspora on developments within Africa. For more information, please see http://assets.cambridge.org/MOA/MOA_ifc.pdf

ROAPE

Since 1974, ROAPE has provided radical analysis of trends, issues and social processes in Africa. It pays particular attention to the political economy of inequality, exploitation and oppression, whether driven by global forces or local ones such as class, race, ethnicity and gender), and to broadly materialist interpretations of change. It sustains a critical analysis of the nature of power and the state in Africa in the context of capitalist globalisation. For more information, please see http://www.roape.org/

Deadline: 31 May 2011

Contributions are invited from scholars and critics of Gambian and African literature to a proposed book of essays on the writings of Tijan M. Sallah, the Gambian poet, essayist and short story writer.

The subject is the second best known writer from The Gambia after Lenrie Peters, and a notable voice in contemporary African literature. To date, Sallah has published nine books: three collections of poetry, a book of selected poetry, a volume of short stories, two edited anthologies of poetry (the second one with Tanure Ojaide, the Nigerian poet), a literary biography of Chinua Achebe, the Nigerian novelist (co-authored with Ngozi Okonjo Iweala), and an ethnographic book on the Wolof, the dominant ethnic group of the Senegambian people. His works have also appeared in several major poetry and short story anthologies. Examples include Charles Larson's (ed.) Under African Skies (Farrar, Straus & Giroux), Achebe and Innes's (eds.) Contemporary African Short Stories (Heinemann AWS) and Ulli Beier and Gerald Moore's Modern African Poetry (Penguin).

Tentatively titled Twenty-One Notes of Kora: Emerging Perspectives on the Writings of Tijan M. Sallah, the book, when published, will represent the first extended work of critical writings both on the author and on Gambian literature. Contributions can be on Tijan Sallah's background, the tradition of Gambian and Senegambian writings, Tijan Sallah's poetry, short stories, literary biography, edited anthologies, published essays, and finally his ethnographic writing on Wolof. They can also approach Sallah's works from comparative perspectives. Of interest will be those which compare him with other Gambian writers (including Lenrie Peters and Ebou Dibba), with other African writers, and with other writers from the African diaspora. Finally, interviews conducted with Tijan Sallah in the past will also be considered for publication. Contributions following an MLA style of referencing, (with short titles and page references included immediately after each citation in the body of the work and a list of works cited compiled at the end of the essay) and which should not be more than 6000 words should be sent as attachments to emails addressed to the editor of the volume. Deadline is May 31, 2011.

Wumi Raji, Ph. D (Editor)
Department of Dramatic Arts
Obafemi Awolowo University
Ile Ife, Nigeria

E-mail: wumiraji@hotmail.com; wumiraji@oauife.edu.ng

Dates: 3 March 2011 (announcement of regional winners), May 2011 (announcement of overall winners)

The Commonwealth Writers' Prize, internationally recognised for its role in celebrating ground-breaking works from both new and established writers, has today revealed the literary icons of tomorrow in the South East Asia and Pacific regional shortlist for the 2011 Prize.

The Commonwealth Writers' Prize, supported by the Macquarie Group Foundation and now in its 25th year, has selected both household names and other emerging stars for the shortlist for Best Book and Best First Book awards. The winners from Africa will go on to compete against writers from across the Commonwealth at the Commonwealth Writers' Prize's final programme to be held at Sydney Writers' Festival from 16-22 May.

Africa Best Book:

• The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna (Sierra Leone)
• Men of the South by Zukiswa Wanner (South Africa)
• The Unseen Leopard by Bridget Pitt (South Africa)
• Oil on Water by Helon Habila (Nigeria)
• Blood at Bay by Sue Rabie (South Africa)
• Banquet at Brabazan by Patricia Schonstein (South Africa)

• Happiness is a Four Letter Word by Cynthia Jele (South Africa)
• Bitter Leaf by Chioma Okereke (Nigeria)
• The Fossil Artist by Graeme Friedman (South Africa)
• Colour Blind by Uzoma Uponi (Nigeria)
• Voice of America by E. C. Osondu (Nigeria)
• Wall of Days by Alastair Bruce (South Africa)

The regional winners of the Best Book and Best First Book prizes will be announced on the 3rd March, with the final programme commencing on the 16th May at Sydney Writers' Festival in Australia. This will bring together the finalists from the four different regions of the Commonwealth, and the two overall winners will be announced on the 21st May.

Commonwealth Foundation Director, Dr. Mark Collins, said:

"The Commonwealth Writers' Prize aims to reward the best of Commonwealth fiction written in English and underlines our commitment to promoting cultural exchange and diversity. This year the range of subjects, the breadth of genres and the diversity of writers will bring the very best of Commonwealth literature to new audiences. The support of the Macquarie Group Foundation has seen the Prize gain in international standing and expand its reach. This year we're delighted to be holding our final award programme in Sydney, the home of Macquarie, at Sydney Writers' Festival."

David Clarke, Chairman of the Macquarie Group Foundation, the main supporter of the Prize, added:

"The Macquarie Group Foundation's continuing support of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize in its 25th year is the cornerstone of Macquarie's arts philanthropy. The Prize plays a valuable role in recognising and rewarding diverse literary talents and, in so doing, connects global communities."

Deadline: 1 December 2010

African Humanities Program
in Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda
2010-2011

INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLICANTS

Eligibility criteria
• The proposed project must be in the humanities.
• It must propose a written scholarly product such as a dissertation or a monograph.
• Research and writing under terms of the fellowship award must be undertaken in Africa. AHP fellowships may not be used for travel outside the continent.
• Dissertation applicants must be nationals of a country in sub-Saharan Africa, residing and working in Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, or Uganda, pursuing a doctorate in one of those countries. They must have begun to write the dissertation before applying and must be able to complete the dissertation during the fellowship year. Applicants pursuing doctorates at a university in South Africa are not eligible.
• Postdoctoral applicants must be nationals of a country in sub-Saharan Africa, residing and working in Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, or Uganda. At the time of the submission, applicants must have defended the dissertation and must be no more than five years past the date of receiving the Ph.D. degree. Postdoctoral applicants may propose either a combination of research and writing, or writing only.

Fellowship awards
• The stipend for Dissertation-Completion Fellowships is $9,000.
• The stipend for Early Career Postdoctoral Fellowships is $16,000.
• The Residential Allowance is $5,000, and will be paid directly to the selected institute for advanced study hosting the AHP fellowship recipient. A list of residential sites currently available can be downloaded from the ACLS website at www.acls.org/programs/ahp or may be requested from ahp@acls.org . Residencies must be undertaken outside of the country in which the applicant maintains institutional affiliation and must last for a continuous period of not less than two months. No additional support in the form of residential allowance is available to support work at an applicant’s home institution.

Selection criteria
• The intrinsic interest and substantive merit of the work proposed
• The clarity of the intellectual agenda
• The record of achievement of postdoctoral scholars and the promise of Ph.D. candidates
• The contribution the work is likely to make to scholarship in the region and internationally
• The feasibility of the workplan

Preparing the application
All applicants should begin preparation early! Applications must be received by the African Humanities Program at the American Council of Learned Societies in New York no later than December 1, 2010 .

All applications must be typed (no handwriting, please). ACLS encourages the submission of applications via email in either Word (.doc or .docx files) or Acrobat (.pdf files). ACLS cannot application materials submitted in other file formats. Application forms may be downloaded in either Word or Acrobat. Application forms downloaded in Word may be typed on a computer, saved in a Word or Acrobat file and submitted via email attachment to ahp@acls.org . Applicants are asked to observe specifications for font and line-spacing and to maintain the page and space limits represented in the original application form. All applications must be signed and dated, or will be considered incomplete. Applications sent electronically must be named using the following file name format: Surname, Given Name(s).doc/docx/pdf.

Application forms downloaded in Acrobat or received via Air Mail may be printed, then typed on a typewriter and returned to ACLS via Air Mail or courier service. Applicants are asked to send their materials via Air Mail or courier service only if they are unable to do so via email; it is not necessary to send applications both electronically and on paper.

Application Elements
An application form consists of the following numbered elements, which should be submitted in the order specified here and on the application form. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

I. Applicant information – cover sheet

II. Personal history: education, research, teaching, and service (as applicable )

III. List of applicant’s publications [Maximum one page, 11 pt. type]

IV. Intellectual autobiography [Maximum one page, single spaced, 11 pt. type]
A description of the applicant’s academic career, detailing the ideas and experiences that have shaped and motivated the applicant’s intellectual work and plans for the future. The autobiography should conclude with a separate paragraph answering the question: “What do I see myself doing five years from now?”

V. Application essay [Maximum two pages, single spaced, 11 pt. type]

1. Main Thesis: The main argument or problematic guiding the proposed research and
writing.
2. Body: The research problem in more detail and a justification of the research focus and approach. What is already known about the problem and what more needs to be known?
3. Literature and sources: The proposed topic placed in the context of existing literature and as well as potential new sources. What will be the criteria for determining which sources are relevant? How will the project extend, modify, or challenge existing scholarship?
4. Methods: A detailed description of the methods to be used. How will they be deployed to address the main thesis or argument of the project?
5. Significance: An explanation of the importance of the proposed work to central issues in the discipline, to the African humanities, and to humanities scholarship in general.
6. Workplan: The concluding section of the essay, specifying a plan of work with a timeline for the research and/or writing during the fellowship period . How much has the applicant already accomplished on the project and how much remains to be done? What steps are anticipated during the fellowship period? What is the expected result? The workplan must specify the desired start and end dates for the fellowship period, ensuring that they fall within the period of the fellowship and form a period of work no less than 10 months in duration.

Letters of recommendation should arrive with applications at ACLS by the deadline, December 1, 2010. Applicants should send the forms to recommenders early, so that there is enough time to complete them. While applicants are responsible for making sure that the completed application has two appropriate recommendations, they must not delay sending all other parts of the application by the deadline, regardless of whether recommenders have sent their materials or not.

(Late letters of recommendation should be forwarded by the applicant to ACLS as soon as possible, in no case more than one month past the deadline.)

Submitting the application
Applicants are asked to follow these instructions carefully. Failure to do so may render an application late, incomplete, or otherwise ineligible for inclusion in the fellowship competition.

1. Applications may be submitted electronically (via email attachment) or on paper (via Air Mail or courier service) to the AHP/ACLS office in New York.

2. ACLS can accept only files sent in Word (.doc or .docx) or Acrobat (.pdf) formats. No other file formats are acceptable. Electronic submission is encouraged, with letters of recommendation and the applicant’s signature scanned as .pdf files. Electronic applications must be saved using a file name in the following format: Surname, Given Name(s).doc/docx/pdf.

3. Applications submitted electronically should be sent to ahp@acls.org, with all application materials included as attachments to one single email. If the files are too large to send in one email, applicants must create a series of smaller numbered files following the same file name format and send them in separate emails, making sure to note the total number of files transmitted.

The subject line of the email should include the applicant’s surname and the phrase “AHP application.” The body of the email should indicate the number of files attached. Application materials should be submitted only once, unless ACLS requests that and applicant resubmit. “Updated” or “revised” versions of the application will not be accepted once an application has been submitted.

4. Applications sent by Air Mail or courier service should be addressed to:

African Humanities Program
American Council of Learned Societies
633 Third Avenue, 8th floor
New York, NY 10017-6795, USA

5. IMPORTANT: Whether an application is submitted electronically or on paper, all applicants must send a separate email to ahp@acls.org requesting confirmation that the application file has been received and can be opened. Those who do not receive a reply within ten days confirming receipt should resend the confirmation request. Applicants should not resubmit application materials unless requested to do so.

Date: 25 March 2011

The 8th edition of the popular BookJam@Silverbird Abuja holds on Friday 25th March 2011 at the Silverbird Entertainment Centre, by 6pm. This edition will feature Lagos-based poet and advertising practitioner, Chike Ofili; Abuja-based poet and journalist Diego Okenyodo; playwright and communications lecturer, Godswill Okiyi; and novelist and banker, Stanley Osuji.

Ofili, former chair of the Association of Nigerian Authors, Lagos chapter, is the author of the poetry volume, The Weight of Waiting, which was enlisted for the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in 2010; Okenyodo’s From a Poem to Its Creator made the shortlist for the The Nigeria Prize for Literature in 2009; Okiyi’s play, Who’s Afraid of Adams, was recently released; and Osuji’s riveting 3-in-one story collection, Positive, was also recently released.

The BookJam@Silverbird Abuja is a collaboration of the Abuja Literary Society and Silverbird. It is anchored by co-host of the Abuja Poetry Slam, Jide Attah, and consists of book readings, book signings, raffle draw and a discussion by the guest writers. In addition, there will be special Slam poetry performance by some of Abuja’s finest Slam champions. The February edition featured poet and novelist, Lola Shoneyin; Actor, poet and playwright, Femi Branch; poet and corporate communications practitioner, Kufre Ekanem. Abuja BookJam holds on the last Friday of every month, at 6pm.

Here are 25 writing contests, careers, calls for submissions, and other opportunities for African writers with submissions or applications due on the 31st of March, 2011:

• Call for African American Poets: Enter the Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award -03/31/2011

• Call for Papers: Co-operative Development in Africa: Prospects and Challenges -03/31/2011

  Journalists of Color Invited to Apply for The 2011 Society for Features Journalism Diversity Fellowship (Arizona) -03/31/2011

• The SA Writers' College 2011 Annual Short Story Award For Emerging Writers in South Africa -03/31/2011

• Call for Books: The 2011 Nigerian Studies Association Book Award -03/31/2011

• Call for Submissions: Anthology of Middle Eastern/ Muslim Short Fiction -03/31/2011

• Apply for the Speculative Literature Foundation Older Writers Grant -03/31/2011

• Job Opening: Humanities Editor for Jomo Kenyatta Foundation (Kenya) -03/31/2011

• Call for Submissions: January 25 (Revolution) Anthology -03/31/2011

• 2011 BN Poetry Award for Ugandan Women -03/31/2011

• Call for Submissions - Sentinel Nigeria: Online Magazine of Contemporary Nigerian Writing -03/31/2011

• World Petroleum Congress Prize for Young Authors -03/31/2011

• The R25,000 EU Literary Award 2011 for Unpublished Work of Fiction (South Africa) -03/31/2011

• Third Annual South African Wine Writers Award -03/31/2011

• Apply for The Foreign Correspondents’ Scholarship Programme in Finland (eligible African countries: Egypt, South Africa, Tunisia) -03/31/2011

• Anthony Sampson Foundation Award for a Writing/ Reporting Project Relevant to South Africa -03/31/2011

• Forum of Women of the Mediterranean Short Story Competition -03/31/2011
  


• Win a Publication Contract: Whispers Publishing 2011 Explore Our World Fiction Contest (length: 15,000-30,000) -03/31/2011

• Siemens Africa Profile Awards for Excellence in Science and Technology Journalism -03/31/2011
  


• Excellence in Journalism Awards - Tanzania Officially Launched -03/31/2011

• The $1,300 Mahdiya/ Aga Khan Museum International Essay Writing Contest -03/31/2011

• Job Opening: Copy/ Sub Editor for Film Event Publishing (South Africa) -03/31/2011

• Call for Entries: 2011 Association of Nigerian Authors Literary Prizes -03/31/2011
  


• Call for Entries: Nigeria Prize for Literature 2011 -03/31/2011

• The Beverly Nambozo Poetry Award 2011 (Uganda) Now Open for Submissions -03/31/2011
  

Dates: 8 - 11 December 2010

Garden City Literary Festival Celebrates 50 Years of Nigerian Writing

As Nigeria celebrates 50 years of independence, the 2010 Garden City Literary Festival (GCLF) is set to highlight the significant contribution of writers to the story of African nations. The GCLF is an initiative of the Rivers State Governor the Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.

This third outing of the festival is once again organised by the Rainbow Book Club in conjunction with the Rivers State government and will take place from the 8th till the 11th of December in Port Harcourt. Adopting the theme: 50 years of Post-Colonial Literature, this celebration of all things literary, promises to be bigger and better than ever before.

GCLF 2010 has an exciting line-up of writers including two Nobel Laureates - Professor Wole Soyinka and J.M.G Le Clezio - as special guest speakers. Visitors to the festival will enjoy a variety of events, including an international literature conference, writers’ workshops and a book fair. Plus there will be interactive sessions with authors, an essay competition for children and special drama presentations. The festival will be rounded off with a grand awards gala to celebrate those who have contributed to the Nigerian literary scene over the past five decades.

The focus on writers and their role in developing nations is part of Rainbow’s commitment to enhancing the future by promoting a reading culture on the continent.

A Keele University lecturer has released a book promoting new Kenyan writers and their work.

Man of the House and other new short stories from Kenya is the fourth in CCC Press’s series of World Englishes Literature Fiction, which aims to promote emerging writers unknown in the West.

Edited and introduced by Keele University’s Dr Emma Dawson, Man of the House and other new short stories from Kenya will be published on January 31.

The 15 stories in the collection tackle themes including politics, reality television, love, family, identity, and money. Writers include Mukumu Muchina, Shalini Gidoomal and Rasna Warah.

Dr Dawson appeared on breakfast television in Kenya to call for stories for the anthology and was inundated with submissions from new and established writers. She also worked with publishing house and writers’ collective Storymoja in Nairobi, and gave lectures at the University of Nairobi and Moi University in Eldoret.

“It’s an exciting time for Kenyan writing,” says Dr Dawson. “Everyone is talking about a revival in the African literature scene and Kenya is producing more new writing than other East African countries. They’ve come through their election strife and there’s now a burst of people expressing the new Kenya.”

Stories from Dr Dawson’s anthologies of works from Nigeria, Uganda and Kenya have been submitted for the prestigious Caine Prize for African Writing.

She is currently editing an anthology of short stories from Malaysia, to be published later this year as part of the same series, and is also working on a book called Reading New India, which will be published by Continuum in summer next year to celebrate 65 years of India’s independence.

* Man of the House and other new short stories from Kenya, edited with an introduction by Emma Dawson, is published by CCC Press, priced £12.99.

Deadline: 31 March 2011

Nigerian writers, at home and abroad, who have and are willing to enter their new works for the Annual Literary Prizes of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) may now do so.

Interested creative writers should send six copies (6) of their entries, (specifying the category being entered for) alongside a covering letter to: The General Secretary, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), to: Suite 63, National Theatre Complex, Iganmu Lagos.

The letter should contain complete contact details of the writer or publisher of the work, including email and surface mail addresses and telephone contact. The ANA will not take responsibility for entries sent by post nor will it claim registered parcels, in cases where it has to pay for such claims. The entries which can be for any or several (where applicable) of the following categories must not have been entered before and must have been published between 2010 and 2011:

• ANA/Cadbury Prize for Poetry $2,500 (Published works only).
• ANA/NDDC Flora Nwapa Prize for Women (Creative) Writing N100,000.00 (Published
• works only).
• ANA/NDDC Gabriel Okara Prize for Poetry N100,000.00 (Published & unpublished works).
• ANA/NDDC J. P. Clark Prize for Drama N100,000.00 (Published & unpublished works).
• ANA/NDDC Ken Saro Wiwa Prize for Prose N100,000.00 (Published & unpublished works).
• ANA/Chevron Prose Prize on Environmental issues (Prose) $2000.00 (Published works only).
• ANA/Esiaba Irobi Prize for Playwrighting N50, 000.00 (Published & unpublished works).
• ANA/Jacaranda Prize for Prose Fiction N50,000.00 (Published works only).
• ANA/Funtime Prize for Children's Literature (Prose) N150,000.00. (unpublished works only, Ages 8-15).
• Winning entry to be published by sponsor (Funtime Publications) with a sign on fee of N250,000.
• ANA/Atiku Abubakar Prize for Children's Literature N100,000.00 (Published works and picture books only; Ages 0-7)
• ANA/Lantern Books Prize for Children's Fiction N100,000.00 (Unpublished works only, Ages 8 - 15) - Winning entry to be published by Lantern Books
• ANA/James Ene Henshaw Prize for Playwriting (Unpublished play scripts only) N100, 000.00
• Playwright of winning entry to work with an experienced director for the production of the play.
• ANA/NECO Teen Author Prize (prose) N100,000.00 (Published & unpublished works)
• ANA/Mazariyya Teen Author Prize (poetry) N50,000.00 (Published & unpublished works)

1. Entrants must be students in any secondary school in Nigeria.
2. Entries must be a collection or a single story of between 25 - 40 pages for prose, or between 25 - 40 poems for poetry.
3. Illustration (optional).
4. Accompanying documents are:
(i) Letter of identification from school principals on letter headed papers bearing name, signature and stamp with the entrant's two passport photographs, name, school, age (attach birth certificate)
(II) Entrants admission letters (Photocopy).
(III) Current cumulative record of entrant's academic performance (Junior or Secondary School).
(IV) Letter of consent from parents/Principal.
(V) Entrant's email, and surface mail addresses and phone contact.
5. Unpublished entries (in four copies) should be properly bound.

Deadline for the receipt of all entries for the 2011 ANA Literary Prizes is Thursday 31st March 2011. A shortlist will be announced in October, 2011. Winners of the prizes will be announced by the judges at the Awards Dinner in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, during the course of the 30th International Annual Convention of ANA in October, 2011.

Deadline: 14 April 2011

We wish to call for submissions for the sixth issue of the Sentinel Nigeria Magazine. We are accepting submissions in the genres of prose, poetry, drama and translations.

Send no more than six poems or a story under 5,000 words to Richard.ali@sentinelnigeria.org together with a 100 word bio and a jpeg format profile photograph. We are also interested in receiving literature written in indigenous Nigerian languages {together with translations} as well as those written in French from francophone West Africa. African writers from elsewhere may also send in submissions for our Safariscope feature.

Submissions for the sixth issue will end at noon on April 14, 2011.

Send in the best copies of your best work to increase your chances of being accepted. Our emphasis is on quality writing, irrespective of reputation, paying no attention to quantity.

Further enquiries should be directed to Richard.ali@sentinelnigeria.org

Deadline: 14 November 2010

Rev up your writing. Do you want to write a manuscript? Are you interested in finishing that piece you have been working on for a while? Do you want to publish? Abi Adegboye is hosting a writing nuts and bolts workshop via Skype on November 14 @ 6pm U.S. EST. It's about 5 hours behind UK and Nigeria.

Please indicate your interest, topics of concern, and best time. She is open to facilitating several sessions.

Abi Adegboye is a writer, educator, and social entrepreneur who grew up in Ibadan, Nigeria. She travels widely throughout Yorubaland. She has taught classes at every level of the school system and is currently a life and writing coach. She offers programs in writing non/fiction literature and academic texts. Abi is the author of Butterfly, a picture book and Reflections on Nigerian Christianity, a social commentary. Her upcoming books are Wanna B Prez?: 10 Life Strategies from President Barack Obama’s Campaign and Renike comes to America.

Join the Write Africa, Right Africa group here.

Call for Submissions: Women of Color's Anthology "Boundaries & Borders" 03/01/2011

Call for Submissions: Saraba Literary Magazine Issue 8 (Nigeria/ Africa-wide) 03/01/2011

2011 Commonwealth Short Story Competition 03/01/2011

Call for Pitches: Student Journalists Wanted at UPIU.com ($100 per article) 03/01/2011

Call for Articles: The Africa Peace and Conflict Journal 03/01/2011

Call for Submissions: Chocolate Flava 3 (adult romance stories that feature African-Americans, payment: $300 per story) 03/01/2011

International Research Grant for Children's Literature 03/01/2011

Call for Papers: Women and New Media in the Mediterranean Region 03/01/2011

"The Message of Paradise" Competition for Muslim Students 03/01/2011

The 7th Rawi Screenwriters' Lab for Arab Screenwriters/ Filmmakers 03/01/2011

Call for Entries: East Africa (Print and Electronic) Media Award Competition 2011 03/01/2011

Call for Submissions/ Works in Translation: Gulf Coast's International Issue 03/01/2011

Sonia Sanchez and Amiri Baraka Prize in African-American Poetry 03/01/2011

Date: 27 November 2010

Multi-award winning poet and academician, Dr. Musa Idris Okpanachi will be the Guest Writer at the November 2010 monthly Guest Writer’s Session of Association of Nigerian Authors, Abuja Chapter which is schedule to hold on Saturday 27th November 2010.

Okpanachi who hails from Kogi state is a long serving member of the University of Maiduguri’s Department of English. His poetry coll...ection, The Eaters of the Living published by Kraft Books Limited, won the 2008 ANA/Cadbury Prize for Poetry worth $1000, which the Judges described as “essentially a forceful presentation of the agony and pains of the masses that are callously emasculated by the rapacious rulers of the land.

The Guest Writer Session of ANA Abuja was designed to bring the writers across the various genres of literature – poetry, prose and drama in contact with their readers for the purpose of promoting a healthy reading culture and a literate society.

The session which will take place at the French Cultural Centre, 52 Libreville Street, off Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse II (behind Mr. Biggs) by 3pm will feature readings from the Guest Writers’ old and new books, as well as open mic session for other writers in attendance.

According to the Chairman of the Chapter, Dr. Seyi Adigun, “the November edition is usually the last official activity of our chapter. Therefore, the choice of Dr. Okpanachi is to accord him the honour he deserves as one of the great poets around. On the other hands, it provides us opportunity to interact with the man and his work.”

Date: 27 November 2010

Location: Pen and Pages Bookstore, White House Plaza, Plot 79, Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse 2

Two emerging writers, Sumaila Umaisha and Ifeyinwa Omalicha, will feature at the 28th edition of the Abuja Writers’ Forum’s Guest Writer Session, which holds on November 27 by 4pm at the Pen and Pages Bookstore, White House Plaza, Plot 79, Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse 2. Sumaila Umaisha, literary editor of the Kaduna-based New Nigerian, is a short story writer and poet. His stories and poems have appeared in several journals, anthologies and online publications. He has also won several awards for literary journalism including the Literary Journalist of the Year Award by the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), which he won in 2004 and 2007.

Earlier this year, he was a participant in the Farafina Writing Workshop, facilitated by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Umaisha’s debut collection of short stories, Hoodlums, appeared recently and is attracting attention for its focus on the violence perpetrated in the country in the name of religion, politics and culture This collection, notes Yahaya Ibrahim in a review, “paints (in seventeen short stories) a graphic picture of physical and psychological violence …(and) focuses on ethno-religious conflicts to militancy and other violent crises, Umaisha unveils scenes of savagery that have become the trademark of the Nigerian nation …. One of the major strengths of Umaisha is his ability to craft harsh realities into simple metaphors. On the surface is the story, but between the lines is the heart of the story itself – story that involves or implicates everyone. In the story even the reader stands accused without knowing it.” Ms Omalicha is a post-graduate student of Theatre Arts at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. She is also a Poet and Performance artist. She performed at the maiden event of the Nigerian Prize for Literature endowed by NLNG

She has three published collections of poetry: Amidst the Blowing Tempest, They Run Still and Now that Dreams are Born. She was Resident Poet at the ABTI Academy, Yola, where she worked as a teacher and Literary consultant.

The popular monthly literary event hosted by the Abuja Writers’ Forum and regarded as the most consistent in the country, will also feature music, performance poetry, a mini visual arts exhibition and a raffle with book prizes at stake. Umaisha and Omalicha appear in the wake of the October edition which featured the Abuja-based poet, Kabura Zakama. The Guest Writer Session which started in June 2008 has become the inspiration for similar literary interventions in some of the nation’s major cities, a testimony of its success.