Cole, Abdullahi, Nasiru shortlisted for NLNG literature prize

THE Advisory Board for The Nigeria Prize for Literature of the Nigerian Liquidfied Natural Gas (NLNG) has approved a final shortlist of three books out of the longlist of 11 released in July 2018. The books are, Embers by Soji Cole, Death and The King’s Grey Hair by Denja Abdullahi and The Rally by Akanji Nasiru .

Embers, by Cole, focuses on life in one of the Internally Displaced People’s (IDP) camps in Northern Nigeria. The characters give testimonies of their terrible encounters in Sambisa forest, as well as their painful discovery of life in the IDP camp. A member of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Ibadan, Cole teaches undergraduates playwriting at the Department of Theatre Arts.

In Death and The King’s Grey Hair, Abdullahi, a literary essayist and National President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), confronts the issue of perpetuation in power, where rulers, like the king in this drama, employ all sorts of devices to cling on to power, long after they have overstayed their welcome.

Nasiru’s The Rally, addresses the contemporary political theme of youth versus age. Nasiru is a professor of Performing Arts, Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State.

The chairman of the panel of judges, Matthew Umukoro, is professor of Theatre Arts at the University of Ibadan. Other members of the panel include, Mohammed Inuwa Umar-Buratai, who is a professor of Theatre and Performing Arts and the Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the Ahmadu Bello University, (ABU), Zaria; and Ngozi Udengwu, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Theatre and Film Studies at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

The judges expressed their delight at the high standard of writing evident in the entries for the competition this year.

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Professor Umukoro said all three plays have high literary qualities of effective dialogue, good dramaturgical structure, skilful handling of suspense, and credible characterisation, which have seen them through to this stage of the competition.

The International Consultant to the Advisory Board for this year’s prize is Jonathan Haynes, professor of English at Long Island University in Brooklyn.

The other member of the Advisory Board, besides Professor Emeritus Ayo Banjo, are Professor Jerry Agada, former Minister of State for Education and a former President of the ANA and Professor Emeritus Ben Elugbe, a former President of the Nigerian Academy of Letters and president of the West-African Linguistic Society (2004-2013).

Professor Banjo assured that his board would retain the high literary standards the prize had already attained, ensuring that it remained the most prestigious literary prize in Africa.

The Nigeria Prize for Literature has, since 2004, rewarded eminent writers such as Gabriel Okara (co-winner, 2004, poetry), Professor Ezenwa Ohaeto (co-winner, 2004, poetry) for The Dreamer, His Vision; Ahmed Yerima (2005, drama) for his play, Hard Ground;  Mabel Segun (co-winner, 2007, children’s literature) for her collection of short plays, Reader’s Theatre; Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo (co-winner, 2007, children’s literature) for her book, My Cousin Sammy; Kaine Agary (2008, prose) for her book, Yellow Yellow; Esiaba Irobi (2010, drama), who clinched the prize posthumously with his book, Cemetery Road; Adeleke Adeyemi (2011, children’s literature) with his book, The Missing Clock; Chika Unigwe (2012, prose), with her novel, On Black Sisters Street; Tade Ipadeola (2013, poetry) with his collection of poems, The Sahara Testaments; Professor Sam Ukala (2014, drama) with his play, Iredi War; Seasons of Crimson Blossom by Abubakar Adam Ibrahim (2016, prose); and The Heresiad, IkeoguOke (2017, poetry).

The Nigeria Prize for Literature rotates yearly amongst four literary genres — prose fiction, poetry, drama and children’s literature.

The 2018 prize goes to drama. The prize has a cash value of $100, 000.

A total of 89 plays were submitted for the 2018 edition prize.

A winner will be announced at a public presentation in October.