By Anote Ajeluorou
For Nigerian poets both
within and outside the country, today marks the end of submission of entries
for the 2013 edition of the $100,000 worth The Nigerian Prize for Literature in
the poetry category. It also marks the promise of an exciting year for poets
who have had to wait for a circle of four years to have a chance at the
mouth-watering prize sponsored by Bonny-based gas company, Nigeria Liquified
Natural Gas (NLNG).
Although it is too early in the day to make any prognosis,
Nigerian poets would have been learnt their lessons from 2009 when a verdict of
poor outing was given on entries for that year. That judgment sparked off
prolonged controversy between writers and critics on the one hand and the
advisory board for the prize largely made up of university professors.
Last year, which was for prose fiction, was won by
Belgium-based Chika Unigwe. She won with the novel On Black Sisters’ Street, a work based on Nigerian young women sold for sex
work abroad by traffickers on the illicit trade in feminine flesh. However this
year, poetry takes centre-stage. Ibadan-based PEN Nigeria Centre President and
poet has stared into his crystal ball for this year’s poetry contest and has
come up with a verdict: “The one safe prediction that can be made is that
whoever wins this year would be a poet with strong bona fides and a vision.
There is just no room for the poetaster or for jejune juvenilia. It is a strong
field and the strongest contenders will be from home and exile. It will be
interesting to see how the vision of the poets intersect, how their craft
carries their message. It will be really interesting to see how the long list
crystalizes into the shortlist. It will be a great year for poetry, no doubt”.
Judges for this year’s prize include Prof. Romanus Egudu
(chairman), Prof. Abiodun Omolara Ogundipe and Dr. Andrew Abah as members.
Prof. Kofi Anyidoho has been announced as the international consultant. Advisory
Board chairman remains Emeritus Prof. Ayo Banjo while Dr. Jerry Agada and Prof.
Ben Elugbe as members.
This year also, some innovative ideas have been brought to
improve the prize, organisers announced recently. An external consultant would be brought from outside
Nigeria to complement judges’ efforts, especially when the final three writers
would have been announced and shortlisted. Advisory Board chairman for the
prize and Prof. Emeritus Ayo Banjo said the initiative would give the prize
both international status and enhanced credibility.
Another novel idea to the prize regime also announced
recently was the ‘Critical Essay Prize’ worth N1 million. This prize will be
awarded for a critical essay or review of a Nigerian literary work each year.
It must be published in a renowned international journal by Nigerian critics
both home and abroad. According to organisers, the Critical Essay Prize takes
cognizance of the pivotal role critics play in the evolution of literary
creativity.
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