Authors in Nigeria Compete for Literature Prize

 

Around 205 authors in Nigeria are competing to win the 2013 Nigeria Prize for Literature. The prize is sponsored by Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas or NLNG.

The literary award is aimed at promoting literacy and encouraging writing and reading among the people of Nigeria. The prize comes with a monetary award of $100,000 and bestows public recognition. The prize was established in 2004 and each year the prize is rotated between four genres, including; prose fiction, poetry, children’s literature and drama. This year the winner is being selected in the poetry genre. 

"Literature scholars should be exposed and that is what this award is all about; it is all about excellence. We are putting our writers in the limelight, they are worth celebrating,” said Mr. Banjo, the former Vice Chancellor at the University of Ibadan. 

He also stated that the winner is chosen based on excellence and creativity. “We expect nothing less, either the best or nothing.”

Former winners of the Nigeria Prize for Literature include Mabel Segun, Gabriel Okara, Akachi Ezeigbo and Chika Unigwe, who was last year’s winner.

More information about the NLNG award can be found on the All Africa website.