BENUE BOOK AND ARTS FESTIVAL HOLDS IN MAKURDI 20th to 25th June 2022

The Benue Book and Arts Festival is here again and promises to be spectacular! We have an impressive list of star writers, artists and people from all over coming together to provide such beautiful literary and engaging fun as you have not seen before.

This year’s edition is billed for June 20th to 25th 2022, and is themed ‘ART AND THE CONVERGENCE.’ The theme is open-ended but can also be seen as how art converges with other things for results: whether it be history, activism, development, anarchy, or just about anything. It can also be looked at in the light of art surrounded by the convergence of people, things or a state in any context. Some of the projected panels including some on publishing and editing, the metaverse, and the role of arts in various spheres. There will be a slam competition worth a hundred thousand on the night of June 25th 2022. On the same day, there is also meant to be a competition for secondary schools that will feature drama, on-the-spot writing, and a spelling bee. It will also feature the book unveiling of the talented and popular poets, Umar Sidi and Oko Owi Ocho Afrika (who is a co-director of the festival for this year).

There will be virtual sessions throughout the festival, with daily critique and writer sessions by 4:30pm at Metroprime Hotel (from 20th to 23rd June 2022 with a palm wine reading on the 23rd where we hope to have a high-profile conversation on ‘Deconstructing the Canon: Literature, Language, Theories, Politics and Nationhood’ featuring Professors Dul Johnson and Egya Sule, with other scholars). The major part of the festival will be held at Steam Lounge, Old GRA, Makurdi, Benue State, on the 24th and 25th June 2022 (from 9am to 9pm).

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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

ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIAN AUTHORS 2014 LITERARY PRIZES SHORTLIST

The following creative works are shortlisted in alphabetical order (by titles of entries) and not necessarily in order of merit. The eventual winners will be announced at the Award Dinner of the 33rd International Convention of the Association of Nigerian Authors in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. ANA PROSE PRIZE Bottom of Another tale by @Su’eddie … Continue reading ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIAN AUTHORS 2014 LITERARY PRIZES SHORTLIST

THE LOYOLA JESUIT WORKSHOP FOR WRITERS (II): THE WORKSHOP

Okay, you have an idea of the pre-event. The participants in the hall of Loyola Jesuit College, Gidan-Mangoro were ready for the creative writers’ workshop . After introductions, Mr. Benjamin Yio (the Manager of Aboki Publishers) took the first shot. He delivered a paper on Publishing. Considering how tasking a topic it is, I wondered how … Continue reading THE LOYOLA JESUIT WORKSHOP FOR WRITERS (II): THE WORKSHOP

UNOMA NGUEMO AZUAH COMES HOME TO BENUE TO CHEW HER EDIBLE BONES

Unoma Azuah…Unoma Azuah… Who the hell is she? Right? Well, she’s one of Nigeria’s finest writers and academics. She got the Hellman/Hammett award, the Urban Spectrum award, the Leonard Trawick award and the Association of Nigerian Authors/NDDC Flora Nwapa award for her debut novel Sky-high Flames. Her short story collection, The Length of Light though … Continue reading UNOMA NGUEMO AZUAH COMES HOME TO BENUE TO CHEW HER EDIBLE BONES