Mark Your Calendar

Literary Events happening this week; you don't want to miss them!


WOLE SOYINKA @ 78

On behalf of Zmirage Multimedia Limited (Nigeria and UK) and GlobalNewHaven (Nigeria and USA), organizers of the WS78 International Cultural Exchange programme “The Mind of a Patriot”, it is my pleasure to invite you to a lecture titled: From Tigritude to Transcendence: The Conscience and Conscientiousness of Wole Soyinka by Robert Fox, Professor of English and Africana Studies at Southern Illinois University, United States of America.

Venue: Soyinka Hall, Freedom Park, (former colonial prison) Lagos.
Date: July 12th 2012.
Time: 11:00 am.

The lecture, in honour of our patron, Nobel Prize Laureate Wole Soyinka on his 78th birthday, is billed to attract scholars, students, writers, artisans, culture enthusiasts and other professionals from business and public service. It will be moderated by the cerebral Professor Segun Ojewuyi of Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Please confirm availability for this date by sending a mail to firo_po@yahoo.co.uk

Closing Ceremony of the 5th edition of the Fidelity International Creativity Writing Workshop 
You are cordially invited to the closing ceremony of the 5th edition of the Fidelity International Creativity Writing Workshop (2012) anchored by Helon Habila, Aminatta Forna and Sally Keith.
Date: Friday July 13, 2012
Time: 5 – 7pm
Venue: Oceanview Restaurant, Adetokunbo Ademola street, Victoria Island, Lagos
RSVP: Emma  - 08021322291
Uche - 0805506128

Harvest with Wole Soyinka

Presentation of Nigeria Prize for Literature (2011) featuring winner Mai Nasara, Wole Soyinka and others

The 2011 winner for the Nigeria Prize for Literature Adeleke Adeyemi (pen name, Mai Nasara) returns to the country on Saturday February 3 after a brief sojourn in the United States. The now popular author won the prestigious Nigeria LNG-endowed award for his children's novel 'The Missing Clock' in August.

Mai Nasara returns as guest of honour at the public presentation of the winner of the prize, organised by the Nigeria LNG. The event holds at the Eko Hotel & Suites in Lagos - and will be attended by leading lights of Nigerian literature, including the "father" of modern-day Nigerian poetry Gabriel Okara and Nobel Laureate Prof Wole Soyinka.

"Obviously I am delighted to be coming back home to engage with the public and the literary community," Nasara said. "And I thank the Nigeria LNG for this honour and for this platform. I am looking forward to getting home on Saturday and discussing the prize and the book on Monday. This is a humbling experience for me."

Starting from 126 submissions from Nigerian authors of children's literature, 'The Missing Clock' made the shortlist, eventually beating an intimidating six of some of the best children's authors in Africa. This shortlist included Ayodele Olofintuade and Chinyere Obi Obasi, and Nasara won the coveted $100, 000 cash prize.

The novel explores the reversal of fortunes for a Nigerian family and how they grew to overcome their circumstances. In an earlier interview, the author explained that he was inspired by the concept of a conservative traditional family. The author admonished families to work on their personal and family histories as the first step towards changing the world.

The Nigeria Prize for Literature is rated the 22nd most valuable in the world. It is endowed by the Nigeria LNG, which also awards the Nigeria Prize for Science annually.

The event will be shown on Monday on NTA and AIT and will also be streamed online via www.nlnglive.com at 10am.

Happy Birthday Prof!

Happy birthday to Professor Wole Soyinka as he clocks 75 today! Kongi is not only a writer but a freedom fighter and cultural hero who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986.

We love his works for many reasons, but we love him more...There are several events organised to commemorate his birth, so we thought we should ask you: which of Soyinka's works do you find most remarkable? What strikes you most about WS? Do you have any personal experience with him? Then share with us....