Tanure Ojaide, Obari Gomba, Servio Gbadamosi, Eche Nduka, Olumide Olaniyan, Bashiru Abdallah, & Danielle Gonai make PAWA Poetry Prize Shortlist

It is meant to be about the four categories Arabic, Kiswahili, English and French but the English group is offering thrills with a shortlist made of five top Nigerian poets including the academic superstars, Tanure Ojaide and Obari Gomba, the pianist Eche Nduka, the graceful Olumide Olaniyan and the publisher, Servio Gbadamosi. It is a hot race for the $2000 prize in this group of death but same could be said of the other categories all in contention for their respective $2000. The Arab contenders have Abdul Monem Ramadan and Nosaiba Attah Allah, among others; the French warriors are Fatoumata Keita and Danielle Gonai; and finally the Kiswahili group have Rashid Othman Ali and Bashiru Abdallah. Of course, this is a snippet of the full tale…and we can only imagine the suspense… They wouldn’t have too long to wait as the winners will be unveiled before the end of February. Meanwhile, more info on the longlist and a glimpse at the profile of the shortlisted authors, amongst others can be found HERE. Dear friends, without further ado, find following the shortlist for the inaugural PAWA Poetry Prize as released by Dr. Wale Okediran, Secretary-General of the Association. PAWA POETRY PRIZE: SHORT LIST  (Arabic Category) JUDGES: Ashraf Aboul-Yazid (Egypt) and Fatima Bouhraka (Morocco) 1. Abdul Monem Ramadan…..Lover 2. Miftah Al – Amari… People Of The Wind 3. Nosaiba Atta Allah …Hosted by Godo 4. Mohamed Naquib Mohamed Ali…The Cell Of The Wings PAWA POETRY PRIZE: SHORT LIST (English Category) JUDGES: Prof Kwadwo Opoku-Agyemang (Ghana), John Rusimbi (Rwanda), Dr Idris Okpanachi (Nigeria), Lillian Aujo (Uganda) & Maureen Isaacson (South Africa) 1. Echezonachukwu Nduka…. Chrysanthemum For Wide Eyed Ghosts 2. Tanure Ojaide….A Poetic Diary Of The Coronavirus Epidemic 3.  Servio Gbadamosi…. Where The Light Enters You 4. Olumide Olaniyan…Akimbo In Limbo 5. Obari Gomba… The Lilt Of The Rebel SHORT LIST ( French Category) JUDGES: Dr Alain Serge Agnessan (Ivory Coast), Eric Bekale ( Gabon), & Ketline Adodo (Togo) 1. Ernest Koffiga Kavege.  … Demain, La Plenitude 2.  Danielle Gonai…… Mosaique 3. Sékou Chérif Haidara, Cahier de vertiges 4. Fatoumata Keita, Ce n’est jamais fini. 5. Abdoulaye Seck: Délices de l’âme et  coeur 6. Kossi Sena Adufu:  Des profondeurs de la vie SHORT LIST (Kiswahili Category) JUDGES: Dr Hamisi Babusa (Kenya) & Ms Esther Karin Mngodo (Tanzania) 1. Ali Mohammed…. Kilio Cha Sisimizi 2. Bashiru Abdallah…Wino Was Dhahabu 3. Djibril Adamu….Kipeto Cha Risala 4. Rashid Othman Ali…Mapinduzi Ya Kalamu The Judges will give us the winning List of the $2,000 per category Prizes before the end of February 2022. PAWA is highly indebted to the Judges for their hard work and dedication. Dr Wale Okediran PAWA Secretary General Well done to the POWERful PAWA. Congratulations to the shortlisted poets and best wishes!! 😘

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