by S. Su’eddie Vershima Agema
The Pan African Writers Association (PAWA) has today released her poetry prize longlist in four categories (English, Arabic, French and Kiswahili). The signed release by the Association’s Secretary General, Dr. Wale Okediran, shows a total of fifty-three longlisted entrants, with fifteen in each category, except for Kiswahili with eight entries.
Nigerians make up the cream of the English category with thirteen candidates out of the fifteen, leaving Sierra Leonean author, Oumar Faruk Sesay and the Kenyan, S. Haya, as the only ‘outsiders’ of the clan. The Nigerian contingent is filled with literary heavyweights of renown, most of whom have won the prestigious Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) prizes, mainly the poetry category. Leading the way is multiple international award-winning writer and scholar, Professor of Literature, Tanure Ojaide (Winner of the Commonwealth Poetry Prize 1987 and the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature 2018, ANA Poetry Prize Winner 1988, 1994, 2003, and 2011); former President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) and award-winning author, Denja Abdullahi; 2015 ANA Poetry Prize winner and publisher, Servio Gbadamosi; 2021 ANA Prose Fiction winner and literary promoter,Onyeka Nwelue; university don, multiple award winning poet and dramatist, Obari Gomba (ANA Poetry Prize 2016 and 2017); and 2021 ANA Poetry Prize shortlist and lecturer, Davidson Chimezie Iwunze. The other renowned authors of the Nigerian contingent on the list are the award-winning writer and pianist, Echezonachukwu Nduka; communicator and graceful poet, Olumide Olaniyan; scholar Ndubuisi Martins; Clara Jack; Ifesinachi Nwadike; Tolu Agbelusi; and Kunle Wizeman-Ajayi.
PAWA POETRY PRIZE: LONG LIST (English Category)
JUDGES: Prof Kwadwo Opoku-Agyemang (Ghana); John Rusimbi (Rwanda); Dr Idris Okpanachi (Nigeria); Lillian Aujo (Uganda); Maureen Isaacson (South Africa)
1. Oumar Faruk Sesay …..Before The Twisted Rib
2. Davidson Chimezie Iwunze…. A Spring Of Longings
3. Echezonachukwu Nduka…. Chrysanthemum For Wide Eyed Ghosts
4. Tanure Ojaide….A Poetic Diary Of The Coronavirus Epidemic
5. Tolu Agbelusi…Locating Strong Woman
6. Kunule Wizeman-Ajayi… LOCKDOWN
7. Denja Abdullahi… The Road To Bauchi
8. Servio Gbadamosi…. Where The Light Enters You
9. Onyeka Nwelue…An Angel On The Piano
10. Olumide Olaniyan…Akimbo In Limbo
11. Ifesinachi Nwadike…How Morning Remembers The Night
12. Ndubuisi Martins… Answers Through The Bramble
13. Obari Gomba… The Lilt Of The Rebel
14. Clara Jack…The Colors Of The Lust
15. S Haya….. Forgotten Breaths
PAWA POETRY PRIZE: LONG LIST (Arabic Category)
JUDGES: Ashraf Aboul-Yazid (Egypt); Fatima Bouhraka (Morocco)
1. Abdul Monem Ramadan…..Lover
2. Azza Hussain….Train
3. Fares Kebieche….No One
4. Hamid Bakheet….Secrets
5. Mahmoud Al Absi…. Heart
6. Moftah Al Ammari… People Of The Wind
7. Nosaiba Attah Allah …Hosted by Godo
8. Youssef Lazrak….Kept In Cold Space
9. Muhammad Salem Abada…..I Made My Life Stand Up
10. Hatim In Rahal….Yawagit From Samarkand
11. Bouh In Noah…. Staying Up Late For My Gambling
12. Muhammad Kamal Al-Din…..One Day Fate Will Bring Us Together
13. Aisha Gallab…. As Tall As Waiting
14. Muhammad Najib Ali…The Cell Of The Wings
15. Bashir Dhaif Allah….SMS
PAWA POETRY PRIZE:LONG LIST (French Category)
JUDGES: Dr Alain Serge Agnessan (Ivory Coast); Eric Bekale (Gabon); Ketline Adodo (Togo)
1. Kossi Sena Adufu…Des profondeurs de la vie
2. Pere Armel Fakeye….Confidences d’un prêtre
3. Giraud Mbarca…..Inspection de trop
4. Raafat Elsenosi….Début de la Genèse des fins
5. Sékou Chérif Haidara…. Cahier de vertiges
6. Samba Ndiaye …..Les Marrons du feu
7. Sadlay Fiat Lux……Le Fantôme du Griot et les perles de sa voix
8. Fatoumata Keita….Ce n’est jamais fini
9. Rosny le sage Souaga….. Mille nuits sans aurores
10. Ernest Koffiga Kavese. … Demain, La Plenitude
11. Danielle Gonai…… Mosaique
12. Kokovi Dzifa Galley …. Vagues a lame
13. Alain Ehoussou…. L’Amour en transe
14. Sebastien Vondoly….. Les Complaintes de la terre.
15. Abdoulaye Seck….Delices de l’ame et du coeur
PAWA POETRY PRIZE: LONG LIST (Kiswahili Category)
JUDGES: Dr Hamisi Babusa (Kenya); Ms Esther Karin Mngodo (Tanzania)
1. Abdullah Savonge….Moyo Wahemewa
2. Ali Mohammed…. Kilio Cha Sisimizi
3. Bashiru Abdallah…Wino Was Dhahabu
4. Djibril Adamu….Kipeto Cha Risala
5. Hamisi Kissamvu…Diwani Ya Mkanyaji
6. Justine Kakoko…Sauti Ya Hamasa
7. Rashid Othman Ali…Mapinduzi Ya Kalamu
8. Uledi Bryan….Mwanangu Kua Uyaone
The Short List will be out in two weeks time.
PAWA is highly indebted to the Judges for their labour of love.
Dr Wale Okediran
PAWA Secretary General
Su'eddie in Life n' Literature 