The Arts-Muse Fair

by Sirajo Abdulazeez Illo (Bá Sabouke) Nigerian poet, D. M. Aderibigbe, has been announced as a winner of the National Poetry Series 2024 for his manuscript titled The 82nd Division.  Among other honors, his debut book of poems How the End First Showed (University of Wisconsin Press, 2018) won the Brittingham Prize in Poetry. In a social media post, the poet expressed; "I'm happy to share that my manuscript, The 82nd Division, has been chosen as a winner of the 2024 National Poetry Series and will be published by Akashic Books next fall. I'm a big dreamer, but not even in my wildest dream did I think I would win an award as significant and prestigious as this." He added that, " All I ever want to do is write unapologetically about my Nigeria." D. M. Aderibigbe  is from Lagos, Nigeria. Currently, he is an assistant professor of Creative Writing at the University of Southern Mississippi.  He has received fellowships from the Sewanee Writers’ Confe

Masobe Books announced the acquisition of Nana Sule's debut book, Not So Terrible People, a collection of 11 stories about rebellious angels, jinns, and humans in their attempt to aid Shaitan in his scheme to be reborn as a human being. According to Masobe, “Each story in Nana Sule's debut collection is intricately linked and skillfully crafted. Grand themes, ideas and concepts are deftly explored, creating a prism effect where every story is like tilting the angle to catch a different wavelength, or perspective of life.” Nana Sule is a writer, journalist, and communications strategist with a deep passion for African literature. She co-hosts Conversations with Nana, a podcast promoting African poetry and storytelling. She is co-owner of The Third Space, a vibrant bookstore and workstation in Kano. Nana also curates literary events that foster creativity and community. Alongside her work, she volunteers as the communications lead for the Poetic Wednesdays Initiativ

The Hellebore Press has selected Nigerian poet, Michael Imossan, as one of the scholars for their Summer 2024 HUES Foundation Scholar program.  Michael Imossan is a poet, playwright and editor of Ibibio origin. He is the author of the award-winning chapbook For the Love of Country and Memory (poetrycolumnnd, 2022) as well as the pamphlet A Prelude to Caving (Konya Shamsrumi, 2023).  Imossan’s full length manuscript, Broken in Three places, was named semi-finalist for the Sillerman Prize for African Poetry, 2023 and his full length manuscript “All that Refuses to Die” was named winner of the Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poetry, 2024.  His chapbook, The Smell of Absence, was selected by Kwame Dawes & Chris Abani for inclusion in the New-Generation African Poets Chapbook Boxset. He is a recipient of the PEN International writers grant. The HUES Foundation is an educational non-profit organization that is committed to creative expression and innovation among BIPO

By Paul Liam Sandra Rofem Hitarh’s debut collection of poems, The Voice of Your Village, is a promising debut that problematizes the social injustice, and dystopian aura in the land. It is rooted in the socialist vision that views poetry as an instrument for engineering social change, a rather strange obsession for a military officer. Hitarh’s aesthetics align with the Nigerian poetry tradition known for its romanization of utopia, characterized by the quest for social justice, harmony, and economic prosperity. The poems reecho the wailing anguish of voiceless citizens caught in the mesh of strife and misgovernance.    The Voice of Your Village, published by Sevhage Publisher, Makurdi in 2024, contains forty-three poems and a foreword by the renowned poet and scholar, Ismail Bala. Bala describes the collection as “fresh and unique” for ditching the “American idiom” and shunning “...the seeming convention of confessionalism so rampant in recent Nigerian poetry. Bala’s appraisal undersc

Heiress is set to release Carl Terver’s Glory to the Sky on August 25, 2024. Carl Terver is one of Nigeria’s best contemporary writers, mostly of the essay form, and a well-rounded critic. In Glory to the Sky — described as “short personal essays on photography” — Terver examines our ways of seeing, celebrates the beauty of the accidental and coincident, and discusses man’s propensity for wastefulness. This kind of writing follows the tradition of writers like Emmanuel Iduma and Teju Cole, in investigating life through photography. It is a pleasure to read and a masterful hand at work. Carl Terver’s first photography writing “ The Lessons of Hue Editing ” was published in 2021 in Afapinen. In this new photobook — which he claims was a discovery even to him — he has expanded his vision of writing about images, further stretching his boundaries. And he has so much to say. Glory to the Sky contains 35 original photographs accompanied by micro personal essays and photography writing. Carl

Poetic Wednesdays is thrilled to announce the inaugural Kano International Poetry Festival (KAPFEST)! Mark your calendars for July 11th-14th, 2024, as Kano will come alive with a celebration of the city's rich poetic heritage and culture. Festivals weave the threads that unite hearts. They gather people from the dawn in the East to the embrace in the West, from Southern songs to Northern winds, bringing together a diverse populace for a sole purpose: a unifying love. In this case, poetry. This July, we witness the birth of an unprecedented gathering in Kano. Where HIBAF and FLP have graced us before, now arises "Kalamai: A Festival of Words and Expression," to celebrate the rich poetic legacy and literary history of Kano ta Dabo, Tumbin Giwa. This festival promises to be a unique platform for established and emerging poets, not just from Kano but from across the globe. Imagine a choir of voices from the East to the West, from the South to the North, all orchestrating the

Kaduna called and we answered!  The sound of it was everywhere! And of course, it was already anticipated.  In 2023, we waited for the Kaduna Book and Arts Festival. When it didn't happen, we tucked our pens in disappointment and prayed to the literary gods for its return.  Fun fact: They answered!!! You can imagine the excitement when KABAFEST returned and was held from the 1st to the 4th of May 2024.  From the streets to social media, Kaduna pulsed with a creative throb as the festival unfolded like a bibliophile's wonderland. I couldn’t resist immersing myself in this celebration of books, arts, and friends. The festival kicked off with a bang, honoring Helon Habila with the KABAFEST lifetime achievement award, a well-deserved recognition for his literary contributions.  The opening ceremony was a vibrant tapestry of poetry and music performances, book reading, and a rousing speech by the governor. This energy continued with a book chat featuring the beloved northern Nigeria