Literature
Late Ken Saro Wiwa, who was an author, television producer, environmental activist, and winner of the Right Livelihood Award and the Goldman Environmental Prize before his execution by the Abacha regime in November 10, 1995, will be celebrated by the Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA. According to the National Secretary of ANA, Mr. Hyancinth Obunseh, in an interview with SUMAILA UMAISHA, the colloquium, holding in Port Harcourt from 10th to 14th August, 2011, is aimed at interogating his contribution to literature.
What is the colloquium on the late writer, Ken Saro Wiwa, which will be taking place at the University of Port Harcourt from Wednesday, 10th to Sunday, 14th August 2011, all about?
The colloquium in Port Hacourt is about celebrating one of Nigeria and Niger Delta?s finest writers. His works, his life, his environment. He was chairman of the Rivers State branch of the Association of Nigerian, ANA, and rose to become its National President. He was extra-judicially murdered by the Federal Government of Nigeria. He is worthy of celebration because his writings and works in his lifetime attracted international attention. So, when the ANA National EXCO met in January to decide on who to celebrate this year amongst our literary icons, his name came up and got unanimous support.
What are the objectives of the event?
The main objective of the event is to interogate his contributions to literature. He may be gone, but in the time he was around and writing, how much did he affect African literary discourse? What has been his impact? Does he have followers?
Give us an insight into the activities that will take place at the event.
This time around, it will not be the usual four-day affair. It will be five. On arrival, there will be cocktail for everyone, and then we retire for the night. The following day we will have the opening ceremony and the first plenary session. After this, we will have a play on Ken Saro Wiwa in the evening. On the third day we will have two more plenary sessions and then go sight-seeing. On the fourth day, we will go to his home in Ogoni land and have literary party, then in the evening, in the course of the closing ceremony/dinner, winners of the adaptation of his works will be announced and the winning play staged. Then on the fifth day, we all depart for our various homes.
This involves a lot of money; how is ANA going to get sponsorship for it?
Sponsorship has, you may well know, been sore tomb in our affairs as an association. This time around, we are hoping to get some support from the federal government, ministries, Rivers and Bayelsa state governments, NDDC etc. We are optimistic on this.
Some may wonder why it has taken ANA this long to celebrate Saro Wiwa
There is no time for anything! I mean, whatever we have to do, we have to do. To paraphrase Achebe, whenever a man wakes up is his morning! Yes, we should have celebrated him long before now, but we did not. We are doing so now, and in style!
The JP Clark colloquium nearly failed due to the handling of the event. What are you doing to ensure the success of this one?
There were very many factors that almost marred our celebration of J P Clark, including funding, several change of dates, University of Lagos examinations (at the time we finally got our acts together), non-payment of staff salaries in some universities where paper prese nters were to come from, last minute cancellations by ANA branch delegates and so on. This time around, the committee set up by the EXCO are determined to work around the clock to plug these and other loop holes. We have started early and have the full support of the EXCO and President to do our work. We are working to see that we have a great colloquium, as never before!
What is the level of preparation so far?
At this time, we have inaugurated an LOC in Port Harcourt who are to liaise with the University of Port Harcourt authorities; reached out to paper presenters, called for entries for the competition on adaptation of his works, apart from his plays. We are on course.
After the colloquium, what next, in terms of ANA activities?
Oh, we are planning several workshops around the country and also the 2011 annual international convention.
(c) Published in 'WritersVillage', New Nigerian On Sunday, April 3, 2011.
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Literature
ANA celebrates one of Nigeria?s finest writers
Late Ken Saro Wiwa, who was an author, television producer, environmental activist, and winner of the Right Livelihood Award and the Goldman Environmental Prize before his execution by the Abacha regime in November 10, 1995, will be celebrated by the Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA. According to the National Secretary of ANA, Mr. Hyancinth Obunseh, in an interview with SUMAILA UMAISHA, the colloquium, holding in Port Harcourt from 10th to 14th August, 2011, is aimed at interogating his contribution to literature.
What is the colloquium on the late writer, Ken Saro Wiwa, which will be taking place at the University of Port Harcourt from Wednesday, 10th to Sunday, 14th August 2011, all about?
The colloquium in Port Hacourt is about celebrating one of Nigeria and Niger Delta?s finest writers. His works, his life, his environment. He was chairman of the Rivers State branch of the Association of Nigerian, ANA, and rose to become its National President. He was extra-judicially murdered by the Federal Government of Nigeria. He is worthy of celebration because his writings and works in his lifetime attracted international attention. So, when the ANA National EXCO met in January to decide on who to celebrate this year amongst our literary icons, his name came up and got unanimous support.
What are the objectives of the event?
The main objective of the event is to interogate his contributions to literature. He may be gone, but in the time he was around and writing, how much did he affect African literary discourse? What has been his impact? Does he have followers?
Give us an insight into the activities that will take place at the event.
This time around, it will not be the usual four-day affair. It will be five. On arrival, there will be cocktail for everyone, and then we retire for the night. The following day we will have the opening ceremony and the first plenary session. After this, we will have a play on Ken Saro Wiwa in the evening. On the third day we will have two more plenary sessions and then go sight-seeing. On the fourth day, we will go to his home in Ogoni land and have literary party, then in the evening, in the course of the closing ceremony/dinner, winners of the adaptation of his works will be announced and the winning play staged. Then on the fifth day, we all depart for our various homes.
This involves a lot of money; how is ANA going to get sponsorship for it?
Sponsorship has, you may well know, been sore tomb in our affairs as an association. This time around, we are hoping to get some support from the federal government, ministries, Rivers and Bayelsa state governments, NDDC etc. We are optimistic on this.
Some may wonder why it has taken ANA this long to celebrate Saro Wiwa
There is no time for anything! I mean, whatever we have to do, we have to do. To paraphrase Achebe, whenever a man wakes up is his morning! Yes, we should have celebrated him long before now, but we did not. We are doing so now, and in style!
The JP Clark colloquium nearly failed due to the handling of the event. What are you doing to ensure the success of this one?
There were very many factors that almost marred our celebration of J P Clark, including funding, several change of dates, University of Lagos examinations (at the time we finally got our acts together), non-payment of staff salaries in some universities where paper prese nters were to come from, last minute cancellations by ANA branch delegates and so on. This time around, the committee set up by the EXCO are determined to work around the clock to plug these and other loop holes. We have started early and have the full support of the EXCO and President to do our work. We are working to see that we have a great colloquium, as never before!
What is the level of preparation so far?
At this time, we have inaugurated an LOC in Port Harcourt who are to liaise with the University of Port Harcourt authorities; reached out to paper presenters, called for entries for the competition on adaptation of his works, apart from his plays. We are on course.
After the colloquium, what next, in terms of ANA activities?
Oh, we are planning several workshops around the country and also the 2011 annual international convention.
(c) Published in 'WritersVillage', New Nigerian On Sunday, April 3, 2011.
- Making The 30th Ana Convention Memorable
As the International Convention of the Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA, draws near, the General Secretary of the association, Mr. Hyacinth Obunseh, in this interview with SUMAILA UMAISHA, speaks on the prepaprations so far. He also speaks on the...
- Celebrating Clark?s 50 Years Of Literary Excellence
Professor John Pepper Clark Bekederemo, popularly known as JP Clark, is not a new name on the Nigerian literary scene. Literature students who passed through Nigerian secondary schools and universities from the 1960s to date would testify to the quality...
- Funfair, As Writers Converge On The Sunshine State
It was funfair, fantasy and myth galore as Association of Nigerian Authors held its 29th International Convention in Akure, Ondo State, last week... SUMAILA UMAISHA reports: HELD under the theme, ?Myth, Fantasy and Indigenous Theatre? the three-day convention...
- Celebrating Jp Clark?s Glowing Achievements
Recently, the Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA, held a two-day colloquium on the 50 years of JP Clark?s writings in Lagos. In this interview at the event, the President of the association, Dr. Jerry Agada, spoke about the occasion, its shortcomings...
- Ana Salutes The Pioneer Of Hausa Literature
The 9th of July, 2009, could be described as ?The Abubakar Imam Day?. For it was the day in which the fond memories of the pioneer of Hausa Literature were ignited by the Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA, with an international colloquium in his honour....