Life & Culture > Art & Culture
August 19, 2013 17:50:21pm GMT
Tade Ipadeola; Amu Nnadi; Promise Ogochukwu and Remi
Raji, some of the Nigerian poets competing for this year edition of
Nigeria Prize for literature organized by CORA and NLNG at Eko Hotel and
Suites on Sunday 18, August 2013.
WorldStage
Newsonline-- The 11 Nigerian poets shortlisted out of over 200 for this
year edition of CORA/NLNG Nigeria Prize for literature on Sunday
presented their works for public analysis, criticism and examination as
the world awaits the winner who will smile home with $100,000 prize.
Those
present at the event with their collection of works include, G’ebinyo
Egbewo, Marsh Boy and Other Poems; Iquo Eke, Symphony of Becoming; Obari
Gamba, Length of Eyes; Tade Ipadeola, the Sahara Testaments; Okinbo
Caunko, Seven Stations Up the Stairways, Amu Nnadi, Through the Window
of a Sandcastle; Promise Ogochukwu, Wild letter and Remi Raji, Sea of
Mind.
The
other three poets who are currently outside the country but were part
of the interaction through SKYP include, Afam Ake, Letter Home and
Biafran; Amatorittsero Edo, Globetrotter and Hitler’s Children; and Obi
Nwakama, Birthcry.
While
responding to a question on exile and why some generations of poets
embarked on it, Promise Ogochukwu responded, discribing exile as an
escape route for those who could not confront the challenges currently
being experienced in the country.
According
to her, “I thought of leaving but you can’t run away when your house is
on fire. I felt we could make it work. I don’t believe in running away
from problem.”
In
a reaction, Afam Ake who spoke through SKYP from abroad disagreed with
Ogochukwu on reason why some of them left the country, saying it should
not be seen as exile since they are still contributing to issues at
home, which was also supported by Amatorittsero Edo who categorically
declared that they were not on exile.
In
an interview, Prof. Remi Raji, president, Association of Nigerian
Authors who was also a contestant, described the competition as very
engaging and involving.
Raji
who believed he never left nor stayed in the country said he did not
allow himself to be overcome by problem within the country, which he did
by going “beyond what is around me”.
He challenged the upcoming poet to study hard if they must come up, adding that there was no secret about it.
“There
are many people who pretend to be poet now but they are actually
pretender, so if you really want to come up you must listen to people
who teach about it, you must read, you must be ready to be influenced,”
he said.
“May
be I was lucky to study at a very good secondary school and also at the
University of Ibadan. There are many people who appear on social media,
they say that they are poet; or they think that poetry is just a
reality show. They just write one or two line and they will say that
they are poet. But I know that for those ones, who want to come up, some
of them are really hard working and they are coming up and doing well.
At least one of them, Tade Ipadeola is being recognized today. I am sure
she started one or two decades after we started writing. But she is
among the eleventh poet. I know we have many others spread all over the
country, but I wish them the best.”
He said poets outside the country got more support, adding that Nigeria was just getting it right gradually.
He
however appealed to the governments at various levels and other
corporate organizations to support and encourage writers in the country.
“As
the president of Association of Nigerian Authors, we constantly engage
government on the state level and the federal level, appealing to them
to encourage writers by instituting workshop, residence, programme,
seminars. But you can only appeal you can’t force them,” he said.
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