… as children display skills

By Japhet Alakam & Prisca Sam-Duru

The hall was filled with children, who kick-started the event with their drama performance, read excerpts from the books, reviewed the books and even moderated during the question and answer session.

Ordinarily one will be asking whether it was another children’s day in August or any other children party, but that was not to be, rather it was the third edition of what has become an annual ritual otherwise known as the CORA Book Party.

Packaged by the Committee for Relevant Arts (CORA) as part of its contribution towards creating awareness for the prestigious Nigerian Prize for Literature endowed by NLNG by bringing the short listed writers and their books to the general public long before the final winner will be announced in September.

he six shortlisted writers( l-r)mMai Nasara ( Adeleke Adeyemi) Uche Peter Umez, Philip Begho, Ayodele Olofintuade, Thelma Nwokeji and Chinere Obi-Obasi at the CORA book party last Sunday.

The event which was held at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island was highly attended by children as this year’s prize focused on Children literature, prominent writers, publishers, businessmen and members of the literary family and it afforded them the opportunity of exploring the vast range of ideas contained in the six selected children books.

Among them were Dr Jerry Agada, ANA President and advisory board member of the prize, Hyacinth Obumselu, Prof. Akachi Ezeigbo, former winner of the prize and head of the jury, Mrs Mobolaji, Prof. Sofi Oluwole and others.

The event which kicked off with a scintillating dance drama performance by the Footprints of Africa- the children version of the Crown Troupes of Africa who like their father, dramatically exposed some of the ills in the country and the crisis in the world.

After that, Toyin Akinosho in his characteristic manner read some excerpts from one of the shortlisted books which he refused to mention the author for fear of the unknown. He then told the gathering that the essence of organising the Book Party was to create room for enough discussions on the shortlisted books to enable the community have an idea of their content.

Toyin explained that last year, a total of eleven books were discussed but this year, only six books have been chosen from the long list. He also explained why the day belonged to the children. According to him “this year’s book party is the most important of all the three book parties we have organised because it focused on children and children have been a central focus of the book reading awareness that CORA initiated.”

He went on and gave two reasons behind the day’s event which is to expand the membership of the community of culture patrons and the need for an extension service for the book industry.

Continuing, he pointed out that though Nigerians produce remarkably good books, the books are not well discussed hence, they are not made aware. So there is the need to make the books that made it to this level, known in all communities of the country hence CORA used the award as an opportunity to actualize that through the series of events. “Our ambition is to help that happen, to extend the star attraction of the award winner beyond the Gala Nite of the award.” He added.

Finally, he read out the six books on the shortlist and introduced the authors to the audience. They are: The Runaway Hero written by Uche Peter Umez; Aunty Felicia Goes to School by Philip Begho; Ayodele Olofintuade’s Eno’s Story ; The Great Fall by Chinyere Obi-Obasi; Mai Nasara’s The Missing Clock and Red Nest by Thelma Nwokeji.

The event turned out an occasion for readings, book discussions, conversations and performances with children and young adults playing a key role,

The review session of the books which was moderated by Daga Tollar saw six children from Alakoko Senior Grammer School, Tolu Complex, Ajegunle exhibit their academic excellence. The children who just graduated from Junior secondary level, stunned the audience with their comportment, diction and fluency in the way they reviewed the books and discussed the individual work to the delight of the audience.

The second phase also saw six other children who read excerpts from the books and after that the duo of Ayo Aribaba and Kora Ayo both youths took over the question and answer session where writers answered questions about their books, especially those relating to the characters and what they intended to achieve with the books.

Speaking earlier, the head of the jury for this year’s prize, Prof. Akachi Adimora Ezeigbo, a Professor of English from University of Lagos and a past co- winner of the prize while reacting to the question on what it takes to write children literature stated that to write for children is not easy as people think because a lot of factors are involved. These factors include, the content, relevance, techniques and the editorial standard. Other factors are dialogue, vocabulary control, character, morals and illustrations. These factors must be taking into consideration before one will come out with children literature.

In his remarks, Dr Jerry Agada, ANA president and advisory board member of the NPL, thanked CORA for putting the book party together and the writers being celebrated for making the shortlist.

According to him, “the children are happy interacting with the writers unlike in our days when we read Charles Dickson and other authors that exposed us to foreign values, but they now have books by Nigerian authors that try to advance the cultural values of our people.” He described the six writers as legends already and charged the children to study hard so that they will become writers because “ as a writer you are well celebrated, you are everywhere, there is nothing in this world you will not enjoy being an author. You are here and people are reading your work all over the world.”

On her part the professor of African Culture, Prof. Sofi Oluwole charged writers to write with the language of our culture so that they can communicate very well.

The writers on their part also gave reasons they write children literature, which were among other things, to encourage the children to be better writers as well as to be good readers.

It was a happy evening for the writers, the children and the organisers, but in all, the fact remains that one of the writers will go home with the coveted prize money which has been increased from $50,000 to $100,000. And as people anxiously wait for that there was a plea by the children to NLNG to institute a similar prize for children writers since they can not favourably compete with the adults.