The Arts-Muse Fair

Pic: Aminu S Muhammad Before Daddy returns from work, there would have been broken plates, torn curtains, a rumpled bed and the settees turned upside down. Sometimes, there would be soup stains all over the walls. I thought it was all fun but Daddy didn't think so. He would return to the usual screaming matches with mother, raging and throwing things all over the place. Most times, I ended up receiving the beating of my life from either him or mother. I was always the victim of their altercations. Sometimes, I wondered if they were forced on each other, I never saw my friends' parents act like that. Baban Indo, as my Daddy was called, was a good man, always helping me with my homework, lifting me to the backseat of his bicycle and teaching me how to operate my toy computer. He also bought sweets and popcorn for me, especially when Mama beats me. Until the Easter of 2003 when he suddenly disappeared and nothing was seen or heard of him again. Mummy was a good wom

Pic: Aminu S Muhammad I STAND Here I stand in the secret place of my emotions under the shadow of my thoughts wondering: when are we going to enjoy the promises promised by these promiscuous politicians? Grey hair, married to the seat of power Yet, claiming we're leaders of tomorrow, but, when really is tomorrow if the labours of our heroes past seem to carry last these days? Today is the tomorrow we waited for yesterday like a watchman waiting for another day; We've been positioned to write night test with bloody ink putting us up to sit and think - CHANGE: truly a constant in life's equation. But, how do we fight this frustration forming fuming fuse of hatred and religion? We get started from the beginning like *Dó ré mí* scoring spitted words the way it should be; discarding sounds of silence buried in voices of audible men For "we begin to die when we remain silent to things that matter" Martin Luth

After the generation of Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe and John Bekeder emo-Clark, Harry Garuba, as a world-renowned scholar and poet based in Ibadan where he also led the Thursday group of poets, was at the bridgehead of a new wave of Nigerian Literary culture and scholarship since the 1980s till his passing in February 2020. For over 30 years, he sponsored, mentored, taught, supported and befriended that new generation of academics and writers. Always self-effacing, he never took or sought credit for his intellectual, financial and moral generosity, a palpable example of which was the 1987 poetry anthology, "Voices from the Fringe," which he organised and edited. This work is a formal introduction of the third generation of Nigerian writers to the literary world. In the area of scholarship Garuba’s quiet but powerful intelligence and erudite influence is widespread. His academic essays are landmarks of rigorous postcolonial enquiry within a global school culture. Garub

The Goethe-Institut Nigeria, in cooperation with 16/16 residency in Lagos and the Berlin art institutions, ZK/U – Center for Art and Urbanistics, SAVVY Contemporary and Galerie Wedding, is offering residencies for artists / curators from Lagos and Berlin. Goethe-Institut Nigeria in the context of its partnership with the Center for Art and Urbanistics (ZK/U) in Berlin, the cultural office of local government Berlin Mitte, SAVVY Contemporary Art Space Berlin and 16/16 Lagos, continues with a  residency programme for artists and curators  from Berlin and Lagos. Since its founding in 2015, the aim of »Artist’s and Curator’s Residency // Berlin-Lagos« has been initiated to strengthen the dialogue between Germany and Nigeria. It provides an individualized offer in order to get an insight into the art and culture scene of the respective city and the partner institutions. They will offer possibilities of exchange, mentoring, making contacts and the presentation of work results

Pic: Aminu S Muhammad              The possibility of their seeing the note was doubtful. Even as I lay on my bed, I could hear the aggressive exchange of gunfire across the River Buruku, less than five kilometers away. I knew that some of the rattling voices were theirs. What irked me most about the whole show was the thought of finding myself trapped in a hole like a rodent once the enemy crossed the river.             I found myself in the middle of the inter-communal conflict but was forbidden from fighting; I was a long-distance arrow, not to be used for small hunts. My service to the community was only to use the pen and my mind in intellectual warfare against her enemies. This position of seeing the action yet not able to participate when one’s age mates were at the heart of it all created a crack in my sanity. They would come home marching victoriously, or on the shoulders of others as corpses, heroes. Could this have been what lured Chris Okigbo to the front, abandon

Judge: Ismail Bala, Bayero University, Kano (poetry). Judge: Mahmud Zukogi, Bayero University, Kano (prose). 1st Positions  - N120, 000 each. 2nd positions  - N80, 000 each. 3rd positions  - N50, 000 each. Poetry 1st Position: Do not Bury Me by Adamu Usman Garko - Gombe High School, Gombe State. 2nd Position: Carved by Zakiyyah Dzukogi - Himma International College, Minna, Niger State. 3rd Position: Poetic Musings by Muna Sheikh Lemu - Himma International College, Minna, Niger State. Prose 1st Position: Nowhere to Run by Tofunmi Adeoya Abiola - Dansol High School, Ikeja, Lagos. 2nd Position: City of Smoke by Mujaheed Ameen Lilo - Sunshine International School, Kano. 3rd Position: Destined by Salamatu Abdullahi - Himma International College, Minna, Niger State. Judge’s Report: Poetry . The following texts are deserving of this year’s Prize: Do Not Bury Me        Winner Carved                       1st Runn