Association of Nigerian Authors releases prizes’ shortlists, set for November 2023 convention
By Edior
The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), the biggest writers’ body on the African continent, has announced the long and short lists for the 2023 edition of ANA literary prizes in drama, prose, poetry and children’s literature. Carefully selected from a pool of entries, the lists are provided genre by genre, according to the General Secretary, Maik Ortserga.
For the 2023 ANA Chinua Achebe Prize, the longlist has ‘Rogues of the East’ by Ikenna Okeh, ‘Leave my Bones in Saskatoon’ by Michael Afenfia, ‘The Nigerian Mafia’ by Onyeka Nwelue, ‘Zeb Silhouette’ by Chinyere Grace Okafor, ‘Saro’ by Nike Campbell and ‘Turbulent Waters’ by Timothy Etchie. In the 2023 ANA Prize for Children’s Literature, the shortlist is made up of ‘Finding Kitty’ by Chigozie A. Mbadugha, ‘A Wonderful World’ by Vincent Evhade, ‘The Female’s Duty’ by Ireyimika Oladele-Ojo and ‘Crossroad’ by Taiwo Idowu. Also in the ANA/KMVL 2023 Poetry Prize, the shortlist has Utibe Hanson’s ‘Unnoticed: Presence of Things’, Charles Terseer Akwen’s ‘On This Land’, Tope Ogundare’s ‘Will You Buy My Wares?’, Umar Abubakar Sidi’s ‘Like Butterflies Scattered About by Art Rascals’ and Thomas Peretu’s ‘Whispers in a Junkyard’.
ANA President, Mr. Camilus Ukah
The 2023 ANA Short Story Prize has in the shortlist ‘Storm Across the Sahel: A Collection of Short Stories’ by Aliyu Danladi and ‘When Dreams Burn’ by Dul Johnson. For the 2023 ANA Drama Prize category, the longlist has Isidore Diala’s ‘The Truce’, Dul Johnson’s ‘In the Crucible’, Olatunbosun Taofeek’s ‘Where is Patient Zero’, Bayo Mosoba’s ‘Passing-Out Parade in Mankilla’ and Olutayo Irantiola’s ‘The Okeho Exodus: Regicide, Revolt, Relocation’. Others are Nkiru Akaenyi’s’The Mandate’, Ineye Johnny Dudafa’s ‘Mangrove in the Desert’, Stephen Kekeghe’s ‘Broken Edges’, Peter Omoko’s ‘Kidnapped’. Achalugo Chioma Ilozumba’s ‘The Women in the Mirror’ and Olubunmi Familoni’s ‘When Big Masquerades Dance Naked’.
Also for 2023 ANA Prose Prize, the shortlist has ‘Trophy Husband’ by Ejiro Joyce Otive-Igbuzor, ‘The Nigerian Mafia Mumbai’ by Onyeka Nwelue, ‘Some Angels Don’t See God’ by Ever Obi, ‘The Black Men of Bissonnet Street’ by Sola Owonibi and ‘And Then He Sang a Lullaby’ by Ani Kayode Somtochukwu.
Ortserga also informed that the winners will be announced at the Award Dinner Night during the 2023 ANA International Convention scheduled to take place at the Mamman Vatsa Writers Village, Mpape, Abuja from November 2 – 4, 2023. This is election year that ushers in a new executive at the expiration of Mr. Camilus Ukah-led executive after its four-year term.
