Nigeria Content Online

Jalaa Writers’
Collective (JWC), comprising 10 Nigeria-based writers, has been formed.
Though originally established last year, the group has now formally
announced its arrival on the literary scene.

Amongst other
goals, the body hopes to create a platform for improving the craft of
its members and closing the gap between books and readers in the
country.

Members of the
collective include Igoni Barrett, author of ‘From Caves of Rotten
Teeth’; Abimbola Adelakun (‘Under the Brown Rusted Roofs’); Ahmed
Maiwada (‘Fossils’ and ‘Musdoki’) and multiple award winning author and
academic, Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo.

Other members of
the collective, which derives its name from the endangered language of
the Loojaa settlement in Bauchi State, North Eastern Nigeria, are
Araceli Aipoh (‘No Sense of Limits’); Joy Isi-Bewaji (‘Eko Dialogues’);
Jude Dibia (‘Walking with Shadows’ and ‘Unbridled’); and Odili Ujubuonu
(‘Pregnancy of the gods’ and ‘Treasure in the Winds’). Short story
writer and author of ‘Dark through the Delta’, Uche Peter Umez, and
poet, Victoria Kankara (Hymns and Hymen), also belong to the collective.

“Like many other
writers’ collectives all over the world, the focus and aim of JWC is to
produce high quality books, both in content and in form, as well as aid
in the development of literature in the society. JWC is a new business
model for publishing,” noted a release from the group.

It added that its
“members are united by a common purpose of using the collective power
of many to achieving individual writing and publishing goals.”

Two new works by members of the collective, Ujubuonu’s ‘Pride of the
Spider Clan’ and Adimora-Ezeigbo’s ‘Roses and Bullets’ are scheduled to
be released under the JWC imprint early next year. Information about
the collective can be viewed on www.jalaawriters.com