The Nigeria Prize for Literature, 2013

Last year, Chika Unigwe won the NLNG Prize for Literature, for her novel, On Black Sisters Street which was published in 2009. 

This year, the call for entry seeks poetry. Below are details on how to submit and what is required.

So, dear published Nigerian poets, submit and hope to be the best/lucky one.

Call For Entries The Nigeria Prize for Literature, 2013

Entries are hereby invited for The Nigeria Prize for Literature. The yearly literary prize is endowed by Nigeria LNG Limited [NLNG] to honour the author of the best book by a Nigerian within the last four years.

The prize rotates among four literary genres - prose fiction, poetry, drama and children’s literature. This year, the competition is for Poetry.

The competition is open only to published works by Nigerian writers irrespective of place of residence. It carries a reward of $100,000.

Submission Procedure

Six copies of the entry and, if available, an e-copy, together with evidence of Nigerian citizenship (photocopy of Nigerian passport or National identity card), may be submitted either by authors or publishers, in accordance with the genres in competition.

Books should be submitted to Nigeria LNG Limited’s External Relations Division, promoters of the prize, by the stipulated deadline. Failure to meet the stated conditions will lead to disqualification of the entry.

No book published before January, 2010 will be accepted.

Complete contact information, including full postal address and/or e-mail(s), phone number(s) and other relevant contact information should accompany each submission.

An author in any competition will enter only one published work. Mere manuscripts will not be considered. No book previously submitted for this competition may be re-submitted at a later date, even if major revisions have been made or a new edition published.

The prize will be awarded for no other reason than excellence.

Panel of Judges

·       A panel of judges shall be appointed for The Nigeria Prize for Literature by the Advisory Board for Literature.

·       The appointment of judges shall be done to reflect the genre in competition for the year. Persons appointed as judges are those who have wide experience, peer recognition, good public image, and command respect nationally and internationally.

Literary Criticism

To encourage literary criticism, the Advisory Board for Literature will also reward one critic with not less than N1,000,000.

Since the aim is to promote Nigerian literature in the world, the prize will be open to literary critics from all over the world. Special considerations shall be given to critical essays on new writing in Nigerian Literature.

Contestants shall send in at least three or more critical essays published in a major scholarly journal. Such a journal shall have proven track record of dedication to excellence and shall have an international circulation.

No critical essay previously submitted for this competition may be considered at a later date, even if major revisions of it have been made. Mere manuscripts will not be considered. Entries not submitted by the deadline and according to stated conditions shall not be considered.  Only entries published in the year of the competition or in the three years before then shall be considered.

No member of the Advisory Boards or Panels of Judges can enter their essay(s) for the literary criticism award in the year they are serving.

Public Presentation

Prizes will be awarded at a Public Presentation.

Close of Entry

All entries must be in by April 12th, 2013. Late entries will not be entertained.

Judges

Professor Romanus Egudu                                                      - Chairman

Professor Abiodun Omolara Ogundipe                                  - Member

Dr. Andrew Abah                                                                   - Member

International Consultant

Professor Kofi Anyidoho

Advisory Board

Professor Emeritus Ayo Banjo                                              - Chairman

Dr. Jerry Agada                                                                     - Member

Professor Ben Elugbe                                                             - Member

Entries shall be sent to:

The Nigeria Prize for Literature

External Relations Division  

Nigeria LNG Limited

INTELS Aba Road Estate

Km 16, Aba Expressway

P.M.B 5660, Port Harcourt

Rivers State, Nigeria.

Or

The Nigeria Prize for Literature

External Relations Division

Heron House

10 Dean Farrar Street

London

SW1H 0DX

A New Poetry Prize for African Poets

Brunel University African Poetry Prize

The Brunel University African Poetry Prize is a major new poetry prize of £3000 aimed at the development, celebration and promotion of poetry from Africa. The prize is sponsored by Brunel University and partnered by Commonwealth Writers, the Africa Centre UK, and the African Poetry Book Fund USA.

British-Nigerian writer, Bernardine Evaristo, who has initiated the prize, describes her reasons for a new prize exclusively devoted to African poetry:

'I have judged several prizes in the past few years, including chairing the Caine Prize for African Fiction in 2012, an award that has revitalised the fortunes of fiction from Africa since its inception in 1999. It became clear to me that poetry from the continent could also do with a prize to draw attention to it and to encourage a new generation of poets who might one day become an international presence. I am particularly interested in new voices who are exploring poetry that perhaps draws on the poets' own cultural aesthetics - doing something original, something different. African poets are rarely published in Britain. I hope this prize will introduce exciting new poets to Britain's poetry editors.'

Prairie Schooner, one of the leading literary presses in the USA, having published continuously for eighty-five years, has committed to publishing some of the work of the winning poets of the Brunel University African Poetry Prize.Wasafiri, the leading British journal of international writing, will also publish the winner. Similar arrangements will be pursued with other major literary journals in the United Kingdom and the US.

Rules

·         The prize will be for ten poems by an African writer who has not yet had a full-length poetry book published. (Self-published books, chapbooks and pamphlets are exempt.)

·         The prize is open to poets who were born in Africa, or who are nationals of an African country, or whose parents are African.

·         Only poetry written in English is eligible. Translated poetry is accepted but a percentage of the prize will be awarded to the translator.

·         The prize opens for entries on October 26th 2012 and the winner will be announced in April 2013.

·         There will be a distinguished panel of judges including the poet Kwame Dawes and the academic Mpalive Msiska. There will also be an advisory committee. All to be announced.

In collaboration with the African Poetry Book Fund, the Brunel University African Poetry Prize will develop a series of poetry workshops and courses in Africa in its efforts to provide technical support for poets writing in Africa.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

For more updates and additional information go to the Facebook page of the Prize or contact Bernardine Evaristo at Bernardine.Evaristo@brunel.ac.uk.

Website: http://africanpoetrybf.unl.edu/