As promised, over the last week, this blog has featured reviews of the shortlisted work on the 2017 NLNG Nigeria Prize for Literature (Poetry), as well as interviews with the shortlisted writers, and the prize coordinators. You can now read and watch them here, below:

Monday, September 25, 2017: A Review of A Good Mourning” by Ogaga Ifowodo

Thursday, September 28, 2017: A Review of Songs of Myself by Tanure Ojaide

Sunday, October 1, 2017: A Review of The Heresiad by Ikeogu Oke

Monday, October 2, 2017: Conversation with Professor Ben Elugbe, member of the advisory board of the Nigeria Prize (video)

Tuesday, October 3, 2017: Conversation with Ogaga Ifowodo, author of A Good Mourning (video)

Wednesday, October 4, 2017: Conversation with Tanure Ojaide, author of Songs of Myself (video)

Thursday, October 5, 2017: Conversation with Ikeogu Oke, author of The Heresiad (video)

Friday, October 6, 2017: Excerpts from each of the collections (video)

Sunday, October 8, 2017: Conversation with Kudo Eresia-Eke, General Manager, External Relations for NLNG (video)

Monday, October 9, 2017: Prize Announcement/World Press Conference.

Update: October 9, 2017: Ikeogu Oke’s The Heresiad is the winner of the 2017 Nigeria Prize for Literature. 

The intention behind this effort was to help engage the community of writers and give visibility to each year’s shortlist as a way to better improve the prize through conversations and constructive criticism. The end game, of course, is the hope to stimulate an improved culture of reading and appreciation of literature around the country.

____

Follow us on twitter at @ktravula.