The advisory board for The Nigeria Prize for Literature sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) has announced the shortlist of 11 books for the 2021 edition of the annual award.
This was disclosed in a statement by NLNG made available to Qed.ng on Sunday.
Drawn from 202 books, the shortlist will produce a winner who will be awarded a cash prize of $100,000.
The 11 books on the shortlist include Delusion of Patriots by Obianuju Chukwuorji, Give Us Each Day by Samuel Monye, Imminent River by Anaele Ihuoma, In The Name of Our Father by Olukorede Yishau and Mountain of Yesterday by Tony Nwaka.
Others are Neglected by Lucy Chiamaka Okwuma, The Colours of Hatred by Obinna Udenwa, The Girl with The Louding Voice by Abi Dare, The Return of Half- Something by Chukwudi Eze, The Son of The House by Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia and Your Church My Shrine by Law Ikay Ezeh.
The list was presented by chairman of the panel of judges for this year’s prize Prof. Toyin Jegede, who is a professor of Literature in English at the University of Ibadan.
The other judges are Prof. Tanimu Abubakar and Dr. Solomon Azumurana of the Faculty of Art, Ahmadu Bello University and Department of English, University of Lagos respectively.
The judges described the shortlist as fresh approaches to looking at issues, using new and exciting narrative strategies, techniques and well-written organic plots to present topical discussions in realistic ways.
They added that there has been a visible improvement in writing skills and commended NLNG for giving writers the platform to blossom and experiment.
Chairperson of the prize’s advisory board Prof. Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo said the board unanimously agreed that the shortlist of 11 was an excellent list.
She expressed her appreciation to the judges for a thorough job in selecting the shortlist.
Adimora-Ezeigbo stated that excellence was the watchword of the prize, adding that the onus was on the advisory board to continue in the tradition that was handed to them by their predecessors.
Keenly contested as Africa’s highest reward for creative excellence, the Nigeria Prize for Literature has rewarded eminent writers since 2004.
Past winners include Gabriel Okara, Ezenwa Ohaeto, Ahmed Yerima, Mabel Segun, Adimora-Ezeigbo, Kaine Agary, Tade Ipadeola, Soji Cole and Jude Idada.
The prize runs concurrently with the Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism (also sponsored by NLNG), for which four entries were received in 2020.
The Nigeria Prize for Literature rotates yearly amongst four literary categories namely prose fiction, poetry, drama and children’s literature.
A shortlist of three is expected in September from which a winner, if any, will be announced by the advisory board in October, the NLNG statement concluded.
