Bob MajiriOghene : Abuja Writers’ Forum

Poet, short story writer and public commentator Bob MajiriOghene will be the major featured  writer at the August 25 edition of the Guest Writer Session, an initiative of the Abuja Writers’ Forum (AWF), which holds at Hamdala Plaza, Plot 23, Jimmy Carter Street, off  Protea Hotel, Asokoro, Abuja. The other writers will be Onyinyechi Nwadinma and Ibrahim Zakama.

Author of Tears for a Birthday (poetry) and Deep Sighs (short stories), Bob MajiriOghene  began expressing his writing flair as a student-columnist with the Nigerian Observer in 1991 with a column that gained rapid popularity called  Acada Gist. He later worked with TELL news magazine first as staff, then as senior writer. He  was  also editorial assistant and columnist with Daily Independent Newspaper, Nigeria. His column identity then was Avant-garde.

MajiriOghene is published locally (Daily Independent, Pointer-on Saturday, TELL, The Guardian, The Nigerian Observer and Vanguard) and internationally by Associated Content aka YahooVoices, Equatorial Press, the German Kulturaustausch, Nigeriansinamerica and South Africa’s Urban Green File.

MajiriOghene has written numerous literary critiques and was also a thoroughbred SAT/TOEFL/Advanced Level Literature-in-English tutor with a track record of student success in those exams. He has manuscripts, one is SAT/TOEFL Essays: lesson notes, questions & Answers, being considered for publication in the United States of America as an e-book. The other is Secrets of a Diary, a story of love and hate  narrated by a diary.

A graduate of English from the universities of Benin and Lagos,  MajiriOghene was the recipient of two German fellowships organized by the International Institute of Journalism, IIJ of InWent, first in Ghana (Reporting on ECOWAS & its Institutions) and next in Berlin Germany (Environment Reporting) in 2008. He is in the process of undertaking  postgraduate studies.

He runs his own media and publishing agency, Bob MajiriOghene Communications, and works as office manager and editorial consultant with the law firm of Jackson, Kargbo & Associates.   His interests include chess, music, philately, writing, sports.

On the August bill with MajiriOghene will be  Onyinyechi Nwadinma and Ibrahim Zakama. Ms Nwadinma , whose short story, “My Vacation”, is published in the recent anthology of stories, Dreams at Dawn edited by Helon Habila, Tsitisi Dangeremgba and Madelieine Thien and published by Fidelity Bank, organizers of the annual International Creative Writing Worskhop, is  a graduate of University of Jos and intent on making a career in writing.

More information here

Mark Your Calendar...

There are so many events this week. Let's start with Infusion this Thursday. 

Crown Troupe at National Theatre this Friday

Book N Gauge XIII: Fine Boys Are Coming

This month, we would be featuring Eghosa Imasuen, author of Fine Boys and Unoma Azuah author of Edible Bones. 

Imasuen was born on 19 May 1976. He is a medical doctor and lives in Warri, in Nigeria’s Delta State. His short fiction is published online magazines like blackbiro.com and thenewgong.com. His first novel, To Saint Patrick, an alternate History story was published by Farafina. His latest work Fine Boys has been warmly received in literary circles. Eghosa would be discussing his latest work. 

Unoma N. Azuah teaches Composition and Creative Writing at Lane College, Jackson, Tennessee. She is an MFA graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, and has an MA in English from Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio, both in the US. Her undergraduate degree in English is from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. She has received a number of awards for her writings, which include the Hellman/Hammett award and the Leonard Trawick award.

Her latest work, a novel, Edible Bones has been warmly received in literary circles. It follows Kaitochukwu’s journey as an undocumented African immigrant in an unwelcoming American urban square, chronicling the distance between his grand expectations and his ensuing formidable fate. The need for a speedy decision becomes the one tough battle Kaito has to face when he finally visits how home country, Nigeria.

Performers

CLAY (Bianca okorocha) is a Pop/Rock singer and songwriter from Imo state based in Lagos, Nigeria. In addition to writing all of her own music, Clay has written for other artists. Starting in 2011, Clay released her first official single, entitled: “Ogadisinma,” under the indie label “FLAMING MEDIA”. 

Honey Adum is a Benue born multiinstrumentalist, songwriter, composer and singer. He plays a blend of soul, reggae and highlife. He was a top five finalist at the recently concluded Nigerian Idol Season 2.

Auction Session: There will be an auction session. What do you get? Latest books that you can only find online. Hot CDs that are yet to be on the streets. There is also a surprise X auction item, come to find out. What are you waiting for? Let the bargaining begin. 

Also: 

• A platform for book lovers to meet, interact and network. 
• Freebies, lots of it. Let’s start with this. Invite five friends, ensure they come for the event and win a free book.
• Live Musical performances by: Christine and Clay

DATE: June 30, 2012

TIME: STRICTLY 2pm – 5pm

VENUE: Debonair Bookstore, 294, Herbert Macaulay Way, Sabo, Yaba.

RSVP Event here

The iREP Monthly Documentary Film Screening 
This comes up this Saturday, 30th of June, at the Nigerian Film Corporation, Ikoyi, by 2pm prompt, and this time, we bring you THE BIG SELLOUT. You can't afford to miss this.

Abuja Writers Forum

The dynamic duo of award-winning journalist and activist Chido Onumah and debutant novelist Richard Ali, will be the featured writers in the June 30 edition of the Guest Writer Session, an initiative of the Abuja Writers’ Forum(AWF), which holds at Hamdala Plaza, Plot 23, Jimmy Carter Street, off Protea Hotel, Asokoro, Abuja.

The Guest Writer Session which started in June 2008 is generally regarded as the most consistent literary event in the country and has become the template for similar interventions, has this year already featured an interesting mix of writers including Uche Ezechukwu, Steve Okecha, Oyibo Ameh, K K Iloduba, Betty Abah and Abubakar Adam Ibrahim.

Chido Onumah, whose latest book is Time to Reclaim Nigeria (Essays 2001-2011), has worked as a journalist in Nigeria, Ghana, Canada, and India. He has been involved for more than a decade in media training for professional journalists as well as promoting media and information literacy in Africa. He is currently coordinator of the African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (AFRICMIL), Abuja, Nigeria. AFRICMIL is a pan-African centre dedicated to a new vision of media and information literacy as a key component in the education of young people in Africa. From 2002 to 2004, Onumah worked as Director of Africa programmes, Panos Institute, Washington, DC, U.S.A., helping journalists in West Africa, as well as the Caribbean, report in depth on issues that are frequently underreported or misreported — issues such as HIV/AIDS, environmental degradation, and ethnic and religious conflicts.

Richard Ali, whose debut novel, City of Memories, was published in May 2012 by Black Palms Publishers and has received generally warm reviews, hails from Idah in central Nigeria andwas born in Kano into the family of Mr. Adejo Ukwubile Ali, a Chartered Accountant, and his wife, Ajuma [nee Ocholi], a Grade II teacher, in the early 80’s.

The June 30, 2012 edition of the Guest Writer Session starts at 4pm and will include the usual side attractions of poetry performance, mini art exhibition, and a raffle-draw as well as live music. The Abuja Writer’s Forum meets three Sundays each month and hosts a reading on every last Saturday at the International Institute of Journalism, Hamdala Plaza, Jimmy Carter Street, Asokoro, Abuja.

Abuja Writers' Forum: March Guest Writer Session Featuring Theresa Oyibo Ameh and K K Iloduba

The tempo of the 2012 series of the Guest Writer Session will rise higher by several pulses on March 31 with Theresa Oyibo Ameh and K K Iloduba as the featured authors. An initiative of the Abuja Writers’ Forun (AWF) which started in June 2008 and has become the template for similar programmes nationwide, the Guest Writer Session holds by 4pm at the Pen and Pages Bookstore, Wuse 2, Abuja.

Teresa Ameh hails from Igalamela/ Odolu LGA of Kogi State and holds an NCE from the College of Education Katsina Ala and a BA in Library Sc/English from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka

Ms Ameh taught for seven years, possibly where she found the inspiration to write for children, before switching to a civil service career. A mother and philanthropist, she has five titles to her credit namely The Twins Visits, The Stepmother and other stories , Funmi the Polite Girl and other stories, Lessons from Aunty Talatu, and her most recent publication, The Only Son.

Kenechukwu K. Iloduba hails from Ozubulu, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State and holds a BSc Applied Mictobiology, Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism, Masters in Public Administration, and Masters of Science in Finance.

A passionate poet, Iloduba’s poems have been appeared in several local and foreign publications, and he has won prizes within and outside Nigeria. His debut poetry collection, In The Arms of Misery was voted by The Sun as one of the Top 30 books of 2007, while the book caught the attention of several reviewers. In an article on the collection, Professor Mabel Evierhoma of the University of Abuja observes that though K K Iloduba is not an indigene of the Niger Delta, he shows through the poems how creativity can be used to mitigate the sundry challenges faced by humanity.

K K Iloduba resides in Abuja, is married to Sandra Onyebuchi Ibili and his second collection, Immortal Whispers is due off the press later in the year.

The 2012 series of the monthly Guest Writer Session took off on February 25th with the duo of Uche Ezechukwu and Steve Okecha in a highly entertaining and enlightening event that witnessed a large turnout.

Since its inception four years ago, the Guest Writer Session has been a consistent feature of the nation’s literary scene. The March 31, 2012 edition will include the usual side attractions of poetry performance, mini art exhibition, and a raffle-draw as well as live music. The Abuja Writer’s Forum meets three Sundays each month and hosts a reading on every last Saturday at the International Institute of Journalism and Pen and Pages respectively.


CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: abujawriters@fastermail.com

Website: http://www.abujawritersforum.com/

AWF 2009 Literary Contest

As part of its objectives to promote the development of literature within Nigeria and beyond, the Abuja Writers’ Forum(AWF) proudly announces the AWF 2009 Literary Contest. Here are some rules:

The contest in this category is exclusively for writers resident in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) – that is Abuja and the Council Areas of Abaji, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali. Submissions should be of previously unpublished work in Fiction (Short Story), Poetry or Drama(One-Act Play). If the work has appeared in print or online in any form or part, or under any title, it is ineligible and will be disqualified. However entries in last year’s contest which did not win can be resubmitted if they have been reworked.

Contestants can enter in all three genres but only one entry per contestant in each genre. Send three typed copies of each entry and include on a separate sheet, contestants name, proper contact address, email, phone number(s), and title of entry. Entries should be sent to : AWF Literary Contest, P.O.Box 7131, Wuse, Abuja.

And the prize money? Top three in each category will win N50,000, N30,000 and N10,000 respectively.

Click here for more information.

Azuah Azuah at Abuja Writers Forum

The tenth edition of the Guest Writer Session, an Abuja Writers’ Forum (AWF) initiative, features Ms Unoma Nguemo Azuah on May 30. 

Azuah teaches Composition and Creative Writing at Lane College, Jackson, Tennessee. She is an MFA graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia. She also has an MA in English from Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio. Her undergraduate degree in English is from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. As an undergraduate at Nsukka, she edited the English department literary journal—The Muse and received the awards of the best Creative Writing student for two consecutives years: 1992 and 1993. Her other awards include 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.

Azuah is also involved with “The Griot Collective,” a poetry group that organizes workshops and readings for adults and high school students in the West Tennessee area. She has conducted writing workshops for incarcerated mothers and women in prison as a way of creating outlets for their expressions. Part of her focus in such workshops is to assist women in channeling their energy into literary expressions as a way of freeing their spirits in spite of their physical imprisonment.

Ms Azuah has shared her works in cities like Pomona, Los Angeles- California, Washington, DC, Little Rock, Arkansas, Cleveland, Ohio, Eugene, Oregon, New York City, Kingston, Canada, The University of Humboldt, Germany, Nigeria and Jackson, Tennessee among others. Part of Ms. Azuah’s project has been to explore the political disillusionment suffered by Africans due to corrupt government and their subsequent urge to migrate to the west even when they face alienation and homesickness. These themes are the focus of a poetry anthology called “On Broken Wings,” which she recently edited.

She was the publicity secretary Women Writers of Nigeria, and was also the Secretary, Association of Nigerian Authors, Lagos State Branch and is currently working on her second collection of poems entitled “Home is Where the Heart Hurts”.

The reading session will hold later in the day by 4pm at the regular venue, Pen and Pages Bookstore, White House Plaza, Plot 79, Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja and will include the usual side attractions of poetry performance, mini art exhibition and live music.

Read an interview with Unoma Azuah on TBB soon!

Prize-Winning Writers Visit Abuja

Two Prize-Winning writers, Musa Idris Okpanachi and Uwem Akpan, will be in Abuja for the March 2009 edition of the Guest Writer Session organised by the Abuja Writers’ Forum (AWF).

Uwem Akpan, a Nigerian Jesuit Priest, has just joined the list of winners of the Commonwealth Prize for Literature in the Best First Book category of the Africa region. Akpan who started writing fiction ten years ago, was born at Iko Akpan Eda in Akwa Ibom state. He studied Philosophy and English at Creighton and Gonzaga universities and Theology at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. He has taught English and Literature-in-English in Nigerian secondary schools and received an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan in 2006. Prior to his Commonwealth Prize for Literature feat, he was on the Caine shortlist.

Musa Idris Okpanachi hails from Kogi Sate and a long-serving member of the Department of English, University of Miaduguri. Dr Okpanachi’s poetry collection, The Eaters of the Living published by Kraft Books Limited won the 2008 ANA/Cadbury Prize for Poetry.  The judges had commented that “Okpanachi reveals himself as the voice of the downtrodden with the uncanny ability to transform simple words into powerful imagery of bullets pulling down the fortress of oppression erected by the members of the ruling class who are depicted as heartless predators.”

The Guest Writer Sessions have been created by the Abuja Writers’ Forum to improve interaction between writers and literary enthusiasts, and boost better publicity and distribution for writers’ works. It takes place on the last Saturday of the month by 4pm at the Pen and Pages Bookstore, 79 Adetokunbo Ademola Street, Wuse 2, Abuja and features side attractions of live music, performance poetry and art exhibition. The Okpanachi-Akpan double-header takes place on March 28, 2009.