Mazi Nwonwu: Social Media and Publishing

It's April already. Happy New Month. Every Monday in April, we will post an interview on social media and writing, especially as it affects Nigerian publishing. Here is the first in the series, an interview with writer, Mazi Chiagozie Nwonwu. 

Social media and writing: 

Social media for me started with Booksy, an online portal for writers, beyond Nigeria where you can post your work and get feedback. It was international, so we had few Africans there so most times when you write, you don't get the right kind of feedback. They didn't understand where you are coming from or the kind of culture that you are writing from; I wasn't so into it but most of the stories there were my trial stories.

That was before Facebook which I joined in 2008. Facebook also served the same purpose though better because you are connected to Nigerians who understand the culture you are writing from. They can see themselves or people they know in your stories. I used Facebook notes to share my work.  I tagged people who read and commented. They gave me a lot of feedback. Then we didn't have the sort of structure that we have now: creative writers' programmes, writers' meets, all these things came from social media. It was when we met on social media that the conscious thought to meet off social media arose. 

I started blogging around 2007/2008 too. I have two blogger accounts, and a Wordpress account, where I post my writings and thoughts. 

Has social media helped you as a writer? 

It has definitely helped my work. I don't think that a writer can complain that social media is detrimental to their work because if you don't want to see anyone, you can easily block that person and you are free. Social media has been positive for my work. As a writer, you need others, people with like minds, with similar ideas, who do what you are doing. For writers, you need to gain a lot from people you look up to, bigger writers, Facebook is the place that you can actually interact with them though you don't comment, you could read what they are saying and pick a lot from it. I have used Facebook for that to a great extent.

Twitter has been of lesser influence because I think that it is too noisy. So, I try to use Twitter, I realise that you need to pay more attention. I feel that Twitter needs more attention, one needs to follow the information that one has sent out more. Twitter works as a place where you can go to look for links to articles and sites, things to read. Twitter just gives you the links; it does not engage or hold my attention as much as Facebook.

It has to do more with the platform and what you use it for. For Twitter, you give something out, someone gives a response to it, but it is more difficult to follow conversations on Twitter. But on Facebook, you can go back and read everybody's comments-what the person said, how someone else responded. You can always read them; the conversations can get really deep. 

Also I discovered that for publicity, Facebook does it better for me. It has more tools that you can use. There is the events tool, the share tool. Twitter only allows you to mention. I have a bias for Facebook.

Picture from: www.authormedia.com

The Nigerian Publishing Sphere and Social Media

I think that we are scared. I think that for a long time, the publishing industry has not gained much. We publish a thousand or two thousand copies and you sell it out and you are happy. Some may not even finish selling it in a country of how many millions. Someone told me that in Lekki alone, there are about 4 million people; he said that as a publisher, think about going to Lekki and selling 50, 000 copies of your book. In Lekki, you are sure that 3 million can afford to buy the books because they are mostly wealthy people, the upper middle class, those who should be reading who live there. And I wonder, if we have 4 million in Lekki and we cannot even sell a thousand copies for the whole country, then why do we say that we have a publishing industry? I don't think that we have a publishing industry in this country, what we have are a group of people who so much love books and the art of producing them and feel they have to keep it alive so it is not about the business. But it can be about it. It is just about us thinking outside the box.

Publicity, Publishing and Social Media

I am looking at publicity, at moving away from the conventional we-we publicity that we do. On social media, if I am sharing information about book events, I tend to share to those that I know will be interested in it, in writing so I share to those groups that are writers' groups. I am thinking of why not share with groups that are not even writers' groups? Why not move away from this circle of writers that we have, the circle we already know? I think that if the publishers can think of reaching out to people who are not traditionally into books or who we think are not, it may help. 

Picture from moxzee.com

One-on-one marketing and books
A few months ago, I was at an event, manning a book stand, but I was able to sell books to people who are not regular readers because I could interact with them as they kept asking: have you read this book? Which book can you recommend? Because I'd read most of the books, it was easy for me to talk about the books, to sell. So, it could work, I know that it can work, it is just that, it needs resources to work. 

The musicians do one-on-one marketing as they take their music to the streets So we as publishers need to find new ways of reaching the people. And one way you can do that is...  you can use the passenger buses to advertise. It does not have to be the publisher doing it but you can pay people to do the leg work; it needs money. So, I think that's another restriction: money. There is no money to publish these books and advertise them, the way they should. I know in the West before a book comes out, they are talking about it in the media. 

They also need to move away from this cheap and easy publicity that social media grants. They should use it but also look at traditional publicity: TV, radio, billboards. Even paying for adverts on Facebook. Google charges for adverts and they put them everywhere. 

Can the challenge of cash be solved by social media?

Yes and No.  Yes, social media can come in because they could start talking about a book and people will be like what are they talking about? I want to see this book. They will see reviews of the book and want to read the book. Social media can take it that far but can it take it beyond that the level of "I will like to read this book to that level of I actually want to buy this book? 

I don't think so. I think that's where the money comes in; the cost of the books, our books are quite expensive. For someone that earns about N20, 000 a month and you expect the person to take out N1,000 or N2,000 to buy a book, when the person can take that money to Ikeja Underbridge and buy 10 copies of UK best sellers, interesting books, to enjoy the experience of reading, to be entertained. So, if I can get ten times the entertainment that I can get why should I buy just one? The thing is that I buy most Nigerian books just to support our writers, to encourage them. There is the factor of economics that affects book reading. You cannot say that someone who has not eaten should come and buy books, people are dealing with more physical issues, things that are more pressing to them than spending money to buy books.

On the Nigerian reading culture

Nigerians do read. I buy second hand books and at times, you have to fight with another buyer for a particular book, they will be like "I saw that one first". And people pay. I see people buying 20 books. Publishers need to find a way to bring the price of books down, and the only way to bring the price down is by publishing more. The more you print, the less the price. It's where we need to think towards so that's where the government needs to come in; they should give publishers money to invest in their industry. And government should also buy the books. If they want to encourage publishing, they should go to every publisher and ask "how many books they publish every year; I need 10, 000 copies of each book published this year." The books will not lie in government offices but should be shared to libraries and schools.

Picture from: thetypecaste.wordpress.com  

Reading experience and social media

I think social media is redefining what we know as reading. I got to know a lady on Twitter recently, @toyinfab. She is of the Twitter generation. She writes very well. She writes social conscious stories. She has a huge following on social media. Many of us who are traditional writers do not even know she exists. She is not within that circle of writers. She was at the last Book N Gauge and I think that was her first book event ever. This girl did not go through the traditional route. She just said that "I want to write!" and she is doing just that. People who read her are not even those you find in the conventional writing audience. She has been able to create her own niche. If she wants to publish, she can pack her stories and send them off to Amazon, and she is published. 

Our publishers are yet to understand that the game has changed. They are still looking at that old  way whereby the writer approaches them with the book; they will edit it, the slow route. But it does not happen that way any more.

As an example, I was part of AfroSF, the first Pan-African Science Fiction anthology edited and published by Ivor Hartman of Storytime. What Ivor did was publish it online first. So asides editing, it didn't cost him anything, I think. He wanted to publish the paperback; he had a strategy: the money generated from online sales will be used for that. I think he was looking at five months timeline for the paperback edition. The book was published online in December and by January; there was enough money from sales to do a print run—POD.

Now, people say Africans don't write or read Science Fiction, but that book generated a lot of buzz, more than any other book that was published in Africa last year. It's still online. People outside Africa are reading it. Social media expands your space. I met Ivor on social media. The call for submissions was on social media. We were sent the MS through the internet. All the reviews are online, I see them on social media, he tags me or posts them on the AfroSF page and I see them. So, it's something that will go very far. We just need to frame how we are going to handle it, use it.

Social Media and book forms

I agree because I notice something on the internet, you have to actually love literature to spend that much time reading an article of 5,000 words. People are more comfortable with shorter pieces because of the short attention span, as you are reading this you are looking at other opened tabs. So, people ask: is it short? They will now read. So, if you have a novella of 20, 000 words and you break it down into 2000 words and you are getting feedback, it may work.

Hype, Writing and Social Media

I agree that social media can generate false hype because people can appear to be what they are not. There is Google, anybody can appear intelligent with Google. Definitely, just Google the stuff up and copy and paste, then people will hype you. Fifty Shades of Grey had an interesting story to tell, forget how the story was told, so it is that question of which is more important: the writing or the story? For that book, the writing was not so important to the audience, these are people who do not care much about literary devices, these are people who just want stories. Yarn us make we hear. And she told them what they wanted to hear. It was word of mouth, if you don't like it, you won't talk about it. It was the writerly types that read it and are like “what is this?” I read it and I was like wow because she had a story to tell. It is the kind of stories we had in Hints—they were not serious literature, but people loved them, believed in them, and hyped them.

Social Media and New Nigerian Writers
Social media needs a lot of time, it is a business of its own. Myne Whitman has done a whole lot for young Nigerian writers in recent years; she opened an avenue for them to thrive. She opened the door and a lot of people came in—a lot of people are being discovered through that platform. There is a lot of talent there. This is a place where publishers and movie makers should go to look for writers. There is no type of story you won’t find on Naijastories. However many people who see themselves as serious writers do not like posting their writings there. Somehow I think it is like a ritual of passage for many writers.

--Interview was sent by Temitayo Olofinlua

Call for Entries: The NLNG Prize

Entries are now invited for the NLNG Prize for Nigerian Literature. This year, the competition is for poetry and is open to Nigerian writers all over the world who have published works of poetry.

Chika Unigwe won last year for her novel On Black Sisters Street.

The deadline for submission is April 12th, 2013.

More information about the prize can be found here.

Excuse Us London

Victor Ehikhamenor is no stranger to the GCLF blog. He was been featured here and here. 

The Event

Ehikhamenor and Nkem Ivara will read to a UK public reading from their new books and conversations on African writing and publishing. Ehikhamenor will be reading from his bestselling nonfiction book Excuse Me, and Nkem Ivara will read from her romance novel e-book Closer than a Brother. The event will be held on 6 April, 2013 and is to be moderated by writer Ike Anya, with conversations led by literary critic Ikhide Ikheloa.

Inua Ellams, a word and graphic artist, will animate the event with his poetry performance, described as work of “deeply original beauty.” Ellams is an acclaimed performance poet, who has appeared at events organized by the BBC, Tate Modern, British Museum, The Royal Opera House, amongst others.

Time: 2.00pm and 5.30pm

Venue: Africa Centre, 38 King Street, Covent Garden London, WC2E 8JT United Kingdom.

For more information, please write ei@vgconcepts.com. You can also call 08060050835 or +44 (0) 20 7836 1973. The Twitter hashtag for the event is #ExcuseUsLondon. Details about the live-streaming of the event and general updates can be found on the ‘Excuse Us London’ event page on Facebook

Their Works

Ehikhamenor’s nonfiction book Excuse Me! (Parresia Publishers, 2012) is a collection of humorous essays and keen observations about being Nigerian by Victor Ehikhamenor. Touching on politics, love, immigration, as well as other broad subjects, the book successfully weaves a satirical narrative around contemporary African experience. He has been featured on the BBC and CCTV.

Nkem Ivara’s Closer than a Brother (Whispers Publishing, 2013) is a contemporary Nigerian romance novel.

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Yewande Omotoso Reads in Lagos

Join book lovers in Lagos this Saturday as Yewande Omotoso reads from her novel Bom Boy. 

The Book

Bom Boy was shortlisted for the 2012 Sunday Times Fiction Prize in South Africa as well as the M-Net Literary Awards 2012 and won the 2012 South African Literary Award for First-Time Published Author. Bom Boy tells the tale of Leke, a troubled young man living in the suburbs of Cape Town. He develops strange habits of stalking people, stealing small objects and going from doctor to doctor in search of companionship rather than cure. Through a series of letters written to him by his Nigerian father whom he has never met, Leke learns about a family curse; a curse which his father had unsuccessfully tried to remove. Bom Boy is a well-crafted, and complex narrative written with a sensitive understanding of both the smallness and magnitude of a single life.

Read about Bom Boy here. Read an extract. 

Yewande Omotoso

The Writer

Yewande Omotoso was born in Barbados and grew up in Nigeria with her Barbadian mother, Nigerian father and two older brothers. The family moved to South Africa in 1992. Omotoso studied architecture at the University of Cape Town, worked as an architect for several years and went on to complete a Masters degree in Creative Writing. Bom Boy is Omotoso’s debut novel and was published in South Africa by Modjaji Books. She is currently working on her second novel. Yewande lives in Johannesburg.

The Event

Date: 30th March 2013

Venue: Patabah Bookstore, Adeniran Ogunsanya Shopping Mall Surulere, Lagos.

Time: 5-7pm

RSVP the event here

Copies of Bom Boy published by Bookcraft limited will be on sale and Yewande will be available to sign. Come along with friend. 

Lola Shoneyin: On Writing, Identity and Family

Nigerian writer and author of The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives, Lola Shoneyin speaks with Sam Umukoro on writing, identity and family. Read an excerpt below

SU: First, what influenced your decision to become a writer?

LOLA SHONEYIN: I didn’t set out to be a writer, but I was exposed to words, books, writing and creativity from a very early age. I used to start novels when I was young and poetry was very useful for me. My childhood was pretty chaotic, so being able to write things down in verses centred me. I frequently wrote poems about my juvenile anguish and stuff like that. It was when I got to university that I understood that it was of value to the consumer. I wrote a series of poems and my lecturers praised my work very highly. That was when I started taking my writing seriously.

SU: When you started writing, did you face any opposition from your parents of people that didn’t want you to go into the profession?

LOLA SHONEYIN: My dad wanted me to be a doctor, so he expected me to choose science subjects at the end of Form 3. But unbeknownst to him, I chose pure Arts subjects - Literature, Bible Knowledge, you know, and a couple of subjects from the social sciences. Although I was pretty good at the sciences, I had no interest in them. Then, my dad wanted me to study law at university. But I wrote ‘English’ when filling my JAMB forms. At my book launch in 2002, my dad told this story himself. That was when I realised how closely he had been watching me, and how my decision made him feel. He had high hopes and dreams for me, but I just took my own path. He constantly says, ‘This Lola does exactly what she wants to do.’ He’s very proud of me. He’s a supportive dad.

SU: You’re involved in children’s literature and poetry, write and direct plays, and also sing. How do you combine these with your roles as a mother and wife?

LOLA SHONEYIN: Let me address this singing thing: I don’t sing anymore. And this is not me being self-deprecating. When I hear other people sing, I shut my mouth, quickly. Bringing up kids and writing mean you marry skills that are from two different worlds. Bringing up kids involves nurturing and constant interaction. On the other hand, writing is like being in solitary confinement. I negotiate with my children and also with my work. We reach an agreement that involves a lot of give and take. When you’re in the heat of a project like writing a book, you find that you’re giving more than you ought to be giving, and taking from the kids. But I’m lucky to have kids who have come to understand what I do. Yes, I have been known to write plays, but I haven’t produced one in about twelve years.

SU: Was it a deliberate decision not to use the Soyinka name, given that you are married to Professor Wole Soyinka’s son, or is it that you didn’t want to be seen in the shadow of the great man?

LOLA SHONEYIN: Well, most significantly, I think changing your name confuses the reading public if you’re an author. In any case, why should female authors have to change their names because their circumstances change? I find it absurd. My life has been so much simpler because I chose to stick with my original name.

Read more here. 

AWF Organises Writers' Workshops

The Abuja Writers Forum (AWF) is hosting its Fiction, Poetry and Drama Writing Workshops over four weekends in April. The workshops are a whole day affair, from 10am to 5pm. Registration fee is N10,000.

Participants will get the opportunity to acquire the right tools, techniques and support to develop their writing skills in any of the aforementioned genres, working with knowledgeable and experienced instructors.

For registration details, send an email to prohabe@hotmail.com or call 08092227705, 0805710981 or 08058520145

World Theatre Day 2013

The National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP Abuja Chapter) will join theatre practitioners across the world in the celebration of this year's World Theatre Day on Wednesday 27th March, 2013.

In collaboration with the Arts & Culture Departments of the FCT Social Development Secretariat and other private theatre companies and outfits in Abuja, NANTAP Abuja have the following activities lined up:

10:00am: Opening Ceremony

Opening ceremony and interactive session on the theme: National Security and the Role of Artistes, under the chairmanship of Prince Nwazuruahu Shield, the Special Adviser to the Minister of FCT on Security. A theme talk on the above topic will be delivered by Mr. Bill Strassberger, Head of Public Affairs unit of the Embassy of the United State in Abuja.

12:00 - 1:00pm: War Horse Seminar

A cutting edge production seminar for practitioners, based on the War Horse, a 2011 war drama film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is an adaptation of British author Michael Morpurgo's 1982 children's novel of the same name set before and during World War I. The seminar is powered by the Open Mic Forum and will hold immediately after the brief opening ceremony.

5:00pm: Presentation of WTD Play and Award Night

The day will be rounded up with Arojah Royal Theatre's production of Seyi Adigun's play Call for me, my Osheni which will be supported by The Village Square Children Theatre's presentation of a drama sketch on water and other attractions such as music and comedy. The highlight of the 2013 celebration of World Theatre Day in Abuja will be the presentation of awards to three Nigerians who's contribution to the theatre and arts in general, both in FCT and Nigeria at large has been phenomenal. 

RSVP the event here

Social Media and Publishing

Last month, we were at the Social Media Week, specifically, the event on Social Media and Publishing. Tagged "Publishing in the Age of Social Media" the speakers were: Bibi Bakare-Yusuf, the Publisher, Cassava Republic Press; Azafi Omoluabi-Ogosi, the Managing Editor, Parresia Publishers; Gbenro Adegbola, CEO First Veritas Educational Content Delivery Ltd; Tolu Ogunlesi, Journalist and writer  and Ebi Atawodi  Head, High Value Events & Sponsorships at Etisalat. 

The event raised several questions: if there are over 90 million active mobile phone users, 48 million Internet users and 6.5 million Facebook members; what does it hold for the publishing sector? How can publishers tap into this massive opportunity? What is being done? What can be done? 

Here are some interesting quotations from the event. This is the first of our instalments on social media and publishing. 

"It's going to take a lot of patience. I was 18 when I got my first email address. Things have changed a lot since then. The young people now will do their socialising on social media and not for long, they will have the buying power and will be able to buy books online...so in another ten to fifteen years, it will be easier to buy things online" Tolu Ogunlesi

"People will soon start to use it for content creation when the internet gets quicker and cheaper. It depends on how we engage with the audience. We need to look at these things relatively to the market that exists here." Ebi Atawodi

Social Media, Attention Span and the Novel Form

"What I suspect is that we will have novels in instalments. There will be a lot of fiction in little bits." Gbenro Adegbola

"Short form or long form, people will have the challenge to read from the screen. I do not like Kindles, I am a book person. There are people who prefer books in paperback regardless. It plays its part as a marketing tool, to create awareness about our work, our books...in the long run and presently, that's what social media can do." Azafi Omoluabi-Ogosi

"The large part of what social media would do would be on the road to the finishing. Soon social media will expand in the way that we engage with books, not just the finished book but the way books are made. " Bibi Bakare-Yusuf

"The history of the novel has changed fairly, from the War and Peace era.  As time went on, our attention span has reduced. We think of Africa as a place where things come to us and not a place of innovation. How can we think of books in new formats? More publishing houses are returning to the novella form and short stories in the West. I don't think that social media is just about marketing but also  about content." Bibi Bakare-Yusuf

"We should stop talking about the digital ousting the traditional but about newer forms, experiences. I am thinking of Teju Cole's "Small Fates". We should be looking at newer forms but not as digital as coming as a threat to oust the traditional form." Gbenro Adegbola

Quality vs content proliferation

"Curating reduces the number of quality in terms of choice; I prefer ten well-edited books to 100 books. If you feel that you have the writing prowess, go and engage the shorter form." Ebi Atawodi

"When the US Postal Service was first invented, it was to send posts, newspapers. It was expensive. So, people would make holes in newspapers to send messages. There is nothing that we can do about that-the quality of books. Quality books will find their level. I think that there will be a backlash when quality starts to fall and content proliferates, we will have to return to another form." Tolu Ogunlesi

"We are just at the point where people put themselves out as self-publishers. They do not know that your book needs to have that ecstatic appeal to buyers. Some publishing houses have done this; they have their traditional arms and their self-publishing arms. Eventually we will get to that point where, if we are not getting enough quality, it will drop." Azafi Omoluabi-Ogosi

"People like drama; they like something that's interesting, what people are talking about. Part of the problem is from us--the content generators. We have to make people interested. People like to carry on interesting issues. Don't blame the audience. If the content gets to them and is interesting, it will spread like wildfire." Ebi Atawodi

"Social media as a marketing tool has nothing to do with quality control. Whatever process it takes to get the book out, social media is just a tool to push out the book." Azafi Omoluabi-Ogosi

Social Media and Book Sales

"Face-to-face is important, and it is social media that drives that. The social media space is our advert space. We place our information there and people turn out. Most of us, book lovers, are social people and love to interact. Never mind if they don't buy books. How many books do those that social media drives to your events buy? That's another question. For publishers, we like to socialise with our readers but that does not necessarily translate to sales." Bibi Bakare-Yusuf

"There are people who come to the bookshop, love to read, who do not have power or internet in their houses. There are people who come into the bookstore to buy books because they heard about that particular author online, on social media. Even if we dont have the book in the store, we go to look for it. Social media will help us to find new authors, new writing, even while the curating goes on." Ore Somolu, Patabah Books

"It is rare to have attendance and sales tie in together. There are many reasons that drive attendance at events. The author drives attendances and sales. Organising book readings is a funny one. There are times when people came, were entertained yet there was not much book sales. It is complex. We use social media to drive book events. There are book clubs that have started on social media." Azafi Omoluabi-Ogosi

What do you think: can social media be used as a tool to transform the publishing sector in Nigeria?

--Quotations compiled by Temitayo Olofinlua

Achebe Goes Home...

Chinua Achebe (1930-2013)lived a memorable life, he wrote more memorable books. Many remember him for his works. He may be gone but his words, his works live on; they echo even beyond the grave. Those words, they will echo on, to generations unborn. 

Achebe was an honourary member of the Garden City Literary Festival. We will miss him. 

The tributes have been pouring in, here are some excerpts. 

An elegy from Chimamanda Adichie

Ife mee. Nnukwu ife mee. Chinua Achebe anabago. Onye edemede nke di egwu, onye nnukwu uche, onye obi oma. Keduzi onye anyi ga-eji eme onu? Keduzi onye anyi ga-eji jee mba? Keduzi onye ga-akwado anyi? Ebenebe egbu o! Anya mmili julu m anya. Chinua Achebe, naba no ndokwa. O ga-adili gi mma. Naba na ndokwa.

Translation

‘A tree has fallen. A mighty tree has fallen! Chinua Achebe is gone. The inimitable wordsmith, the sage, the kind man. Now who is there for us to boast about? Who will be our rampart? How are the mighty fallen! My eyes are in flood with tears. Chinua Achebe may your soul rest in peace. It is well with you. Rest in peace.--Translation done by Mazi Nnamdi Nwigwe

Achebe and the Bravery of Lions by Annalisa Quinn

Achebe's influence is most visible in the extraordinary output of a handful of prominent young Nigerian writers and other African literary elite. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a MacArthur Fellow and perhaps the most famous young Nigerian writer, said in a 2009 Ted talk that "[B]ecause of writers like Chinua Achebe and Camara Laye...I realized that people like me, girls with skin the color of chocolate, whose kinky hair could not form ponytails, could also exist in literature."

The Nigerian writer A. Igoni Barrett wrote in an email of Achebe's "saintly status among Nigerian writers," adding that "His was the strongest voice of Africa's generation of angry voices."

And Ellah Allfrey, the deputy editor of the literary magazine Granta, who was born in Zimbabwe, wrote in an email that, even though she grew up far from Nigeria, "[Things Fall Apart] is the book that allowed me to read in the first person — a perspective and a story that offered me a landscape and characters who (even though they were across the continent from my home) I could identify as my own — or, at last, were closer to me than any I had read before."

Ike Anya's tribute in Granta
He was the antithesis of the Nigerian Big Man: softly spoken, thoughtful with a quiet dignity that echoed in his work. And he could be trusted to speak out when there were difficult things that needed saying. But they were also delivered with a dose of the subtle wit and humour that illuminated his being and his work.


All day I have fielded calls from distraught friends in different parts of the world. In tears, they echo my thoughts, our shock at the suddenness, our illogical hope that he would be always be here, a sudden wrenching feeling that something huge and irreplaceable has been lost; his passing a painful reminder that we are losing a generation of wise elders.

Who will speak out for us now? Who will ask the hard questions of us and the world that he did? Where are the drums and the flutes to dance a great masquerade on his homeward journey?

We will take solace in the words that he has left behind, words that will live on long after we have all gone, words that hopefully will continue to inspire us to acknowledge each other’s humanity; to be greater, to be more.

That will be his legacy.

Femi Kayode: Poetry of the Heart

Still in the spirit of the International Poetry Day celebrations, here is a poem from Femi Kayode, one of the participants of the 2012 edition of the GCLF poetry workshop. Do you have a poem to share? Send it to us: gclfblog@gmail.com

Femi Kayode: Poetry of the Heart

I pick my pen,

Cuddle my paper

Wrack my brain

Search its nooks, crannies

Nothing to write.

No words. Not about you or me

Only words for our dear country Nigeria.

Write, I must

So let me make your heart my slate

My voice, the pen

So I write…

My heart weeps, my eyes beat

My legs eat,  my hands walk

My nose hears, my ears suck in air

My teeth taste, my tongue chews

Things are upside down, downside up.

Cassowaries fly

Snails lead a hundred metre dash

Fish bleat and cocks mow

Frogs bag awards, ants threaten elephants 

Square pegs in round holes.

Leaders loot, followers look

Phone thief jailed. Mobbed. 

Treasury looter freed. Presidential Pardon.

Few feed fat on our flesh. 

We starve. They FART.

Some quench their thirst with our tears. 

We famish. They DROWN. 

My words, from my heart, I pen

...on your heart. 

Femi Kayode has a way with words. It does not matter if he is doing a poem on his name or on Nigeria, his words warm through your hearts and ruffles you in your seats. One of his poems recently won the 30House Nigeria Arts Grant.  He was part of the Garden City Literary Festival's poetry workshop in 2012. When he is not doing poetry, he is acting or writing copy for an advert.

Today is the International World Poetry Day

You didn't know that there was a day to celebrate poetry right? Well, there is. And according to UNESCO, today is the day. 

According to the UNESCO: "Poetry contributes to creative diversity, by questioning anew our use of words and things, our modes of perception and understanding of the world. Through its associations, its metaphors and its own grammar, poetic language is thus conceivably another facet of the dialogue among cultures. Diversity in dialogue, free flow of ideas by word, creativity and innovation. World Poetry Day is an invitation to reflect on the power of language and the full development of each person’s creative abilities. Every year on 21 March UNESCO celebrates the World Poetry Day. A decision to proclaim 21 March as World Poetry Day was adopted during the UNESCO’s 30th session held in Paris in 1999."

Poetry is a journey – not in a dream world, but often close to individual emotions, aspirations and hopes. Poetry gives form to the dreams of peoples and expresses their spirituality in the strongest terms-- it emboldens all of us also to change the world." Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director General's Message on Poetry Day 2013

So, how do you celebrate? You decide. Write a poem. Read a poem to a child. Share your favourite poem on social media. Share your thoughts on poetry with loved ones. Have an online discussion about poetry. Whatever you do, celebrate poetry today. 

Here at the GCLF, we are celebrating by sharing poetry; the first poem is from poet and blogger, Kola Tubosun. Share love, poetry; not war! Enjoy it. 

Stoning the Devil by Kola Tubosun 

(written originally for Iraq, and Mecca, and Amina Lawal about to be stoned: March 2003. Now also for Kano, and Afghanistan, and Mali…)

        A million march of contrite feet

Have trudged on these bright hallowed grounds

While rams of hate graze along in God’s own fields.

        Heavy paces in annual contrition

Have trekked like peasant armies on a sea of evil heads,

On thousand squelching grains of stone

As small rocks of war.

     Thousand heads have rolled in this dust

In mounds against target gods…

      “We are stoning the Devil”

We are always stoning the devil.

        Eternal zest with religious strength

Have pelted the Significant with harsh pellets

And a stone will to fiery extinction, yearly,

At varying levels of human will…

        “Gbosa!”

        Rocks have darted across in wilful spread

on evil personified ahead of the surging crowd.

Hate yet thrives in unnumbered axes

In rains and moulds, on hills and western skies.

         So cast the first stone then

When evil remains in hearts across the open earth.

Cast a stone as hate grips like a fiery noose

Around a strained neck of drunken love?

     Cast the first stone.

      On a crooked way to light

Always lies this crude, black rock.

Culled from Headfirst into the Meddle (2005)

Writers' Studio Holds in Ibadan

Spark your creativity at Ibadan's innovative creative writing school WRITERS’ STUDIO. Creative writing courses offer people an opportunity for self-expression and help them to shape their thoughts and transform their experiences into powerful stories or pieces. Whatever you write Writer's studio is the place for you.

About Writers’ studio

Writers studio offers life-changing creative writing experiences to anyone who writes. Our classes are for both beginner writers who want to get the fundamental techniques of writing under their belt, and also for experienced writers who wish to sharpen their writing skills. At the writers' studio, we organise broadly based and specialised programs for anyone wishing to nurture their creativity, inspire their imagination and develop their writing skills. We provide you a supportive space where your creativity can flourish.

Our classes and seminar groups are facilitated by tutors who are published authors and passionate instructors. Our one-day intensive comes on Saturday, the 6th of April, 2013. To book, please call 08079774009 or 08033508505

Time: 9am

Venue: Supreme Management Consult 60/64, Francis Okediji Street, Off Awolowo Avenue, Old Bodija, Ibadan.

Courses and tutors for the one-day intensive class

Developing as a Creative Writer with Samuel Oluwatosin Kolawole

Samuel Kolawole has contributed short fiction to Eastownfiction,Translitmag, Superstition review, Sentinel literary Quarterly, Short Story Day Africa amongst other literary journals. Samuel featured as author of the month for his story “Memories and Penitence” at Tea with George, a project from Desperanto and Kanev Books in New York interested in showcasing the amazing talent of writers of poetry and short stories. He is a contributor to Jungle Jim, a groundbreaking African Pulp fiction Magazine based in South Africa. His story has been published in “Behind the shadows” an anthology of African and Asian writers and forthcoming in ISFN anthology, a Canadian-based imprint where his writing life will be also showcased. Samuel also contributes regularly to South Africa based efrika journal, and recently the Guardian, UK featured his work. His collection of stories The Book of M. was published in 2011. Samuel lives in Ibadan, where he has recently completed work on his first novel. He is the Director of Writer's Studio

Elements of Poetry with Tade Ipadeola

Tade Ipadeola is the author of two volumes of poetry – A Time of Signs (2000) and The Rain Fardel (2005). He has also published short stories and essays. In 2009, he won the Delphic Laurel in poetry with his poem ‘Songbird’ in Jeju, South Korea. He is currently working on his third volume of poetry provisionally titled The Sahara Testaments, a sequence of 1000 quatrains on the Sahara. Tade currently serves as the President of PEN Nigeria Centre and lives in Ibadan, Nigeria, where he writes and practises law.

Elements of Fiction with Yewande Omotoso (Guest writer)

Yewande Omotoso was born in Barbados and grew up in Nigeria with her Barbadian mother, Nigerian father and two older brothers. The family moved to South Africa in 1992. Omotoso studied architecture at the University of Cape Town, worked as an architect for several years and went on to complete a Masters degree in Creative Writing.

Bom Boy is Omotoso’s debut novel, published in 2011 by Modjaji Books. It won the 2012 South African Literary Award for First-Time Published Author, and was shortlisted for the 2012 Sunday Times Fiction Prize in South Africa as well as the M-Net Literary Awards 2012. She is currently working on her second novel. Yewande lives in Johannesburg. 

Factual writing with Temitayo Olofinlua

Temitayo  Olofinlua studied Literature at Obafemi Awolowo University and currently works as a freelance writer and editor. She is a multiple award winning essayist and recently won the "Peter Drucker Challenge" an international essay contest for young managers, entrepreneurs, and students, organized by the Peter Drucker Society Europe Her writing has been featured in various publications, online and in print. She loves teaching and lazing around with a good book and a cold drink.

Keep your creative fires burning, register now at Writer's studio

Venue

The seminar room at Supreme Management Consult, venue of Writer's studio provides an ideal environment for creative writing and learning. The unique features of this executive room includes:

-Comfortable leather seats with spacious built-in table for every participant

-Ultra Modern Lectern Unit with built in Loudspeakers - audible quality

-Top Class lighting and illumination effects

-2 (4 × 8 Ft) Magnetic Boards

-1 Flip Chart Board

-1 Notice Board

-Projector Screen

-2 Units 30 Horsepower A/C

-Fully Functional Wireless Internet Service

-A Working lavatory seperated for male and female for participants' convenience

To book a place Call 08079774009 or 08033508505

BusinessDay Essay Competition

So you think you can write? Here is your chance to write and make some cash while at it.

Businessday newspaper is calling all aspiring writers to participate in its writing competition on the topic "How Information Technology Affects your Education".The competition opened on February 1st and qualifying entries run from February 4th up to the 29th of March, 2013. 

First prize winner receives N250,000; second and third placers will be awarded N150,000 and N100,000, respectively. All winners will be offered an internship with Businessday.

The competition was organized in partnership with Microsoft, Nokia and Yookos.com.

Click on the picture for more information. All the best!

IRep Film Festival 2013

IRep International Film Festival 2013 is conceptualized on the framework: AFRICA IN SELF CONVERSATION and it would explore the theme: “RECONNECTIONS” According to their website: 

In its years of existence, Africa has worn many faces and has assumed many identities; most of them imposed by outsiders looking in. What then is the true definition of an African, what parameters can be used to define the African? Is it our values, cultures or our religion?

How do Africans at home and in the Diaspora see or think about themselves and their identity? What impact does western education; religious and economic value systems have on African socio-cultural life — for instance in creating in the African a conflict of identity?

There will also be a training for those interested in film and art, and it is free. More details on registration here. For more information, please email: info@irepfilmfestival.com

Science and Writing: Any Links?

Two writers with medical science backgrounds, Sylva Nze Ifedigbo and Nwachukwu Egbunike, will be reading from their works at Patabah Bookshop on March 16, 2013.

The Writers
Sylva Nze Ifedigbo is a Doctor of Veterinary medicine, a writer and a Corporate Communications professional.  He is an award-winning essayist and author of the novella, “Whispering Aloud” and collection of short stories The Funeral Did Not End. Sylva’s Essays have appeared in The Punch, The Nation, 234Next, Nigeria Village Square, Nigeria Dialogue, amongst others. He manages a weekly column on Daily TimesNG.  He is also the features & Reviews Editor of Sentinel Nigeria and an Ambassador for the Coca-Cola ‘A Billion Reasons To Believe in Africa’ Campaign.

Nwachukwu Egbunike studied Medical Laboratory Sciences at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; and Communication and Language Arts in the University of Ibadan, respectively. His essays have been published in the Guardian, ThisDay,Vivantes Viva, Buisnessday, Evans School Supplement and the Nigerian Tribune respectively. Online, he has written for Fast Editions, Mercatornet, Nigeria Plus and Nigeria Village Square. Nwachukwu has been blogging in Feathers Project since 2006.  In 2011, he became an author with Global Voices. He is currently the Executive Editor of Feathers and Ink, Ibadan.

Their Works

Nze Sylva’s short story collection The Funeral Did Not End has been making waves since it was published  mid 2012. TFDNE is remarkable for having social commentary as a major theme and the skill of the author in depicting the largely ignored everyday life of the average Nigerian.

Nwachukwu Egbunike’s Dyed Thoughts is a collection of essays that mirror the author’s view on the state of the Nigerian society. Dyed Thoughts slices open the underbelly of a country in need of redemption and shows the hows , the whys and ultimately the why nots, which will serve as a guide for anyone pondering the way forward.

The Event

Date: Saturday March 16 2013

Venue: Patabah Bookshop, B18 Adeniran Ogunsanya (Shoprite) Shopping Mall, Ground Street, Surulere, Lagos

Time: 3-6PM

For more information contact: books@dadaenterprises.net, info@patabah.com

RBC Adds a Colourful Feather to Mr. President's Cap

The last day in the month of January 2013 will remain special in the history of the Rainbow Book Club (RBC). On that beautiful Thursday morning, President Goodluck Jonathan was welcomed as an honorary member of the Rainbow Book Club. 

The occasion was the formal presentation of the book; Nigerian Literature: A Coat of Many Colours, to the President at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. The Founder of the RBC, in company of trustees and patrons paid a courtesy visit to the Nigerian President for the book presentation.

The book, a pictorial anthology of fifty Nigerian writers, is the first of its kind in Nigeria. Compiled by the founder of Rainbow Book Club, Mrs. Koko Kalango, the foreword to the book was written by the President. Nigerian Literature: A Coat of Many Colours features legendary writers including J P Clark, Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Buchi Emecheta, Flora Nwapa, James Henshaw; and contemporary writers such as Chimamanda Adiche, Helon Habila and Kaine Agary.

In presenting the book, Mrs Kalango pointed out that it was an important national document that should be in every library in the country. She also said it would make an excellent gift from the President to his international guests. In addition she suggested that the book be placed in Nigerian embassies and foreign missions all over the world. She then went on to share with the President her plans to produce a revised edition of the book to feature hundred authors in commemoration of Nigeria’s centenary. 

While thanking Mr President for initiating the “Bring Back the Book” Project and the priority given to education in his 2013 budget, Mrs Kalango used the opportunity to intimate the President on the nomination of Port Harcourt by UNESCO as the World Book Capital City in 2014. The nomination was made possible by the bid submitted by the Rainbow Book Club. Ten other cities across the world, including Oxford  bidded. This is the first time a city in Sub- Saharan Africa will be holding the title in the fourteen years of nominations. “This nomination”, Mrs. Kalango pointed out, “is an honour to Nigeria and Africa as a whole.”

Through this investiture, Mr. President joins the list of honorary members of the Rainbow Book Club, which include Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Rev. Jesse Jackson and Professor Wole Soyinka.

Channels Book Club: On PH as WBC

Channels Book Club, is an exciting journey into the world of publishers, readers, writers and all that connects with the literary world.

In this episode of Channels Bookclub, they peek into Koko Kalango's world. Koko Kalango is the brain behind the Rainbow Book Club, a frontrunner in Nigeria’s World Book Capital's successful bid, which will hold in the city of Port Harcourt in 2014.

Watch the video here

Sefi Atta's Play at Terra

Lufodo Productions held London to a stand still at the 30 Nigeria House, Theatre Royal Stratford East London, with three plays which included Sefi Atta’s The Naming Ceremony. The play featured the likes of Olu Jacobs, Joke Silva and Bimbo Akintola.

For those who missed the excitement at the Nigeria House London Olympics 2012, the play will be brought to you in March 2013. Though coming with a different cast, the play promises to be worth the wait.

Synopsis:

On the day of her first child’s naming ceremony, Tola is faced with the challenges of juggling her family relationships with caring for her daughter. The story of wit and wills shows how she handles the mounting pressure as a mother, wife, daughter, daughter-in-law and friend.

Details:

A LAPA Production (Run by Joke Silva and Olu Jacobs )

- Every Sunday in March

- At Terra Kulture

- 3pm and 6pm

- Tickets N2,500

Please call 07069771347 for more details.

- Discount: 15% off on first 50 tickets

Artmosphere in March

What does fiction, fictiveness and literature hope to achieve in the social, political and cultural landscape of a nation? This will be the crux of our discourse in this edition. There will also be poetry, spoken word and music presentations from a long list of emerging voices.

Conversations will play host a crème of writers: 

Victor Ehikhamenor, visual artist, creative communicator and author of Excuse Me. 

Emmanuel Iduma, literary and technology radical and author of Farad.

Emmanuel Uweru Okoh, author of celebrated debut poetry collection, Gardens and Caves.

Kayode Taiwo Olla, author of debut novel, Sprouting Again

The March edition of Artmosphere tagged “Conversations” holds on Saturday, March 16, 2013.

Venue: NuStreams Conference and Culture Centre, KM 110 Abeokuta road, off Alalubosa G.R.A., Ibadan.

Time: 3pm to 6pm

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Favourite Five: Abimbola Dare

Abimbola Dare started writing on her blog, in 2006. In 2010 she released her first novel, The Small Print, a self-published Christian novel.  She published her first short story "The No-Nonsense Wife in 2012. A writer of Christian fiction, Abimbola’s passion lies in telling stories that draw people to the nature of Jesus, in a simple way. Her novel, The Small Print has been featured in leading newspapers in Nigeria. Award winning author Dr Wale Okediran described Abimbola Dare as an author with “a gripping, lucid style of writing, with an ability to make words playful, witty and full of memorable imagery against an awesome religious tapestry.” Abimbola is married with a daughter. She is currently working on her next novel.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I still cannot believe that I missed the hype about The Help when it was still fresh. Even though it started a bit slow for me, I quickly found myself trapped in its pages. The author did a fantastic job. I fell in love with each character’s voice, and still marvel at how well she was able to build each character to near perfection. What nailed it for me was Kathryn Stockett’s unique ability to change from third person POV (past tense) to first person POV (present tense). I read her book, picked up my laptop and penned the “no-nonsense wife”- my first ever short story… you guessed it! Written in first person. I just had to!

The Mark of The Lion Series by Francine Rivers

Francine Rivers is an author I love and admire. She writes as though it were the easiest thing in the world. The Mark of the Lion Series was an amazing read. A Voice in the Wind (1993) is the first novel in Francine Rivers' Mark of the Lion Series.  When a novel is able to get me to pause and pray… then the author has done a brilliant job. An Echo in the Darkness and As Sure as Dawn are the other two books in the series. Both brilliantly written and worthy of commendation.

Waiting for Morning by Karen Kingsbury

Anyone who reads Christian fiction will be familiar with Karen Kingsbury. She is one author who has managed to win the hearts of many with her tear-jerking stories and unique ability to tell powerful stories of love and faith. It wasn’t the quality of writing that got me for this novel, it was the emotion displayed by each character, especially Hannah Ryan who in her grief, shut out God from her life... and completely stopped believing a God she had once trusted. This is one book that will stay with me for many years to come.

Tell No One by  Harlan Coben

Of all the authors of page-turning suspense novels; no one makes me turn pages faster than Harlan Corben. If you love reading crime fiction or just a good crazy story with loads of twists and good humour, Harlan Coben is a must. Tell No One had my heart racing till the end. His best book till date.

Deceit by Brandillyn Collins

Another Christian fiction author but with a crazy amount of suspense. I loved Deceit because it was totally unpredictable. I finished the book and thought.. hang on.. what the heck just happened? *in a good way*

Winners Announced: Splendid Literature & Culture Foundation Series

The Splendid Literature & Culture Foundation (SLCF) made the first Call for Entries into the SLCF Writers’ Series in 2012 with the ultimate aim of encouraging young Nigerian writers (based in Nigeria) of imaginative children’s literature to produce stories that will entertain, enlighten and appeal to children, as well as encourage them to think in novel ways. Entries were received from all over Nigeria.

Kings' College Students at the event

At the Foundation’s official public presentation, which recently held at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, the 2012 winners of the SLCF Writers’ Series were announced. The Chair of the occasion was the Deputy Governor of Osun State, Otunba Mrs Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, ably represented by Dr. Ayodele Owoade, who during his speech emphasized the importance of encouraging creativity in Nigerian writers. 

Dr. Ayodele Owoade

While speaking, the Founder, Mrs Mobolaji Adenubi, renowned Nigerian veteran educationist, administrator and writer, gave a breakdown of the Foundation’s activities in 2012 and also foregrounded the importance of encouraging young writers.

Mrs Mobolaji Adenubi

Speaking on behalf of other judges at the formal presentation of the Splendid Literature & Culture, Ms. Sola Alamutu said arriving at the winning entries wasn’t an easy task, especially because of the high quality of entries received. “The Call for Entries into the Splendid Literature & Culture Foundation Series debuted in 2012, so, we expect that more schools will participate in the future. Of all the entries received, some just couldn’t pass at all because they didn’t meet the criteria set when the call for entries was announced. Stories that were not written, bearing in mind children readers were automatically disqualified”, Alamutu said. 

Four winners have emerged for the 2012 Splendid Literature & Culture Foundation Series Competition, and they are Chimee Adioha, Ihejirika U. Charles, Ononye Odinaka Emmanuella, and Nnani Tochukwu. The winning stories will be published in an anthology; the authors will have public presentations of their works, with readings, book signings and tours arranged for them; they will also be entitled to royalty. 

The judges of the 2012 competition were Mr. Toyin Akinosho, Secretary General of the Committee for Relevant Art (CORA) and 2011 CNN Winner of the African Journalist of the Year; Mr. Dagga Tolla, poet and musician; and Ms. Sola Alamutu, Winner of the ANA/Atiku Abubakar Prize for Children Literature in 2004. 

A Cross-section of the students

Splendid Literature & Culture Foundation ensures that books written by young writers for children readers satisfy parents who continue to buy books for their children, and the children who read them. The Foundation also has a sub-project which is to run English Language and writing workshops for students in public schools in the long holidays at centres designated by each state.