The Arts-Muse Fair

41 outstanding photographers from across the world have been selected as recipients of the 2nd annual Magnum Photography Awards 2017. The award aims to recognize some of the most accomplished and talented photographers working today. All the 41 photographers’ work will be shown at a digital exhibition at The Photographers’ Gallery in London later this year. In addition, the 12 final winners will receive $27,000 in cash awards as well as vouchers to participate in a Magnum photographer’s workshop somewhere in the world. The photographers worked on varied subjects and projects that include photojournalism, documentary, portraits, street photography, nature and humanity. The selection jury consisted of Magnum photographers, world-renowned curators, and experts from organizations like National Geographic and Aperture Click here to see details of the photographers and their projects.  

Five Winners have been announced for the 2017 Morland Writing Scholarship with two Nigerian writers making the list. The announcement came after the panel of judges met on Monday, December 4 to decide on four winners but ended up picking five because of the high standard and of proposals submitted, setting a record for the first time when Miles Morland would be awarding scholarship to five entrants since the commencement of the award in 2013. The winners are Elnathan John and Eloghosa Osunde from Nigeria. Others were Alemseged Tesfai  (Eritrea), Bryony Rheam (Zimbabwe) and Fatima Kola from South Africa. Organizers said 550 entry submissions were received from nine African countries and from which a short-list of 21 was recently released. However, due to the fierce competition this year which made it  difficult for the judges to arrive at the best four entries, they agreed to award five Scholarships in 2017 as against the normal tradition of four annually. Elnathan John

ALONE AND COLD By Marjaan Sadiq A shiver ran up her spine as she pressed the knife harder until it penetrated the smooth surface of her wrist. Bright red liquid gushed out of the small cut even before she felt the sting. She looked up at herself in the wardrobe mirror, her eyes were red and swollen from crying. Her face, blotchy with purple and black, was streaked with thick lines of dripping red where she had made marks of sorrow from one temple to the other, from temple to chin and across her jaw. Blood dribbled into her eyes, obscuring her view. Her disheveled hair formed a curtain around the bloodied face. The front of her white dress was partly soiled. She could not believe that he had succeeded in making her into what she never dreamt she'd be, that he had made her suicidal. Her knees weakened. She gripped the metal tighter. Groaning wildly she pushed it further into her skin, feeling her flesh tear open as she sliced. More blood oozed out, spilling on

Publishers or self-published poets in South Africa are invited to submit three copies of any English poetry debut published in 2016 or 2017 for the 2018 edition of Ingrid Jonker poetry Prize. The Ingrid Jonker Prize is awarded in alternate years to the best debut collections in English or Afrikaans. The winner receives a cash prize dependant on the interest accumulated in an account originally established for this purpose. Closing Date for Submission: The closing date for submission of entries is Wednesday 31st January, 2018. Entries should be accompanied by a cover letter with the contact details of the publisher and poet, as well as a declaration that the submission is the poet’s first collection of poetry published with an ISBN. General rules and regulations During her “second funeral” in July 1965, friends of the young and beloved poet Ingrid Jonker decided to honour her memory with a prize for debut poets. Writers and friends contributed money, and a publishe

Entry gate is open for submission of one to three poems that question the incidence of Almajirci and Almajirai in the northern part of Nigeria. Poems should be written in English Language and not more than forty lines each. This anthology seeks to raise a voice against the situation of Almajirci and Almajirai. Therefore, a poem (s) could choose to question, criticize or identify with the system. For instance, do people really understand the system and its adherents? However, this could be approached using a variety of tones and on any aspects of Almajirci and Almajirai. It is obvious that some people are passionate and concerned about the plight of these young children who are learning the hard way, yet their voices have not been heard in the wilderness of disinterest. This anthology is a form of advocacy that seeks to package such voices into a single note, raising its decibel, that it may tap on eardrums and elicit a reappraisal and a rethinking. Guidelines :

Urucu Media is inviting applications from screenwriters from across the African continent for its 2018 Realness screenwriters’ residency. Realness Residency is a pan-African programme dedicated to developing and supporting the next generation of African screenwriting talent. Realness ensures that projects are given the space to mature sufficiently in the development phase such that, once they enter production, they result in films that have the potential to travel and appeal to worldwide independent cinema audiences. Its purpose is to offer talent a nurturing environment that allows them to stretch their creativity and drive their craft under mentorship from industry experts. Its aim is to not only nurture and empower filmmakers every year but to foster a New Wave of Authentic African Cinema. It is a year-round support system to the alumni, helping them to bring their scripts from the page to the screen ensuring that the programme maintains a long-standing impact. Operatin

The Niger State Book and Other Intellectual Resource Development Agency was established by the immediate past administration in Niger State. The Agency was created to among other functions, promote the Intellectual Capital project of Niger State – from book development to film, music and ICT. However, since the exit of the government of Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu two years ago, there have been criticisms that the Agency no longer functions. In this interview by Abubakar Akote for the Arts-Muse Fair News Blog, the Director of the Agency, Alhaji Hussaini N. Baba dismissed such assumptions, saying that the Agency is not dead but has shifted its focus from only book development to incorporating other intellectual aspects as enshrined in the bill that established it. Excerpts. There are criticisms that the Book Development Agency under your leadership is not functioning. What is happening? We are doing a lot but most of our activities are not publicized. In fact, for somebody to