NLGN LITERATURE PRIZE 2008 SHORTLIST OUT-NIGERIAN TRIBUNE,SEPT.2008

Sun. 7th Sept. 2008

Two entries make literature prize shortlist

By Akintayo Aboderin

AgaryKAINE Agary’s Yellow-Yellow and Jude Dibia’s Unbridled have been short listed for this year’s Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) sponsored Literature Prize.
The literature committee comprising of emeritus Professor Ayo Banjo, Chief Joop Berkhout, Professor Charles Nnolim, Mr. Ben Tomoloju, Professor Dan Izevbaye, Mrs. Pheabean Ogundipe, Professor Theo Vincent, Professor Abubakar Rasheed, Mr. Dan Obidiegwu, Professor Munzali Jubril and Alhaji Abubakar Gimba made the announcement on Thursday in Lagos.
The Professor Theo Vincent led committee, in a departure from announcing a shortlist of three works announced only the two works as being of sufficient quality to vie for this year’s award. The two books emerged from a long list of 11 novels released a few weeks earlier. The 11 initial books are: Ozioma Izuora’s Dreams Deferred, Mark Nwagwu’s Forever Chimes, Obi Akwani’s March of Ages, Outrage by Promise Ogochukwu, The Conquest by Chinedu Eze, Treasure in the Winds by Odili Ojubuonu, Jude Dibia’s Unbridled, Abimbola Adunni Adelakun’s Under the Brown Rusted Roof, When the wind blows by Camillus Chima Ukah, Yellow-Yellow by Kaine Agary and Wuraola Forever by Femi Osofisan writing as Okinba Launko.
The committee noted that the two works were of outstanding quality. The winner, if any eventually emerges, will be honoured at the Grand Award Night which will hold on October 11 at the MUSON Centre.

DibiaBoth works vying for the award centre on the lives of women trying to make sense of their existence. In Yellow-Yellow, Agary looks at the life of a young girl of Greek and Nigerian parentage struggling to find an identity for herself in Port Harcourt, while Dibia in Unbridled, focuses on a woman who is determined to be independent from the men who have dominated her life.

While Yellow-Yellow is Agary’s first book, Unbridled is Dibia’s second novel. His first book, Walking with Shadows, won the ANA/NDDC Ken Saro-Wiwa Prize in 2007.
If one of the authors emerges winner of this year’s award, s/he will walk away with a $50,000 prize money, an increase from last year’s $30,000. The prize drew a lot of controversy in 2004 when none of the works, due to their supposed poor quality, was deemed worthy of the prize. In 2005 and 2007, the prize had joint winners: Gabriel Okara/Ezenwa Ohaeto and Mabel Segun/Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo respectively.

back top

contact us | about us | advertising | archive
© 2004 – 2008 African Newspapers of Nigeria Plc. Publishers of Nigerian Tribune, Saturday Tribune, Sunday Tribune.
All Rights Reserved

Tags: A PRIZE FOR NIGERIAN BASED WRITERS, AFRICA'S BIGGEST PRIZE OUT WITH SHORT LIST