31st July, 2015
Information and Communications Technology solutions provider and leading supporter of African Literature, Globacom, has concluded plans to celebrate African playwright, poet and Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka.
Globacom stated on Thursday that Prof. Soyinka and some of Nigeria’s upcoming literary writers will be honoured in an event entitled “A Night with Wole Soyinka and Nigeria’s Young Literary Stars” in August in Lagos.
The event, according to the company, is one of the numerous efforts initiated to appreciate the literary stars for their outstanding contributions to the study of literature which has put Nigeria on the world literary stage.
Globacom stated that the Nobel Laureate had made Nigeria and Africa proud, adding that the celebration of the intellectual jewel at the event will also provide opportunity for the media, literature lovers and guests to interact with Professor Soyinka and the young award winning writers.
The telecoms company explained that it is working towards showcasing an evening of glitz, glamour, endless entertainment and Intellectual simulation for guests.
In addition, a documentary on the life and times of Professor Soyinka will be showcased as well as a reading of his works by the three young Nigerian writers.
During the event, Globacom will also launch a special prize in Literature for undergraduate students across the country tagged “The Glo Literature Prize for Undergraduate Students”.
It will also feature an interactive exchange between the Nobel Laureate and the young writers being honoured on the night, Sefi Atta, Tope Folarin and E.C. Osondu who will share their personal perspective on African literature and the contributions of Prof Soyinka.
Born in 1964 in Lagos, Nigeria, Sefi Atta has won several awards including the 2003 Red Hen Press Short Story Award, 2005 PEN International David TK Wong Prize, 2006 Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa and 2009 Noma Award for Publishing in Africa amongst others.
Washington, DC., United States based Tope Folarin is a recipient of writing fellowships from the Institute for Policy Studies, Washington DC., and serves on the board of the Hurston/Wright Foundation.
Tope was educated at Morehouse College, and the University of Oxford, where he earned two Master’s degrees as a Rhodes Scholar. In 2013, he won the Caine Prize for African Writing, described as Africa’s leading literary award, for his short story entitled ‘Miracle’ from Transition.
E.C. Osondu, the last celebrant, lives in Rhode Island, USA where he is an Assistant Professor of English at Providence College. He won the Caine Prize in 2009 for his story “Waiting”. He has also won the Allen and Nirelle Galso Prize for Fiction, and his story, “A Letter from Home”, was judged one of The Top Ten Stories on the Internet in 2006.
Osondu’s debut short story collection Voice of America was published by Harper Collins in 2010 and Granta Books in 2011.