Ken Saro-Wiwa book competition opens

Committee for Relevant Art (CORA), organisers of the Lagos Book and Art Festival (LABAF) has called for entries from Nigerian participants between the ages of 18 and 41, for reviews of any one of five works of Ken Saro Wiwa’s fiction and drama. The best review of any of ‘Sozaboy,’  ‘A Forest of Flowers,’ ‘Adaku […]

Committee for Relevant Art (CORA), organisers of the Lagos Book and Art Festival (LABAF) has called for entries from Nigerian participants between the ages of 18 and 41, for reviews of any one of five works of Ken Saro Wiwa’s fiction and drama.
The best review of any of ‘Sozaboy,’  ‘A Forest of Flowers,’ ‘Adaku and Other Stories,’ ‘ Prisoners of Jebs,’ or a joint review of ‘Basi and Company’ and ‘Transistor Radio’ will receive prize money of a N100, 000 at the opening day of the Festival, come November 13, at Freedom Park.
Anikulapo added: “So much effort has been paid, by sundry sponsors, to writers of books and less to the infrastructure of reading. CORA fancies itself as a landscapist and as we have pioneered the idea of Book Festivals with programme content, as opposed to book fairs in the country, we also want to sow seeds in the area of getting whole communities, as opposed to writers alone, to share in the joy of reading”.
According to Toyin Akinosho, CORA Secretary General, author of ‘Nights of The Creaking Bed,’ Mr. Toni Kan is chairman of the panel of juries who will receive the no more than 1, 000 word reviews before the deadline in two weeks.
Jahman Anikulapo, CORA programme chairman explained that: “The competition does three things; it serves to improve on the human infrastructure of reading; there cannot be a robust literary/literacy subculture, or a book market, without a vibrant review culture.” 
He added that: “The grounds on which conversations of culture stands in the Nigerian arts landscape today, is shaky; helps to memorialise Mr Saro Wiwa, to whom the theme of this year’s edition of the Festival is dedicated and finally, it is the foundation of CORA/LABAF Annual Literature Review contest.”