"Why Nigeria has not produced a writer worth reading since 1960" Do you agree?

Came across this article on The Scoop, I think its quite debatable. Kindly read through and let us know what school of thought you belong.

By Amatesiro Dore

We live in Lagos and they say I’m from a broken home—my father’s house is on the Island and my mother lives on the Mainland. At twenty-seven I shouldn’t live with either parent and believe inFather Christmas but I’m a reader in need of a library and a writer at work on some manuscripts in a city without a literary government.

Chimamanda's writes new short story to encourage childhood vaccinations

Three weeks ago, we brought you news on the Art of Saving a Life project, a new initiative by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. See full report here.

The project has attracted more than 30 world-renowned musicians, writers, filmmakers, painters, sculptors and photographers from around the world to demonstrate how vaccines can help kids stay safe from preventable diseases. 

Alongside more than 30 other artists and writers across the world, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is using her storytelling talent to encourage childhood vaccinations. See below her short story titled 'Olikoye' which explains the importance of vaccinations in children and families everywhere.

Chimamanda tells the story of a newborn with the name Olikoye, and the powerful, compassionate man that is his namesake the man that has given babies and countless others in Nigeria new hope for a longer and healthier life. 

Story title: Olikoye
Author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Illustrations by Wesley Allsbrook

Chimamanda's Americanah hit French book stands this month

Our girl Chimamanda doing what she does best in Paris.

To promote the publication of “Americanah” in France, Chimamanda took part in a discussion about the novel, as well as the subject of identity in literature, at the Maison de la Poésie in Paris on Wednesday 21st, January 2015. 

Listed as one of the New York Time’s Ten Best Books of the Year and winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction, the novel has already sold 500,000 copies in the US and has been translated into 25 different languages.

Fans stood patiently in line for a signed copy of Americanah at the Maison de la Poésie in Paris.

Rekiya’s Tale – Episode 12 – The Finale

REKIYA CONTINUES

Of the many things that can drive a person crazy, pain and love create the most normal looking crazy people. When it is love that is causing the deep pain a person feels, then the craziness becomes psychopathic. The scariest part is that they appear normal to us all.

What happened next shocked me to my bones. The image is indelibly etched in my mind’s eye forever and sometimes, I wake up, cold sweat lining my brows from nightmares containing it. Akudo knelt down over Ochuko, still facing us, with her gun trained on us, crying. None of us dared to move an inch.

BBC Radio's Opening Lines welcomes submissions from writers new to radio for their annual series

Each year, the BBC radio drama readings unit welcomes submissions from writers new to radio for their annual series, Opening Lines which is broadcast on BBC Radio 4.

This year, three successful writers will have their stories broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and will be invited to the BBC in London to see their stories being recorded. Submissions of entries are open from 5th January – 13th February 2015.

CNN's ‘African Voices’ profiles Nigerian Beauty Entrepreneur,Tara Fela Durotoye

This week's ‘African Voices’ on CNN International explores the journey Nigerian Tara Fela Durotoye has taken creating her own brand in the cosmetics world, and how she became the founder of one of the largest make-up empires in the country.

Queens of Africa dolls becomes the new fad as it outsells regular barbie in Nigeria

The Queens of Africa dolls by Nigerian entrepreneur, Taofick Okoya is reported to have outsold regular barbie in the Nigerian market.

The dolls which are crafted after Nigeria's three largest ethnic groups of Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa, highlights the growing sophistication of consumers and the need to tailor products to local tastes.

According to Reuters, Okoya sells between 6,000 and 9,000 of his "Queens of Africa" and "Naija Princesses" a month, and reckons he has 10-15 percent of a small but fast-growing market.

Ozy media's CEO, Carlos Watson urges international media to pay more attention to African Literature

CEO of Ozy media, Carlos Watson in an interview with Gwen Ifill of Pbs newsroom expressed that Nigerian authors deserve more media attention for their efforts towards improving literature in the African continent.

In December 2014, Etisalat Nigeria released a shortlist of authors in the running for the 2015 Prize for Literature competition. See report here.

Rekiya’s Tale – Episode 11

FARIDA CONTINUES

Never pray to be faced with the kind of choices that I was faced with as I entered Rekiya’s living room that night. None was easy, both would hurt and the options were limited. I had the choice of sharing what I had found out and saving my friendship with Rekiya but destroying whatever fragile trust she had left in men, or not sharing and letting her keep thinking of me as the villain.

I hadn’t thought I would meet all these people here. Rekiya’s dad, Ochuko and a lady I now recognized as his wife. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw Ochuko in flesh and blood. How the hell had this guy survived that plane crash? For a couple of minutes, I lost my tongue and couldn’t say a word. And I could see that Rekiya was about to fly off at me now. I tried to recover and say something, to ask how Ochuko was here, but she spoke faster than me, and she was shouting.

Art of the Brick Museum displays Lego Bricks Art in Africa

According to Wikipedia, Art is a diverse range of human activities and the products of those activities. This definition means that Art is no longer restricted to using a brush and Canvas and can be display or portrayed through anything and any means.

One of the most unusual art exhibitions commenced in Cape Town, South Africa in December 2014. The exhibition had on display artwork made entirely out of Lego bricks. 

Art of the Brick exhibition displayed astounding art pieces such as iconic works of art, historical structures, and prehistoric animals. 

The phenomenal display is the work of acclaimed New York-based artist Nathan Sawaya. The display is set to run in Cape Town from 12 December 2014 until Saturday, 28 February 2015 with 76 colorful, large-scale figures and portraits made entirely from tiny Lego pieces.

The exhibition will be back again in Johannesburg, South Africa by May 13 – August 2, 2015.

See some of the artwork after the cut..

A Nice portrayal of African romance | Interview with Chioma Iwunze-Ibiam

Last week, I reviewed a book titled Finding Love Again by Chioma Iwunze-Ibiam . See review here.

Chioma Iwunze-Ibiam is a Nigerian fiction writer and the author of Finding Love Again. She has
written quite a number of unpublished novels as well as several short stories published. Her latest work so far is Finding Love Again which was published in 2014.

Q: Tell us a bit about what inspired you to be a writer?

Chioma Iwunze-Ibiam: I started writing diary entries as a catharsis, an outlet for my sorrows and joys and seemingly ineffable emotions.

When I was twelve, going on thirteen, all the teachers under the state education board went on strike, and so our junior WAEC exams had to be postponed. I wrote and completed a YA novel in my spare-time and found a book cover design for it. That book never got published, but then I had been inspired to become a writer.

Rekiya’s Tale – Episode 10

Rekiya’s Perspective

Life has a way of making the thing you hope will not happen be the very thing that occurs.

I struggled to clean the tears from my face and put myself together before going to the door. His reaction told me clearly that my struggle had been in vain. My father was the last person I wanted to see me like this. I mean, I am the one who keeps saying I can take care of myself and hold my shit together, and here I was, a hot mess.

 

More comments about former president Olusegun Obasanjo's book

Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye, an influential commentator on public issues states reasons why he will not read former president Olusegun Obasanjo's book. 

Culled from the Daily Independent newspaper

By Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye

I must congratulate myself for successfully avoiding virtually all of Gen Olusegun Obasanjo's usually ego-massaging and attention-craving books. I have NOT read, for instance, My Command, Not My Will, Nzeogwu, and his other little-known titles. But when his first wife, Mrs. Oluremi Obasanjo, published her book, Bitter-Sweet: My Life With Obasanjo, I went through a lot of stress to purchase a copy. I read and reviewed it. Obasanjo had been talking about other people and cutting them down with self-righteous zeal, so I wanted to hear what somebody who had intimately shared a greater part of his life had to say about him. Indeed, this is one book Obasanjo would not like to be in circulation. But most people who have read the book would readily recommend it as a background study to anyone interested in reading Obasanjo's books where he usually presents himself as one of the world's most righteous human beings and competent leaders. Like one reviewer said and I agree, in societies where the law is alive and active and treats everyone equally, "the allegations against Obasanjo [in that book], if proven in a court of law, would have earned him a long stay in jail."

Supporting the use of vaccines through Art

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as introduced a new initiative known as the Art of Saving a Life project. This project will brings together more than 30 world-renowned musicians, writers, filmmakers, painters, sculptors and photographers from around the world to demonstrate how vaccines can help kids improve immunity and grow up safe from preventable diseases.

Rekiya’s Tale – Episode 9

You do not want to think these things. You do not want to say them. But you find yourself saying them, you find the belief creeping on you. Even to me, my accusation sounded ludicrous.

Fafa looked at me with eyes like orbs “Reks, what are you talking about? Have you been drinking?”

“Oh so you want me to begin drinking again so you can make sure that your plan works, just in case the first drinking didn’t work abi? Well, it has worked. Are you happy now?”

Book Review: An African Love Story

Book title: Finding Love Again

Author: Chioma Iwunze-Ibiam

Reviewed by: Marian Balogun

Finding Love Again is an African love story that depicts the challenges of dating, commitment and the celebration of falling in love again. The book tells the story of a young poet/radio presenter who was jilted on her wedding day. 

At the beginning of the book, Kambi is seen anxiously awaiting the arrival of her fiancé, who is thought to be running late for their wedding but, as it turned out her husband-to-be appeared to have eloped with her maid of honor or rather maid of dishonor. Kambi is very upset with her fiancé, Victor and her mother who is friends with Victor’s mother and had introduced her to him.

Former Director of Army Legal Services,Bello-Fadile expresses distraught over Obasanjo's book 'My Watch'

More controversy arises as Colonel Bello Fadile, former director of the army's legal services expresses his displeasure about being mentioned in former President Olusegun Obasanjo memoir. Read full article after the cut.

Writivism Short Story Prize 2015 Entries to open February 1st

The Writivism festival is an annual Literary Festival held every June, in Kampala Uganda, featuring the leading contemporary African writers.

Entries for this year's short story prize will be open February 1st.

The festival theme Engaging the Makerere Literary Tradition: Conversations across generations of African writers. 

The festival will feature keynote addresses on the theme, panel discussions, conversations on sub-themes related to the over-arching theme. There will also be master classes, a stage play and book launches.

African Artists Foundation set to begin a ten-month long LagosPhoto exhibition and workshop starting this January

LagosPhoto is launching its Kickstarter campaign tagged 'The Year of Photography'. See the full press release and video after the cut;

Professor Gordini Darah's Depiction of Odumakin book 'Watch the watcher'

The debate continues on Yinka Odumakan's book titled 'watch the watcher'. After his interview on Channels TV, see report here, below is an illustration of the book by Professor Gordini Darah.

Stage Plays Showing in Lagos this January

Are you a stage play fan, then this is for you!

January 4

Stage play

Promise Of The Future

Show times: First show - 3:00pm and Second show - 6:00pm

Venue: Terra Kulture, Tiamiyu Savage Street Victoria Island

January 11

Stage play

Prison Chronicles

Prison Chronicles is a tale of four prisoners whose chaotic, sometimes hilarious and often absorbing life stories is a metaphor of the everyday events we encounter around us.

Show times: First show - 3:00pm and Second show - 6:00pm

Venue: Terra Kulture, Tiamiyu Savage Street Victoria Island

January 18 & 25

Stage play

MAYBE TOMORROW

When two long-lost friends who had fought side by side during the Civil War suddenly reunited, a police interrogation room is surely not the best of venues for such an encounter; especially when one is the suspect and the other is the chief interrogation officer.

Show times: First show - 3:00pm and 6:00pm

Venue: Terra Kulture, Tiamiyu Savage Street Victoria Island

Political Activist, Yinka Odumakin launches book titled ‘Watch the Watcher’ in response to Obasanjo's Memoir

Its day two of 2015 and the year is starting on such an exhilarating note already.

Remember former president Olusegun Obasanjo's book launched in  December 2014, against the Federal High Court of Abuja's injunction not to publish? See report here.

Well, about three weeks after the former president launched his memoir, another Nigeria political activist, author, columnist and secretary of Afenifere group, Yinka Odumakin also launched a book titled "Watch the Watcher" with similar title to Obasanjo's memoir which is titled "My Watch".

Why You Should Read More Inspiring and self-help Books in 2015

Welcome to 2015!

We probably have all set our goals and resolutions for 2015, well guess what, reading is indirectly a BIG part of achieving those goals. Reading for fun is not only entertaining, it’s also enlightening and broadens your understanding of whatever endeavor you are pursuing.

It is no surprise, then, that reading is also important to success. Check out these inspirational, motivational and great self-help books that will set you on the path of your success this year.

Happy 2015!!!

We made it, so let start 2015 with a bang! I would ask what your new year's resolution is but, you probably want to keep it to yourself. 

So,what was your favorite book that you read in 2014 and what book will be the first that you'll read in 2015?

Let us know, who know's you might just be recommending a book to someone.