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Emerging writers
gave a good showing at the just concluded national convention of the
Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) held in Akure, Ondo State, from
October 28 to 31.

The meeting, the
29th annual gathering, themed ‘Myth, Fantasy and Indigenous Theatre’,
saw young writers clearing a number of the prizes at the awards dinner
hosted by the state governor, Segun Mimiko, at the Government House on
the last day of the convention.

Though it may be
too early to start singing their praises, they sure gave a good account
of themselves. Ngozi Onyioha-Orji took the NDDC Flora Nwapa Prize for
Women Writing with ‘The Knots of Karma’, while University of Lagos
trained medical doctor, based in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Godwin Noah, won
the Jacaranda Prize for Prose with ‘The Bear Hug’.

The not-so-young
US-based Ben Igwe, won the NNDC Ken Saro-Wiwa Prize for Prose with
‘Against the Odds’, his debut novel. It was indeed a worthwhile trip
for the Ph.D holder in Library and Information Management, who flew in
from the US for the convention.

The major upset of
the night, however, was caused by young lawyer, Seyi Hodonu, who piped
former ANA national president, Olu Obafemi, to the NDDC Gabriel Okara
Prize for Poetry, worth N100,000. Hodonu’s ‘Songs from my Mother’s
Heart’ won the prize, ahead of Obafemi’s ‘Illuminations’ and Gbenga
Ajileye’s ‘Droplets’.

Choreographer and
deputy director with the National Troupe of Nigeria, Arnold Udoka, got
the best of University of Lagos Literature lecturer, Chris Anyokwu, and
Fidelis Okoro to claim the NDCC J.P. Clark Prize for Drama, worth
N100,000. He and Hyginus Ekwuazi, winner of the ANA/Cadbury Prize for
Poetry, however, cannot be labelled young.

Ekwuazi, the 2007
winner of the same prize, won this time around with ‘The Other
Country’. It will be interesting to see who will be the first to win
the prize the third time between him and the other two-time winner,
poet Akeem Lasisi.

Dramatist, Isaac
Attah Ogezi, held the flag of the young aloft by winning the Esiaba
Irobi Prize for Drama with ‘Waiting for Savon’. The work beat Tunji
Ajibade’s ‘The Sacrifice’ and Chidozie Chukwubuike’s ‘The Day the Owl
Died’.

Abuja-based Spencer
Okoroafor won the ANA Funtime Prize for Children’s Literature with ‘The
Missing Chip’, while the young also took the three remaining prizes in
the children’s literature category. Author of ‘Under the Brown Rusted
Roofs’, Abimbola Adelakun, emerged the ANA/Anyiam-Osigwe Literary
Journalist of the Year, for her work in the Punch newspaper.

Children were not
left out of the colourful awards dinner as ANA Happy Kids entertained
the audience with some songs. In a short speech at the occasion where
he was decorated as a national patron of ANA, Governor Mimiko promised
his continous support to Nigerian writers.

“I assure you that
whatever leverage I have, both in my official and personal capacities,
I’ll add value to you,” he said, adding that “whether we like it or
not, Nigeria will come to celebrate literature, because it is about
describing our reality in the past, present, and future.”

The governor
reiterated that writers must be empowered for Nigeria to develop, and
that he doesn’t believe in art for art sake. Recalling the achievements
of Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, Mimiko told the writers, “Your tribe
has done us proud. I wish I could say the same for politicians, but we
will do you proud.”

The absent King Sunny Ade, Seinde Arogbofa, and the late D.O. Fagunwa were invested as patrons of ANA Ondo.