Tag: Literature

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Accra Chronicles: An Unforgettable Journey to a Literary Extravaganza (1)

Accra called out to us from all over the world for a five-day feast of words, companionship and one of the biggest symposia on the continent this year, bringing writers of class across Africa’s breath and the diaspora for a top class literary production. The cast for the event was a scheduled thirty-seven all-star ensemble that grew into a larger gathering of legends. Topping the headlines for the NYU Accra Lagone Dialogue was the Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka and the keynote speakers, Chris Abani, Aminatta Forna, and Jennifer Makumbi – people whose names all speak for themselves. I found my name on the list, courtesy of an invitation by the Director of the NYU Accra site, Chike Frankie Edozien, seasoned journalist and author of The Lives of Great Men. He had pursued me with his invitation from Abuja to London and Nottingham, ensuring in his magnanimity that my costs of travel were fully covered, even if I was to come in from the North Pole. Well, that is where my story starts…like every journey, at the point just before I got to the bus park.

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EVOKING UBUNTU AT THE LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS: AN EVENING OF AFRICAN HERITAGE WITH SU’EDDIE AGEMA, MCINERNEY, MWAMBULUKUTU, CHRIS AGAPE, JOSHUA OMEKE, VICTORY OSARUMWENSE AND ORAYYY

by S. Su’eddie Vershima Agema

In showing the art side of its curriculum while celebrating Africa and Black History Month, the London School of Economics hosted its second Ubuntu Café (a.k.a Ubuntu 2.0) at the GenDen on 12th October 2023 from 5:30 to 9:00pm. Hosted by the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa (FLIA) and Programme for African Leadership (PfAL), the event was themed ‘Roots, Bridges, and Echoes: Reclaiming our Stories.’

Established in 2022, the Ubuntu Café aims to foster connections amongst African students at LSE and those with an affinity for African culture. Beyond a mere gathering, the café provides an avenue for intellectual stimulation, creativity, and lively discussions through several ways including competitions, talks, debates, poetry, music, and art.

Ubuntu 2.0 featured a book launch/conversation and performances from artists including Will McInerney, Victory Osarumwense, Chris Agape, Joshua Omeke, Su’eddie Vershima Agema, and Elizabeth Mwambulukutu, anchored by the dynamic creative, Orayyy. Kicking off at 5:30 pm at the LSE GenDen, the event was orchestrated by the FLIA team, comprising of Tosin Adebisi, Ivonne Olusoga, and Daniella Gutiérrez-Torres, ensuring attendees had a memorable experience.

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AFRICAN LITERARY TITANS GATHER IN ACCRA TO RECLAIM NARRATIVES AT THE LABONE DIALOGUES (OCTOBER 19-23rd 2023)

The literary headlines are set to explode with various takeaways and exciting episodes from Lagone, Africa from 19th October 2023 and beyond as Africa’s finest literary heavyweights across generations converge in Lagone, Accra, Ghana for what might be one of the continent’s finest literary festivals this year. ‘The Labone Dialogues by NYU Accra’ curated by … Continue reading AFRICAN LITERARY TITANS GATHER IN ACCRA TO RECLAIM NARRATIVES AT THE LABONE DIALOGUES (OCTOBER 19-23rd 2023)

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ANNOUNCING: The SEVHAGE Literary Prizes for Africans 2023 (Deadline: 21st August 2023)

Calling all African wordsmiths and literary trailblazers! Prepare to embark on an exhilarating journey into the world of captivating storytelling and profound insights. The SEVHAGE Literary Prizes are back, bigger and better than ever before, and this time, we are calling on African writers from all corners of the globe to unleash their creative brilliance. … Continue reading ANNOUNCING: The SEVHAGE Literary Prizes for Africans 2023 (Deadline: 21st August 2023)

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THIS REVIEW DOES NOT COME TO YOU BY CHANCE by S. Su’eddie Vershima Agema

(A Review of Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani’s I do not come to you by chance)

What is the difference between yesterday and today? When we sin for those we love, killing ourselves that ours may live, what lines do we cross? In the struggle to make ends meet and turn from being the scourge of society, what sacrifices do we make? And when we reap from the greed of others, are we really to be blamed?

There are a million and one questions like these and others that life places on us every day but imagine this: you are a first son with a million needs. You graduated summa cum laude in Chemical Engineering and have tried every single job opening without success. Add to this: your babe leaves you because you are too broke. Everyone scorns you like the wretched of the earth. Well, truth be said, when poverty chews life’s essence out of you, what else are you? But still putting ourselves in the shows of this man that for a moment we assume we are: imagine your father falls ill and there’s hardly any money to take care of him. He’s admitted…and then you get some really good news; your brother has gotten admission into the university. Before you can cry at this ‘fortune’, your dad dies leaving the burden of his funeral and your family on your shoulders…

Oh well, what next is there to do?

But let us add this part, to make it better for you: You have an uncle is a 419 Lord who has been asking you to come and join him… You have held back because of your family’s high value on education above everything else. They hope you will get a job despite the gazillion interviews you have not passed. So… Morals or money? To follow family honour and the words of your father on integrity or face the challenge of reality? What would you do especially now that the honour of your family is engraved in a life that is now outspent?

Have heard of the book I Do Not Come to You by Chance by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani. It is a novel whose Nigerian versions were published in 2009 by Cassava Republic and more recently, in 2019 by the revolutionising publishing house, Masobe Books.

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Niyi Osundare’s new book ‘Green: Sighs of our Ailing Planet’ debuts January 2022

This is awesome news for Niyi Osundare’s fans: he has a new book out in January 2022. Yaaaaay! Titled Green: Sighs of our Ailing Planet, the collection is an urgent collection of necessity born out of the poet’s need to speak to issues that plague the world. The overview of the book on Barnes and Noble notes that it “is a critical pastoral of poems concerning the environment aroudn the world, from place to place…a book relevant and hopeful for people to stop and reflect on the endangered beauty of all of nature.”

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A DATE WITH BENUE’S FIRST LADY AT THE 6TH ESLF READ ALOUD CAMPAIGN by S. V. Agema

Friday, 22nd October 2021 In the sleepy back neighbourhood of Poor in Makurdi, at the RCM Primary School, there was a lot of excitement. The teachers, pupils, and invited pupils from NKST Primary School, Yaikyor and Promise of God International, Poor waited with bated breath for the arrival of Benue State’s First Lady and Founder, … Continue reading A DATE WITH BENUE’S FIRST LADY AT THE 6TH ESLF READ ALOUD CAMPAIGN by S. V. Agema

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BENUE BOOK AND ARTS FESTIVAL FOR JUNE 20 TO 22 2019 IN MAKURDI, NIGERIA

The Benue Book and Arts festival (presented by SEVHAGE) is scheduled to take place in Makurdi the capital city of Benue State in Nigeria from 20th to 22nd June, 2019. It is being organised by SEVHAGE Literary & Development Initiative and SEVHAGE Publishers as part of the SEVHAGE Presents series of festivals. Featured writers include Professor Dul Johnson (Winner, ANA Prize for Fiction 2017), Dr. Maria Ajima (multiple award winning writer and critic, leading voice in Northern Nigerian literature), Agatha Agema (nee Aduro) (author of The Enchanting and other poems); sensational writer and prolific author, Chuma Nwokolo, Innocence Silas Sharamang (Double Winner of the Korea Nigeria Poetry Prize), Servio Gbadamosi (ANA Prize for Poetry 2015 and Shortlist, Wole Soyinka Prize 2018); the literary administrator and author of City of Memories, Richard Ali; short story writer and social media influencer Eketti Edime, Bizuum Yadok; T. J. Benson (award winning author of We won’t fade into darkness); spoken word maestro Bash Amuneni; spoken word diva and amazing poet, Daisy Odey; Maik Ortserga; Jide Badmus (author of Scriptures), Chinua Ezenwa-Ohaeto (multiple award winning poet), Seun Odukoya, Ahmed Maiwada (award winning poet), Isaac Attah Ogezi (award winning playwright), Mimi Werna, Aondosoo Labe, Debbie Iorliam, Oko Owi Ocho; Torkwase Igbana; Odoh Diego Okenyodo; amongst several others.

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: ANA REVIEW DEADLINE: 8th August 2013

        POEMS, SHORT STORIES, CRITICAL ESSAYS, INTERVIEWS, CONFERENCE REPORTS< BOOK REVIEWS, AUTHOR/CRITIC PROFILES, REPORTS FROM BENEFICIARIES OF FELLOWSHIPS/GRANTS AND MISCELLANEA… DEADLINE: 8th August 2013   The Editorial Board of ANA REVIEW, the in-house journal of the Association of Nigerian Authors, invites contributions from writers across the country and in other continents, for … Continue reading CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: ANA REVIEW DEADLINE: 8th August 2013