Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG)’s support to literature is for the future intellectual well-being of the country and to encourage more people, especially the young generation to take to literature.
L-R: Eresia-Eke, Jeyifo, Ajai-Lycett and film maker, Mahmood Ali-Balogun at the book party
The General Manager, External Relations, Nigeria LNG Limited, Dr. Kudo Eresia-Eke, said this shortly after the book party organised by the Committee for Relevant Art (CORA). It was in honour of the 11 authors who made the initial shortlist for the Nigeria Prize for Literature sponsored by the NLNG.
“What we saw that made us to support this prize is a vision; and the vision is not separate from that of our company, which is to be a global company helping to build a better Nigeria. The question then is: how does support for literature translate into building a better Nigeria?” he said.
Eresia-Eke explained that there is no nation that can grow, develop, transform and get better without enlightenment without a culture of reading. He added that the primary instigators of reading that we all know are writers.
“So, writing is basic and is like having a foundation stone for building a house. That is how fundamental it is towards the building of a nation. And so, helping to build a better Nigeria requires that we support literary works,” he said.
The book party, the sixth edition of the annual event, held at The Marque, Federal Place Hotel, Lagos, on August 3 with four of the 11 authors vying for the $100,000 prize physically present to talk about their works. Another three hooked up via Skype from the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. All but the three provided the over 200 guests who attended the opportunity to interact with them.
The longlisted writers include Kaduna-based writer and journalist, John Friday Abba (Alekwu Night Dance), Patrick Ogbe Adaofuyi (Canterkerous Passengers), playwright and stage manager, Soji Cole (Maybe Tomorrow), Paul Emema (A plague of Gadflies), and Canada-based award winning filmmaker and writer, Jude Idada (Oduduwa, King of the Edos).
There was also 17-year-old Onshore Ruth Momodu who wrote No Fault of Mine
Others include lawyer and playwright, Isaac-Attah Ogezi (Under a Darkling Sky), United Kingdom-based Ade Solanke (Pandora’s Box), director of dance, National Troupe of Nigeria (NTN), Arnold Udoka (Akon) and playwrights and academics, Profs. Julie Okoh (Our Wife Forever) and Sam Ukala (Iredi War).
Among the guests were: Professor of Comparative Literature at Harvard University, United States, Biodun Jeyifo; Prof. Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, Taiwo Ajai-Lycett, Tunji Sotimirin, Norbert Young and a host of others.
The writers read portions of their works and there were performances before the writers responded to questions from the guests in a session moderated by the lawyer, Deji Toye. The many questions included why the shortlisted chose to write drama.
The youngest ever to be shortlisted for the prize, Momodu, said her work centres on the impact of the lack of proper upbringing on children causes by discord between parents.
The 11 emerged from a list of 124 drama entries received this year for the prize that revolves around four genres of novel, poetry, drama and children’s literature.
The panel of judges is chaired by Professor of Theatre and Drama and Vice Chancellor of Benue State University, Charity Angya, with members including a past laureate of the prize and Professor of Theatre Arts at Redeemer’s University, Ahmed Yerima, and Professor of Performing Arts at Bowen University, Akanji Nasiru. The judges will further meet and reduce the 11 to a shortlist of three, with the winner emerging in October.
