By Prisca Sam-Duru

The number of guests that turned up for the annual CORA-The Nigeria Prize for Literature Book Party was quite impressive as the literati, families, friends etc., filled venue of the occasion.

The party sponsored by Nigeria LNG, is a literary feast of ideas which customarily holds in hounor of 11 longlist of writers in the Nigeria Prize for Literature annual competition. It took place last Sunday, August 7, 2022, at the Shell Hall MUSON Centre, Lagos.

Being the 13th edition, the book feast that witnessed a hall filled to the brim, was also live streamed to a global audience via zoom, and social media platforms.

The Literature prize which rotates yearly among four genres – fiction, poetry, drama and children’s literature, focuses on poetry this 2022. And chasing this year’s prize money of $100,000 are 11 longlisted authors in whose honour the Book Party was organised. The poetry collections and author include; Dispossessed by James Eze; Memory and the Call of Waters by Su’eddie Agema;  The Lilt of The Rebel by Dr. Obari Gomba; Augusta’s Poodle by Dr. Ogaga Ifowodo; Coming Undone As Stitches Tighten by Iquo DianaAbasi and The Love Canticles by Chijioke Amu Nnadi. Others are Nomad by Romeo Oriogun;  Ife Testament by Prof. Olusegun Adekoya; Saddiq Dzukogi (Your Crib, My Qibla); Wanderer Cantos by Prof. Remi Raji, and Yawns and Belches by Prof. Joseph Ushie. Out of the 11, three poets; Romeo Oriogun,  Prof. Olusegun Adekoya and Saddiq Dzukogi, attended the Party virtually.

As it is traditional, a shortlist of three is expected to be released next month while a winner if any, will be announced in October.

Cultural performances set the mood for the occasion before the poets were ushered to the stage by Chairman of CORA, Jahman Anikulapo. They engaged in a most inspiring conversation with the moderator, Kola Tubosun, and much later, members of the audience who were given time to ask questions.

The poets first read portions from their collections after which they answered questions bothering on what inspired them to publish the longlisted works and what poetry meant to them. The authors in no small way, thrilled the audience as they read poems cutting across themes of love, politics, culture, life, society, etc., from their books.

Aside entertainment by cultural troupes, some of the poets like DianaAbasi, and Agema turned parts of their readings into songs. Agema especially, made minstrels out of the audience, lighting up the entire event with excitement.

While explaining what inspired her to write, the only female poet on the list, Iquo DianaAbasi said, “The poems in this collection were not written for a particular purpose, however, I decided to compile this, because they document and pay homage to the situation that is Nigeria for the last seven years”. For her, poetry “helps me escape the madness in the world. It is a way to give freedom, give voice to those who aren’t heard. It’s a way of me breaking free from all the things that have shackled me. This is a means by which I interrogate myself, using everything around me and things happening to people in the country and in the world, and it’s how I discover who I really am and I help give a voice to others through that discovery.”

Ifowodo, told the audience that his aim was to “recapture memories that have to do with an unusual childhood”, adding that, “I was born in one place and I opened my eyes to another. My father died when I was 11 months old, so my mother left my father’s hometown to her hometown. Sharing my time between the village and the city made me see life in a different way. I decided to capture those childhood memories, thereby affirming my identity and place.”

On what inspired him to publish ‘Dispossessed’, James Eze, explained that, “My parents were victims of the Biafran war, and they were dispossessed of all they had. I lived with the memories of the stories they told me, and I still feel dispossessed of the things I should have, as a Nigerian citizen, and Nigeria has not treated me any better than my parents were treated. Our environment had made it difficult for us to heal from our wounds. It won’t be just me if my first poetry book did not address the situation of people who seem to be dispossessed, not because they are lacking in ability, quality and any other thing. There are so many voices of tension rising in the country. We are all dispossessed in one way or another, and that is what my book addresses.”

For Nnadi “I have a long-running engagement with poetry, especially poetry of love and beyond. I’m concerned about the things of earth. The Love Canticles is part of my journey, part of an unashamed stripping of self so that I tell my story as simply and as nakedly as I like.”

Obari Gomba, disclosed that he did not set out to write any poem on politics but according to him, “When doing this collection, I decided to select non-political poems, I wanted to do something that has nothing to do with politics. Towards the end of the collection, I started getting angry about a number of things, so I decided to add two new sections; one covers my reflection on the Nigerian situation, and the other on the global import of resistance”.

On his part, Ushie, told the audience about his attitude towards writing which he said has been very consistent, in terms of the lot of the human condition. “When we say we are human it means that collectively there is that thing that ties us together, but in reality, we are divided into two, in terms of those who are belching because they have eaten to their fill, and those who are yawning because they have nothing to eat. That is what runs through the poems, and it applies to so many situations. The Nigerian society is divided between those who are eating and those who are yawning.”

Drawing the curtain on the day’s event, Acting Manager, Corporate Communication and Public Affairs, Nigeria LNG Limited, Anne-Marie Palmer-Ikuku, appreciated guests for being a part of the Book Party, saying, “Our interaction tonight brought to life the value of literature to our reading community – enlightenment, entertainment, and education”.

“Listening to the respective authors of the shortlist of 11, one can tell that these fresh poetic styles and narratives are capable of eliciting scholars and readers’ interest in the books. I implore us all to make time to read each of these books and to savour the excellent writings. “At this juncture, I must commend Nigerian writers for continuously and ambitiously raising the bar towards winning the $100,000 prize money which The Nigeria Prize for Literature offers and other reputable international prizes as well. Coming this far in the competition also attests to your excellent writing skills. We at Nigeria LNG are proud of you and we celebrate your prowess in the industry”, she stated.

Wrapping up proceedings, CORA Board of Trustee Chairman, Chief Kayode Aderinokun, said the Book Party “Confers and confirms the kind of collaboration that Nigeria LNG Ltd and CORA have had over a period of 20 years. “It’s a most beautiful collaboration and we are very excited about the number of people who have been responding to this event over so many years, because a book event isn’t like a normal party, but the turnout is huge. I want to recognize the writers who are being celebrated. The kind of talent captured here shows that there is hope for Nigeria.”