PAWA’s Int’l ‘Read-To-Me’ Day, Digital Poetry Challenge, ANA’s Mbari Series for March
By Editor
On Saturday, March 19, 2022, the Pan-African Writers Association (PAWA) will hold its International ‘Read-To-Me’ Day with a panel discussion on reading culture in Africa. Time is 3pm GMT. Hosted by PAWA Secretary-General, Dr. Wale Okediran, the panel consists of writers from across the continent who will share experiences from their different countries what the reading culture is and how to further improve it.
On the panel are Togolese Madame Therese Karoue, Egyptian Ashraf Aoul-Yazid, Tanzanian Zamda Ramadhani Geuza, and Ghanaian Oswald Okaitei. South African Constance Van Niekerk will moderate the discussion.
Also, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) will hold its Mbari Lecture Series at its national secretariat at Mamman Vatsa Writers Village, Mpape, Abuja on Saturday, March 19, 2022. Time is 1pm. Prof. Udenta Udenta will deliver the lecture titled ‘In Search of a Better World: Literature and Intellectual Capital Development’ while Dr. Joan Oji will moderate proceedings.
Modeled after the old Mbari Club that gave birth to Nigeria’s cultural renaissance in Ibadan in the 1960s, with all the leading cultural lights playing a role, ANA’s revived Mbari Lecture Series is a monthly gathering of old and young cultural folks to discuss, critique and analyse the country’s cultural landscape. Mallam DEnja Abdullahi, Dr. Obari Gomba, Prof. Mabel Evwierhoma had taken turns in the critical monthly showpiece.
From March 17 through 31, 2022, polemical poet Dike Chukwumerije is charging poets ages 18 – 45 to show how politically conscious they are through ‘Go Nigeria Digital Poetry Challenge’. Contestants’ Permanent Voters Card (PVC) is the main criterion, with two million naira (N2M) up for grab by three most successful poets. One million naira (N1m) goes to the best digital poet while the first two runners-up go home with N600,000 and N400,000 each.
With their PVC, contestants are advised to create a 30-second poetry video “while holding your PVC encouraging youths to register and pick up their PVCs, include word play with the acronym PVC in your video, then post the poem at www.gonigeria.com using the hashtag #GoNigeriaPoetryChallenge.
