Mark Your Calendars

Book ‘n’ Gauge II: 4 Writers, 3 Performers, 1 Afternoon + YOU

The second edition of Book n Gauge is scheduled to hold on 30th July, 2011 @ Debonair Bookstore, 294, Herbert Macaulay Way, Sabo, Yaba. 3pm - 6pm. In the month of July, we would be hosting you to four amazing writers, three performers and it’s going to be a blast. It’s an afternoon of readings, live performances and you.   Be our guest at this free event!

Readings:

Toni Kan is popularly known as one-time editor of Hints. The award winning poet, essayist and short story writer is the author of the acclaimed poetry collection When a Dream Lingers Too Long and the novella Ballad of Rage. His latest work Nights of the Creaking Bed is full of colourful characters involved in affecting dramas: a girl rejected in love because she has three brothers to look after; a middle-aged housewife who finds love again but has an impossible decision to make; a young man who can't get the image of his naked, beautiful mother out of his mind. With years of experience in the corporate sector, loads of laughter, the witty award-winning Toni Kan is always a delight.  

Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo is a lecturer, writer, novelist, critic, essayist, journalist, and administrator. She has written over twenty books. Her latest work Roses and Bullets, published by Jalaa Writers’ Collective is about the Nigerian Civil War.  The former winner of the NLNG Prize for Literature, the biggest prize for literature in Nigeria, heads the Prize’s panel of judges this year.

Jumoke Verissimo is a confirmed wordsmith; she has worked as a journalist, copywriter, sub-editor and editor. Her award-winning collection of poems, I am Memory explores the idea of memory. She has been a guest poet at the 48th Struga Poetry Evenings, Macedonia and 15th Norwegian Literature Festival in Lillehammer, Norway. Her work has won many awards which include First Prize, Carlos Idize Ahmad Prize for a first book of Poetry 2009; Second Prize, Anthony Agbo Prize for Poetry 2009 and Honourable Mention Association of Nigeria (Poetry) 2009. She electrifies the stage with her poetry performances.

Uche Ezeh -Al is known as a copywriter in the corporate communications sector. His works has won many awards in brands communication. Jungle Drumbeats is his first published novel.

Performances

Kafayat  Quadri

Kafayat Quadri started playing guitar at the age of 13, thanks to her music loving Dad who introduced her to the world of music and mouth organs. He played tunes from Rex Lawson, Fela Anikulapo Kuti and Haruna Ishola on the guitar and mouth organ sometimes accompanied with the talking drum. Her first guitar performance was at her secondary school, since then, she’s been stuck. If you ever visit Theatre@Terra, the young lady who opens the plays with music; that’s Kafayat!

Aramide

An addicted lover of music, she has written over 100 songs. In 2008, she was part of a show called ‘Divas Unplugged’ in the city of Jos; the show had all the leading female artistes in the Nigerian music industry. Aramide is also a Guitarist and the Saxophonist. She’s passionate about are freedom of women and love. She has worked with artistes like M.I and Jesse Jagz. For soulful Aramide, music is life.

D Tone

He’s one of the new Nigerian singers to watch out for. His new singles “Sunkun Ife” and“Ife Gbagbara” have been attracting rave reviews. He has performed on stages with Nigerian musicians like Dj Zeez, M I, Banky, 2 face, 9ice, Sunny Ade, Femi Kuti and P-Square. Eyes closed, fingers strumming the guitar, sonorous voice tantalizing the audience, D Tone is always a delight to watch.

There promises to be:                            

• A one-on-one interaction between authors and readers
• A platform for book enthusiasts to meet, interact and network. (Members of PulpFactionClub on Facebook and followers on Twitter would have a grand opportunity to meet).
• Freebies
• Live Musical performances by:  guitar masters D Tone and Kafayat  Quadri; and a surprise performance by Aramide.
• Book signing

RSVP the event here. 

 Celebrity Read

Read2Rise Initiative, Terra Kulture, Speedmeals Mobile Kitchen and CITY 105.1 FM Presents: 11th CelebrityRead Africa - Writers’ Edition!

Date: 30th (Saturday) July 2011 

Venue: Terra Kulture, Tiamiyu Savage Str., VI - Lagos. 

Time: 3pm prompt.

Reading: 

E.C. Osondu (Author of 'Voice of America')

Linda Ikeji (Popular Blogger/Journalist)

Geraldine Iheme (Author of ‘Disfigured Emotions’)

Ugo Chime (Popular Blogger on DailyTimes Online)

Bola Essien-Nelson (Author of ‘The Diary of a Desperate Naija Woman')

Nwabundo Onyeabo (Author of ‘Out of Curiosity')

Jennifer Ehidiamen (Author of ‘Preserve my Saltiness')

Uzor Maxim Uzoato (Author of 'God of Poetry')

Debola Omololu (CEO, Debonair Bookstores)

Special Appearances:

Djinee (Singer/Songwriter/TV Presenter)

Nathaniel 'Flo' Akinremi (Producer/Songwriter)

Guest Publishers/Book Dealers:

JALAA

Cassava Republic

Magic Wand

DADA Books

Debonair Bookstores

Hoofbeat Publishers

There'd be food (courtesy Speedmeals Mobile Kitchen). Also, Simplicity Craft Academy (a vocational training center) would be giving away 10 discount vouchers on upcoming courses.

Live Musical performances by: Strings, Eleri and Johanel. Loads of exciting poetry performances

An Evening with Bez at The Life House.

Celebrating the Super Sun album launch with live performances by the man of the moment, BEZ. Featuring Keyboardist and singer, Kaline Akinkugbe and guitarist Stan Iyke. Event is by Invitation Only. Please call or sms 0703 403 0683 TO RSVP and get on the guest list! Loads of surprises and goodies in store for guests on this special evening. Bez is profiled in Next Newspapers. 

Venue: The Life House,

33 Sinari Daranijo Street, 

Off Younis Bashorun Street, Off Ajose Adeogun Street, VI (opp. Suzy Q CLUB)

Lagos, Nigeria

Time: 7pm. 

Date: July 29

Mark your Calendar...

P.A.G.E.S and CCA,Lagos continue their innovative programme of bringing the Visual and Literary Arts into dialogue. This Saturday (November 21) is going to be an interesting one at the Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos as Teju Cole  the author of Everyday is for the Thief - a novel set in Lagos, and Jumoke Verissimo, the author I am Memory - a poetry collection engage 12 artists in a video art exhibition at CCA,Lagos.

The writers' books will be available for sale at the CCA. This is equally an opportunity to see the current exhibition which is called Identity:An Imagined State, a video art exhibition featuring the works of Nigerian,African & South American artists. It was curated by Jude Anogwih and Oyinda Fakeye

Time: 2pm. 

So see you at CCA (9, McEwen Street, Sabo, Yaba, Lagos)

There's also Yoruba Romance

A new play titled Yoruba Romance by Tyrone Terrence-an adaptation of Anton Chekhov's A Marriage Proposal. 

Venue: The MUSON centre’s Agip Recital Hall

Date: Sunday, November 22

Time: 6pm

Gate: N5,000

Driver's Dexterity: an exhibition of photographs by George Osodi

The African Artists' Foundation (AAF) in collaboration with The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) presents: Driver's Dexterity an exhibition of photographs by George Osodi.

Venue: The Lagos Civic Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue, Opp. 1004 Flats, Victoria Island, Lagos

Date and time: 26th November, 2009, 6pm

Who is George Oshodi?

George Osodi is a London-based photographer and artist who has spent most of his time traveling on Nigerian roads. He has captured images of the various landscapes and peoples living in different parts of Nigeria. George has also documented various social and topical issues using photography. Having trained as a photojournalist, George has an eye for a story. The story he tells now is one of intervention and faith. He captures the dramatic in an artistic, even romantic fashion. These are tales of hope and survival, bravery and bewildering actions, stereotypes and attitudes to life.

George explains: “Driver's Dexterity is a body of work, which takes on a more conceptual form than my previous documentary works. ...I explore the vulnerability of life as a contrast to the tragic beauty of the landscapes"

First edition of iRead this weekend!

DADA books is proud to present iRead, a book reading session to provide a platform for bringing together young people and lovers of literary works in a relaxed atmosphere where they can interact and network alongside Nigerian writers in an intellectually stimulating environment.

iRead runs on a simple idea, come with a favourite book of yours and read two paragraphs that appeal to you the most. You get to talk about the book and why you picked the paragraphs you read and you get to question other people about their own choices too.

The first edition of iRead will also feature the DADA authors Onyeka Nwelue and Jumoke Verissimo who have just returned from literary events in India and Macedonia as they relive their experiences.

Date: Saturday 5th September 2009
Time: 12noon - 4pm
Venue: This Day Media Store @ The Palms Shopping Center, Lekki.

The Fall of a King...

Yes, I watched a Nigerian play recently. The venue was National Theatre; the host, Crown Troupe and the play, Ahmed Yerima's The Fall of A King.

There was a poetry performance of 'Ajani', a passionate love poem from Jumoke Verissimo's new anthology I am Memory by the troupe. There was Fulani dance by some children which made me know that there is hope for the arts sector in Nigeria. There was also a maiden dance that focused on the upliftment of the traditional African values. And guess what? That was just the appetizer.

Now to the main dish, the performance was captivating. The play was very well acted: a blend of traditional dance and contemporary Nigerian dance (Alanta, yahooze, for those that know them!)the use of pidgin English, chants, songs, masks and tatoos. The play itself was a political satire about the love of power and the things humans do for power. The setting was the animal kingdom at a time when animals were living in peace without any leader, then, there was an hunter who missed his way and taught the animals how to have a ruler through democracy. The crux of the play focused on the gamble for the throne by the Elephant, Lion and Tortoise. The in-between is why you will get hold of the book and read or pray that Crown Troupe performs the play again...One more thing, Tortoise Inauguration Speech was an adaptation of Obama's Inauguration speech, that was really it for me...he was giving his speech punctured by fast paced music that as I remember was 'Oya Tortoise quote Obama', that was very hilarious...

A very well told and dramatised play with allusions to past dictators in Nigeria (Abacha, Babangida) and a warning to politicians in general: the people put you there, they are the ones you should serve. And the use of animals, maybe we are all animals in a way, particularly when we let the animal instincts in us rise, when we let the 'dog' in us eat another 'dog' in the chase for a 'bone' called power.

There was also the dessert: a dance by Nefertiti, a traditional dance troupe. What else could I ask for to make my week lovely?

It was however pathetic that the audience was not big enough for that kind of presentation, we were not up to fifty in the hall. Imagine!













NB: Crown Troupe presents plays at the National Theatre every month. The next production is on March 1, 2009 with Ayo Arigbabu's adaptation of Moremi.

PS. Read interviews with Ayo Arigbabu and Segun Adefila, the Director of Crown Troupe soon.

Ebuntemi