The Advisory Board for The Nigeria Prize for Literature Friday released the list of 11 drawn from 287 books in the running for the 2022 edition of the prize, focused on poetry.
The literature prize, sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) with a cash award of $100,000 is an annual ritual that rotates amongst four literary categories – prose fiction, poetry, drama, and children’s literature.
The 11 books on the longlist are ‘Augusta’s Poodle’ by Ogaga Ifowodo; ‘Coming Undone As Stitches Tighten’ by Iquo DianaAbasi; ‘Dispossessed’ by James Eze; ‘Ife Testament’ by Olusegun Adekoya; and ‘Memory and the Call of Waters’ by S. Su’eddie Agema.
Others are ‘Nomad’ by Romeo Oriogun; ‘The Lilt of The Rebel’ 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 list was presented to the Advisory Board by the Chairman, Panel of Judges for this year’s prize, Sule Emmanuel Egya, a professor of African Literature and Cultural Studies at Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State.
Other judges are: Toyin Adewale-Gabriel, a poet and fiction writer; and spoken word and performance poet and award-winning author, Dike Chukwumerije.
The judges described the longlist of eleven as the best of contemporary Nigerian poetry, rich in experimentation with language, style and theme.
Accepting the recommended longlist, the Advisory Board commended the thorough work done by the judges.
Speaking on behalf of the Board, Professor Akachi Adimora- Ezeigbo, the chairman, said the quality of works on the list shows that a lot of scrutiny and work went into selecting deserving poets who have distinguished themselves by the quality of their submissions.
The judges will also continue adjudication on the 87 entries for The Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism, which runs concurrently with the Nigeria Prize for Literature.
The literary criticism prize carries a monetary value of N1 million.
A shortlist of three is expected in September, and the winner, if any, will be announced by the Advisory Board in October.