The Arts-Muse Fair

The African Writers Development Trust (AWDT), has released the longlist of the 2019 edition of the African Writers Awards (AWA). Forty African writers from Kenya, Nigeria, Botswana, South Africa, Zambia and Cameroun made the list in the categories of Children’s literature, Flash fiction, Poetry, and Short story.   A press release by Anthony Onugba, which states that a shortlist will be published on Monday, August 26, 2019, lists the following writers on the longlist. Children’s Literature – Judged by Nahida Esmail (Tanzania) 1.       Albinism Is Not A Curse by Oroni Tendera (Kenya) 2.       Okapi Rock Ii by Allen Jo (Kenya) 3.       Kumba Wants to Skip Class by Spencer Okoroafor (Nigeria) 4.       The Lazy Vulture by Elaoje Sophie Oto (Nigeria) 5.       The Zappinator by Eme Ogbu (Nigeria) 6.       Cultural Stereotypes by Kui Gitonga (Kenya) 7.       Christmas in the Village by Kelvin J. Shachile (Kenya) 8.       The Birth of Nuru - The African Barbie

DEAR LOVE Dear love, I long to see your eyes The white round balls like moon My eyes has turned into a sea Pushing worries and grief to its shores When I remember your angelic looks The heart talks like an empty vessel Of when it will find rest And a hope that it will never sail farther. Dear love, I have wept while smiling Days, weeks and months yet to count Lips dried and shrank I stood on the hot rain As it drips on my cheek And flows down with cold tears Mind continue to walk and wonder Thinking of where it will grin That place under the evergreen tree Where those two hearts smile Dear love, Is this how it feels to miss? More like walking in a flame A flame of new burning log The log that became our barrier The barrier that made me walk On bare earth with my tongue Wishing you will send a wind That will come and take me home. ******* Sa’id Sa’ad is a poet, short story writer and an essayist. His short s

Eriata Oribhabor (Di Poet), President of Poets in Nigeria (PIN) this morning in Lagos, would unveil three new poetry books at the Virgin Rose Resorts Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. The three books entitled; Walking Truths, That Beautiful Picture , and Colours and Borders contain over 400 poems inspired by his thoughts and experiences from 2015. Eriata Oribhabor The book unveiling event which will start from 11:30am has Mr. Modecai B.D. Ladan (Fmr. Director of DPR) as the chairman while the Acting Director of DPR, Alh. Ahmad R. Shakur would serve as the Chief host and Book Unveiler. The books would be reviewed at the event by Kolade Olanrewaju Freedom with music by Hon. Kutcheti (Africa’s Don Williams)

Credit:  Aminu S Muhammad The Meal of Words The rock you are called O hear this For mother nature gave the flow To make sense of phenomenal nonsense For in this Is the mind of the poet incubated It soars with wings beyond the wind To dazzle the rock with the person of the poet For this your name came from the book of books. My mind soars to find a friend in words. Now I know I shall never be alone To share this meal in books The meal of words is known But only to persons for whom it’s cooked For thus the meal is savoured by them alone Sages are born not bred So their words are borne With wisdom and richness seen Thy praise many would not know Yet the sage like earth absorbed thy words For thy flow like the ocean is great an imagination.  ******** Chris N. John writes from Lagos, Nigeria. She's the author of The Rhythm , a poetry collection published 2019. Her works have appeared in local newspapers, Universi

BY ABUBAKAR AKOTE Professor of Oral and Comparative Literature, and the Dean, Faculty of Languages and Communication Studies, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Prof. Apegba Ker, has advocated for the deployment of oral literature in addressing the conflict bedeviling Nigeria and other African societies floating on destructive waters. Delivering the 14th inaugural lecture of the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, last weekend, entitled “ The Dynamics of Change: The Oral Artist and the Survival/Preservation of the Form” Prof. Ker posited that aside the entertainment role of oral literature, the lessons embedded in traditional songs and stories have made them a viable tool for conflict resolution and prevention. According to him, as Nigeria and some other African countries continue to grapple with communal conflicts and violence, oral literature is a passable route to follow in promoting peace and progress of humanity. He noted that “through ora

I learnt something very profound from my step dad as I was growing up as a writer and young man, it is very important to leave people to wander alone as they come up in life. Clap for them, let them have access to your resource materials/library if you live in close quarters. Feed their confidence by listening to their fears and let them find the solutions within themselves. All that is required to do better in literature is continuous access to good literature, application to writing workshops and seminars, entering for competitions and prizes and simply jotting down whatever creative thoughts that comes to mind. But it is very important never to enter into the personal space of an artist. Not to influence their styles with your own personal politics and syntax. We are not just artists but also equal creators and humans. The best gift you can give an artist is a mind of his own. Namwali Serpell met an inspiring writer at Harvard during her Ph.D programme and that

Concluding part. Our meeting at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport was dramatic, and the ambience so genuine that an onlooker would think we had known each other all our lives. He clearly disarmed me with his affectionate conviviality of a cultured fellow. I had been trying to text him that I was outside waiting for him when I saw a six footer (not sure about his exact height) hurrying towards me with a wild smile and open arms spread in embrace. Of course, this act of familiarity took me off guard, it was after a long while that I realized it had been his own way of creating a psychological balance between us. He was a smart guy, I figured out independently. Being a student of Counselling Psychology, I understood where he was coming from and his predisposition to friendliness, he was a stranger and I was to be his   guide, so by disarming me at our first meeting, he would have created a cordial ground for our soon to become brotherly relationship. I reckoned this guy