Literature
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 of his works, especially his plays and poems. He is easily remembered for his poems, ?Night Rain? and ?The Casualties?, and his play, Ozidi, which, like most of his other works, vividly depict the Nigerian situation. Having spent fifty years on the beat, one could refer to him as an icon of Nigerian literature. And this is why the Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA, decided to celebrate him by organizing a two-day colloquium to highlight his works.
The event, tagged 50 Years of the Writings of J P Clark, took place in Lagos from 13th to 14th August, 2010, under the theme, ?Casualties, Innovations, Perspectives?, with writers and literary scholars within and outside Nigeria in attendance.
The opening ceremony was held at Afe Babalola Auditorium, University of Lagos, under the chairmanship of Captain Elechi Amadi. In his opening remarks, the chairman eulogized the celebrant, saying he wrote freely because he began writing when there were few literary prizes available to Nigerian writers.
He spoke on the current craze for foreign literary prizes by Nigerian writers, observing that foreign prizes come with a price. He said such prizes can and do inf1uence our writing in a subtle way because ?the donor of a prize cannot appreciate you fully unless you wholly or in part share his mindset, worldview, sensibilities and worse, his prejudices about Africa and Africans?. He added that many of the prize-winning books either abuse our government and its people or depict black protagonists who are stupid, instinct-driven and crude, even when they are supposed to be educated.
He then called on the new generation of writers to learn from the likes of JP Clark in order to protect the Nigerian literature from neo-colonialism.
The President of ANA, Dr. Jerry Agada, who is the Chief Host of the event, began his speech by apologising for the poor turn-out at the event. He said the shortcoming was as a result of some administrative lapses and promised to rectify them in future.
The event was indeed poorly organised; the attendance was very scanty, and not even a banner to indicate the venue of the event.
Speaking on the aim of organising the event, the President said it was an expression of a permanent commitment to Nigerian writers, especially the forebears in the writing business. ?It is our way of saying that we recognise what they have done in promoting the role of the writer in national and global development.?
He further pointed out that the colloquium was a consolidation of a tradition his predecessors started some years ago, when similar colloquiums were held in honour of Prof. Wole Soyinka in celebration of his Nobel achievement, Prof. Chinua Achebe in celebration of fifty years of the monumental novel Things Fall Apart, Abubakar Imam, for his contributions to the development of literature in indigenous language, specifically Hausa literature, and Adebayo Faleti for his role in shaping creative discourse about Yoruba culture.
He said celebrating JP Clark became necessary in view of the fact that his contributions to the development of African oral literature through his dramatic and poetic writing nay the literature of the world speaks for itself. ?His critical writings have shaped and also broadened the scope of global understanding of Africa and her rich cultural heritage,? he stressed.
Speaking in the same vein, Governor Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan of Delta State, home state of the celebrant, described JP Clark as an excellent writer whose fame is a source of pride to the people of the state.
The governor, who was represented by one of his advisers, Mr. G.G. Dara, said it was in recognistion of JP Clark?s literary contribution that the state donated the sum of 10 million naira towards organising the colloquium. He expressed gratitude to ANA for taking the initiative, saying this will encourage the upcoming writers to put in their best.
The governor?s speech was followed by the keynote address presented by Prof. Atukwei Okai of the Department of Applied Linguistics, University of Education, Winneba. In the 25-page paper, titled ?Historical Chameleonisation and Anti-palanquinity; Human Beings As Casualties of the Womb and Writers as Murderers of the Gods - the Creational Marathon of J.P. Clark Bekederemo?, he highlighted the writings of JP Clark.
Prof. Okai, who is the Secretary-General of Pan African Writers? Association (PAWA), observed that ?JP Clark is a writer whose literary career is a creational marathon whose origin was tap rooted in the spirit and times of the foundation layers of Nigerian literature, thanks to the University of Ibadan and the Mbari Club?.
Responding, JP Clark commented on the shortcomings of the event but thanked ANA and all those who contributed towards making it a reality.
The opening ceremony was followed by the first plenary session, under the chairmanship of Prof. Sam Okala. Presenters at the plenary included Dr. Joseph Ushie and Dr. Sunny Awhefeada, who discussed the management of linguistic taboos in Clark?s Song of a Goat, and analysis of Ozidi in the light of contemporary Nigerian experience, respectively.
The second and last session of the plenary took place the following morning at the university?s Faculty of Arts Boardroom. Chaired by Dr. Joseph Ushie, the session had five presenters, including Mrs. Maria Ajima who discussed the recurring motif of the poetry of Clark, and Dr. Idris Okpanachi, who analyzed the construction of conflict in Clark?s The Wives Revolt.
The event come concludsion later in the day with a cocktail at the university?s Senior Staff Club.
c) Reported by Sumaila Umaisha in the New Nigerian newspapers.
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Literature
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 of his works, especially his plays and poems. He is easily remembered for his poems, ?Night Rain? and ?The Casualties?, and his play, Ozidi, which, like most of his other works, vividly depict the Nigerian situation. Having spent fifty years on the beat, one could refer to him as an icon of Nigerian literature. And this is why the Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA, decided to celebrate him by organizing a two-day colloquium to highlight his works.
The event, tagged 50 Years of the Writings of J P Clark, took place in Lagos from 13th to 14th August, 2010, under the theme, ?Casualties, Innovations, Perspectives?, with writers and literary scholars within and outside Nigeria in attendance.
The opening ceremony was held at Afe Babalola Auditorium, University of Lagos, under the chairmanship of Captain Elechi Amadi. In his opening remarks, the chairman eulogized the celebrant, saying he wrote freely because he began writing when there were few literary prizes available to Nigerian writers.
He spoke on the current craze for foreign literary prizes by Nigerian writers, observing that foreign prizes come with a price. He said such prizes can and do inf1uence our writing in a subtle way because ?the donor of a prize cannot appreciate you fully unless you wholly or in part share his mindset, worldview, sensibilities and worse, his prejudices about Africa and Africans?. He added that many of the prize-winning books either abuse our government and its people or depict black protagonists who are stupid, instinct-driven and crude, even when they are supposed to be educated.
He then called on the new generation of writers to learn from the likes of JP Clark in order to protect the Nigerian literature from neo-colonialism.
The President of ANA, Dr. Jerry Agada, who is the Chief Host of the event, began his speech by apologising for the poor turn-out at the event. He said the shortcoming was as a result of some administrative lapses and promised to rectify them in future.
The event was indeed poorly organised; the attendance was very scanty, and not even a banner to indicate the venue of the event.
Speaking on the aim of organising the event, the President said it was an expression of a permanent commitment to Nigerian writers, especially the forebears in the writing business. ?It is our way of saying that we recognise what they have done in promoting the role of the writer in national and global development.?
He further pointed out that the colloquium was a consolidation of a tradition his predecessors started some years ago, when similar colloquiums were held in honour of Prof. Wole Soyinka in celebration of his Nobel achievement, Prof. Chinua Achebe in celebration of fifty years of the monumental novel Things Fall Apart, Abubakar Imam, for his contributions to the development of literature in indigenous language, specifically Hausa literature, and Adebayo Faleti for his role in shaping creative discourse about Yoruba culture.
He said celebrating JP Clark became necessary in view of the fact that his contributions to the development of African oral literature through his dramatic and poetic writing nay the literature of the world speaks for itself. ?His critical writings have shaped and also broadened the scope of global understanding of Africa and her rich cultural heritage,? he stressed.
Speaking in the same vein, Governor Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan of Delta State, home state of the celebrant, described JP Clark as an excellent writer whose fame is a source of pride to the people of the state.
The governor, who was represented by one of his advisers, Mr. G.G. Dara, said it was in recognistion of JP Clark?s literary contribution that the state donated the sum of 10 million naira towards organising the colloquium. He expressed gratitude to ANA for taking the initiative, saying this will encourage the upcoming writers to put in their best.
The governor?s speech was followed by the keynote address presented by Prof. Atukwei Okai of the Department of Applied Linguistics, University of Education, Winneba. In the 25-page paper, titled ?Historical Chameleonisation and Anti-palanquinity; Human Beings As Casualties of the Womb and Writers as Murderers of the Gods - the Creational Marathon of J.P. Clark Bekederemo?, he highlighted the writings of JP Clark.
Prof. Okai, who is the Secretary-General of Pan African Writers? Association (PAWA), observed that ?JP Clark is a writer whose literary career is a creational marathon whose origin was tap rooted in the spirit and times of the foundation layers of Nigerian literature, thanks to the University of Ibadan and the Mbari Club?.
Responding, JP Clark commented on the shortcomings of the event but thanked ANA and all those who contributed towards making it a reality.
The opening ceremony was followed by the first plenary session, under the chairmanship of Prof. Sam Okala. Presenters at the plenary included Dr. Joseph Ushie and Dr. Sunny Awhefeada, who discussed the management of linguistic taboos in Clark?s Song of a Goat, and analysis of Ozidi in the light of contemporary Nigerian experience, respectively.
The second and last session of the plenary took place the following morning at the university?s Faculty of Arts Boardroom. Chaired by Dr. Joseph Ushie, the session had five presenters, including Mrs. Maria Ajima who discussed the recurring motif of the poetry of Clark, and Dr. Idris Okpanachi, who analyzed the construction of conflict in Clark?s The Wives Revolt.
The event come concludsion later in the day with a cocktail at the university?s Senior Staff Club.
c) Reported by Sumaila Umaisha in the New Nigerian newspapers.
- Honouring Jp Clark Is Celebrating Delta?s Achievements
Mr. Godini Gabriel Darah, campaign director of Governor Emmanuel Uduguaghan?s re-election project, represented the governor at the recent colloquium organised by the Association of Nigerian Authors to celebrate the 50 years of JP Clark?s writings, in...
- 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, Atiku Promote Children Literature
It is a common knowledge that Children?s Literature is the least patronised literary genre in Nigeria. Nigerian writers tend to shy away from producing the genre while parents and teachers seem to care less. And those who care simply resort to foreign...
- Developing Indegenous Language (interview)
Moses Tsenongo, a graduate of the University of Jos, currently lecturing in the Department of English, Benue State University, is a multi-talented writer; a short story writer, a poet and translator. His numerous works, including five poetry collections...
- 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....