Nigeria: A Particular Plea On Nigeria Prize for Literature

The celebrated season of the Nigeria Prize for Literature all the time ends on the notice of winner-takes-all. It’s incumbent on me to plead now that the longlisted and shortlisted authors be additionally rewarded with money. Whereas the general winner goes residence with the grand prize of $100,000 it stands to purpose to console the longlisted writers with $1,000 every whereas the shortlisted ones might be gifted with $5,000 every. I feel this can be a fashionable democratic superb versus the traditional one-man-standing of bull-fighting or the Russian roulette!

The 2022 longlist included Augusta’s Poodle by Ogaga Ifowodo, Coming Undone as Stitches Tighten by Iquo Diana Abasi, dispossessed by James Eze, Ife Testomony by Segun Adekoya, Reminiscence and the Name of Water by Su’eddie Vershima Agema, Nomad by Romeo Oriogun, The Lilt of the Insurgent by Obari Gomba, The Love Canticles by Chijioke Amu Nnadi, Wanderer Cantos by Remi Raji, Yawns and Belches by Joe Ushie and Your Crib, My Qibla by Saddiq Dzukogi.

The finally shortlisted three authors are Su’eddie Vershima Agema, Romeo Oriogun and Saddiq Dzukogi. It makes me really feel by some means that just one out of those gifted poets will stroll away with one thing whereas the remainder are left barren.

Let’s take the instance of the Booker Prize awards in Nice Britain the place in 2022 the winner will go residence with the £50,000 grand prize whereas the six shortlisted authors will obtain £2,500 every. It won’t be a mistaken transfer to go the best way of the long-established Booker Prize.

The Nigeria Prize for Literature has all the time been open to alter in its affairs because it all the time engages most of the people and the media towards the development of the award through the years. This manner, the prize cash has been elevated from the preliminary $20,000 in 2004 to $30,000 in 2006, $50,000 in 2008, and eventually $100,000 in 2011.

The essence of literary awards occurs to be the publicity of books and never simply bagging the final word title as an finish in itself. The extra books which can be given the exposition by way of the levels of the awards will render extra clout to the train. There’s the tendency for perennial contenders, who’re finally unrewarded, to lose curiosity in a means that detracts all which means to the drive for literary consciousness.

One champion doesn’t a neighborhood make. The decision for range ought to make as many books as potential to be showcased. Giving all consideration to that one e book that wins the prize detracts from the multiplicity of voices wanted to present a rounded schooling to the neighborhood.

Literary judgement is fraught with idiosyncrasies such that even the true finest e book can by no means ever be decided by even the best assemblage of judges. A e book that must have received may find yourself being discarded. The books that by some means beat the chances to get to the purpose of being shortlisted or longlisted deserve recognition in financial compensation.

Whereas the prize winner can go along with the accolade of “finest novel of the yr” or “finest play of the yr “or the best assortment of poetry”, there may be the concomitant matter of not leaving all of the runners-up within the lurch. Whereas in Britain and the USA there are established publishers for the advertising of books, Nigeria nonetheless lags behind in not having clearly outlined book-publishing organs. Many of the Nigerian publishers are printers who make no returns as royalties to authors. There must be no denying of those striving authors of any financial rewards that will come their means by way of literary awards.

It isn’t for nothing that the majority Nigerian authors arrange the flowery launching of their books in order that they’ll on the very least cowl the printing prices of the books. A e book produced on such arduous phrases that goes all the best way to the shortlist or longlist of the Nigeria Prize for Literature deserves to win some cash for the trouble!

Writers overseas benefit from the providers of astute publishers, skilled editors, savvy entrepreneurs and dutiful publicists. The Nigerian author is what is named the one-man-riot squad as a result of he intervolves himself in all points of the publishing commerce earlier than he can ever get a e book on the market. Ready for a writer to assist him alongside the road would quantity to ready for Godot.

If Britain the place right publishing thrives can reward shortlisted authors with money prizes, what stops Nigerian literary award organizers from doing the needful? This might do a world of fine towards enlarging the artistic course of in Nigeria.

Time was when Nigeria had correct publishing as represented by foreign-owned firms comparable to Heinemann, Longmans, Macmillan, Evans, Oxford College Press and so forth. That point is gone, and most Nigerian authors should perforce pay the so-called publishers to print their books sans modifying, advertising or any publicity by any means.

Because the NLNG put out in its mission assertion as per organising the Nigeria Prize for Literature, “previous to inauguration of the Prize, the standard of writing, publishing, information options and articles in newspapers and magazines, and the standard of movie manufacturing on tv and radio didn’t paint an image of the excellence the business was beforehand recognized for.”

These authors who battle previous these Herculean odds to get to the longlist or shortlist should be monetized!

The NLNG goes forward to emphasize: “It due to this fact turned evident to us at Nigeria LNG {that a} well-run literary prize with clear adjudication course of, administered by revered lecturers, writers and lovers of literature, and with respectable financial reward will spur creativity and contribute to the development of the standard of writing, modifying and publishing in Nigeria. The remainder, as they are saying, is historical past.”

It’s my plea that the “respectable financial reward” that can spur creativity must be unfold throughout board past the one-person winner. Creativity will develop in leaps and bounds as soon as the erstwhile denied runners-up are inspired by way of some financial rewards due them within the dire Nigerian scheme of issues. The NLNG stays a listening group, and I can rely on the administration to assist the authors of Nigeria by means of this particular plea.