Readers' views on The Write Stuff
As the New Nigerian Weekly clocks ten, Nigerian writers express their views on the performance of its literary column, The Write Stuff, which I edit.
The column has done exceedingly well ? ANA President
The Write Stuff is a refreshing addition to the still growing league of literary columns in the country. For its regularity and diverse opinion on Nigerian writers, the column has done exceedingly well. Its strength lies in its regularity and clarity as well as the diverse nature of its subjects.
The weaknesses include the limited space given the column by the Newspaper?s authorities as well as paucity of foreign and foreign-based Nigerian authors as subjects of the column. The limited circulation of the paper also has an indirect negative impact on the paper.
The column could be improved if more foreign-based Nigerian authors could be interviewed most likely on-line. An occasional diary of international literary events would also be useful especially to writers while publishing outlets as well as editorial services would also be beneficial to the up and coming readers who are desirous of publishing outlets.
Once in a while, reviews of international and local best sellers would spice up the weekly literary menu.
Hon. Wale Okediran, President of the Association of Nigerian Authors, and former member of the House of Representatives, is a Medical Doctor.
It is a well-rounded page ? ANA Gen. Sec.
The column is an example of a well-rounded literary page touching on almost all vital areas of literature at each edition. That is why in the spate of 4 to 5 years it has been held up for reckoning twice by ANA by the awards the editor of the page received as literary journalist of the year in 2004 and 2007. The column has a long history of dedicated promotion of writers and scholars, particularly those living in the North of Nigeria and it has also sustained healthy literary debates among Nigerian writers.
The shortcomings I have seen are not the problems of the column but New Nigerian as a newspaper outfit. The quality of print of the paper is somehow poor and the circulation is low preventing most people outside Kaduna from getting the paper to buy. New Nigerian needs to inject new blood, new technology and new ideas into its operations. The paper sometimes by its appearance and contents cannot stand up to its competitors on the newsstands.
For variety to be improved on that column, it has to accommodate more writings from dedicated contributors to bring some freshness into it. More pictures and interesting stories have to be featured weekly and one or two vibrant writers can be asked to start maintaining a regular literary column. Also the pagination of the literary pages have to increase from 3 to 4. The editor should also try out a fresh and more dynamic layout, that is readers-friendly. Anyway I wish New Nigerian Weekly Happy Anniversary!
Denja Abdullahi, General Secretary of Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA, is with the National Council for Arts and Culture, Abuja.
Redesign the page ? Medical Doctor
The Write Stuff is a trailblazer in reporting literary activities. I am not sure the editorial board of your paper appreciates that literary columns are now very important columns and deserve a special budget because there is a market for them out there and every paper is struggling to build that aspect of its content.
I love the column because you are innovative and you give relatively unknown writers a space.
Your shortcomings are possibly finance, going by the contents of the paper generally. From what I have read all these years I am certain of your capabilities as the Literary Page editor, and you could do better, but you can?t carry out the responsibilities adequately on a shoestring budget.
Another shortcoming is the page design. Redesign the page altogether and draw your inspiration from the kind of work Nduka Otiono did with PELS in the Post Express years back. Create a place for dialogues and furious arguments/reviews of books. Good luck
Samdi Lazarus Musa, from Maiduguri, Borno State, is a Research Fellow in Entomology/Parasitology in a Medical Research Institute.
It is beautiful just the way it is - Legal Practitioner
I see The Write Stuff as potable knowledge, the way people see tap water as potable water. The quality and diversity of information on display every weekend can only be surpassed by a Yahoo! or Google search. It keeps a writer updated on information about writers and their events, and sometimes even about which writer is where and doing what. It is rich enough to supplant the Modesty Blaise illustrations on the back pages of New Nigerian of past years, without both of which, as it is now without The Write Stuff, I would not pick the paper up with a gun to the head!
I did mention the quality of its information. Add that to the entertainment that is assured from the Masterpiece poetry column, and you have an irresistible mix. I have often discovered poets and poetry from that column that I had never thought existed. It is uncaring to be concerned with the promotion of writers from only a section of the country. I also love the beautifully designed pages. Lovely!
Bad writing always puts me off; and The Write Stuff sometimes presented works from bad writers. I suppose the accused may be dearth of consistently fine materials; and one cannot guarantee that anywhere.
Finally, I suppose The Write Stuff is beautiful just the way it is in terms of design and editorial contents. Don?t attempt to change a good thing and end up spoiling it.
Ahmed Maiwada is a Legal Practitioner based in Abuja.
Update your website regularly ? Communicator
May I congratulate the Editor of Literary Page and members of the team for excellent jobs in gathering, editing and reporting literary activities in the country and for providing timely and useful interview with personalities that matter in the field. I must commend you all for using The Write Stuff pages as free platforms for contributors and book reviewers.
While I use this to congratulate you, I wish your website is updated regularly and archived for future reference and for those of us that use internet most of the time. Thanks.
Segun Imohiosen is an Environmental Communicator based in Abuja.
It is a rare resource for historiography ? Lecturer
The column, over the years, has proven to be a rare resource for literary historiography in Nigeria. It has continued to mirror all kinds of literary events and, in addition, has provided a formidable critical angle to the literature of its days. Its accommodation of orthodox, radical and polemical views makes it a column of all. Umaisha?s commendable sense of aesthetics has given it an overall literary garb that is yet unmatched in Nigerian journalism. Each time I appear in The Write stuff, I feel proud because I am being featured in what I see as classical literary journalism. It is a focal voice for our literature.
Perhaps one shortcoming is that it appears only once in a week while we need it every day of the week.
I want improvement in all areas. Improving all areas means taking it to a greater height. Sky, of course, is the limit.
E. E. Sule is a lecturer at the Nasarawa State Universty, Keffi.
Rename the column ? Student
The column is all-encompassing, featuring all the genres of literature. If the editor keeps at it, the sky will certainly be the limit.
However, the editor needs to be meticulous in his choice of materials to publish. Some materials he publishes, especially poems, are substandard. The column should also be renamed to something more grammar compliant.
Nichola Okoro is a member of the Imo State chapter of ANA.
One of the best in the country ? PR practitioner
I think the New Nigerian Weekly, especially its literary page, The Write Stuff, is one of the best in the country. No doubt about it, which makes the Literary Page Editor, Sumaila Umaisha, to garner some awards for the company. The fact is still that: while good and best journalists, including writers, may not necessarily be working in the widely read and most popular media, New Nigerian needs to improve in objective and fearless editorial. It also needs to always update its website regularly. The website as it is now is very dull and most of times the news items on display are either expired or belated.
For some of us who are lovers of literary works, Literary Page material in New Nigerian Weekly are amongst the best in the country but the paper needs to do more in the area of branding and reputation management. It can also create Communication page where communication and PR practitioners can make some contribution.
Nevertheless, I congratulate you on your tenth anniversary.
Okoro Festus, Abuja, [email protected].
More attention should be given to female writers ? Lecturer
It is almost well over five years since I discovered The Write Stuff. Then, I never really took the column serious until I began to read about real literary criticism especially when I read the serialization of Kamal Hamza?s Literary Aesthetics. That piece by Kamal Hamza was a nice stuff. As far as I am concerned, this is the best literary column I have ever seen since The Times? literary column of the early seventies and late eighties. Besides, the column is no doubt a parlance for literary discourse. The column has in no small way helped to develop young writers. One of the major reasons why many students buy New Nigeria on Saturday is simply because of The Write Stuff.
The column is a very good place to know and read more about the different literary authors - not only those of Nigeria, but that of other African countries and the world in general. Similarly, the column has been encouraging a lot of aspiring writers by constantly publishing their stories or poems. The creation of ?Writer of the Week? is another source of inspiration to many young writers especially with the inclusion of the poet?s photograph: a feat only Weekend Trust has equalled throughout the nation?s print media. Again, the interviews granted by authors to the column?s editor are no doubt encouraging as readers have the opportunity to read first-hand from such authors - their stands on issues such as; politics, literature, economy, gender, etc.
The column has not existed this far without its shortcomings. Two major areas where the column is to some certain extent weak are on the issues of gender and the dramatic arts. I have not read much about feminist criticism. Nothing much has been written on the likes of Buchi Emechetta, Zainab Alkali, Flora Nwapa, Omolara Ogundipe and a host of other female writers. These female writers have new publications to their credits and nothing much is heard of them. In the same vein, attention should be paid to the dramatic art. The column hardly writes or say anything about drama. Drama is an important genre of literature that cannot be overlooked. There are a lot of new playwrights emerging from Nigeria and the world in general, but, little is written about them. The column is prose and poetry biased. Topics like deconstruction and structuralism should also be included in your future literary discourse and analysis.
At this juncture, I want to say CONGRATULATIONS on your tenth year of existence. Keep the literary flag flying. May Allah bless you. Amen.
Mohammed Kamar is a lecturer in the Department of English and French, Katsina State University. [email protected].
It is a must-read ? Artistic Director
Since I discovered The Write Stuff four years ago, it has always been a must-read. The analysis is always in-depth and the reviews highly intellectual and educative. It treats all subjects objectively and with clarity of vision.
However, the pages are not enough for what I think the page editor wants to do every Saturday! Kindly look at the possibility of doing more stage play reviews.
Also, there should be space for regular film/documentaries reviews from across the globe. The reason for this is simply that this is an area that is generating a lot of interest in Nigeria presently and it surely deserves all attention.
Patrick-Jude Oteh is the Artistic Director of Jos Repertory Theatre, Jos.
The column should be in colour ? KWL chairman
The attempt at thorough and critical analysis of literary works which is invaluable for literary development makes The Write Stuff an interesting read. It has continually made me a New Nigerian newspapers addict.
The frank interviews and candid reviews are the strength of the column. It affords the readers a rare opportunity to assess the quality of works as presented by an experienced writer.
The column does not have too many shortcomings. Suffice it to say, however, that the reviews could be more critical. Especially for books, it is important to have more critical assessment of their contents, flaws and weak points.
Apart from the improvement in terms of the depth of its critical assessment, an aesthetic uplift would help the page. Colour prints will greatly enhance the page, especially for the book lovers.
Friday John Abba, the Chairman of Kaduna Writers? League, is a publisher based in Kaduna.
We are proud of you ? Media Practitioner
It is gladdening to notice that it is ten years already when the New Nigerian Weekly started. Like most weeklies in Nigeria, the focus of the Weekly has being human-angle focused yet with hard and timely political discourse and interviews.
I have noticed how few members of the editorial provide highly researched and focused analyses and interviews that serve as reference materials for future.
I am indeed more fascinated by the literary page of the publication, The Write Stuff, which was initially being anchored by Ibrahim Sheme before it was taken over by Sumaila Umaisha, also a prolific writer and energetic literary journalist who has won credible awards in the process.
With all respect I must admit that The Write Stuff has remained the major source of information on literary activities in the North. It has provided spaces in promoting the works of established and budding writers in the country, especially the Northern writers. The consistency and the focus of the literary page since its establishment is commendable. Its different sections for poetry, interviews, reviews, opinions are just very unique.
Without mincing words, I must confess, The Write Stuff is a major supporter and defender of Northern Nigerian literature and the country in general. Please keep the flag flying. We are proud of you.
Yushau A. Shuaib is a media relations expert based in Abuja.
There should be more editing ? Student
I have searched through other papers to see whether they offer the same services and coverage your paper does but did not find it; which makes your paper unique.
It informs on activities in the literary world, encourages young talents, features book launches, reviews, profiles etc. I think it is a point of exposure to many writers. The sub-column, ?Masterpiece? is great.
However, there should be more editing of spellings and word structure especially in poems because of typographical errors. I think that a part should be set aside from time to time to inform writers of competitions, on poetry and the likes, to enable writers enter such competitions. Also opportunities on book prints should be highlighted.
On the whole the column is doing a great job, I can?t do without laying my hands on it every week.
Jonathan Shammah Isuwa is a student of Theological College of Northern Nigeria, Bukuru-Jos.
It should be more adventurous ? Lawyer
I have always been a fan of good reviews. The more-than-average work done on this page cannot have its essence over-emphasized. Reviews like the types on this page throw works into the impartial public literary court for a proper assessment of their value.
I would give the column a plus for its single, easy to read, jargon-free delivery of proper and thorough critique. It does not fall into the popular error of reviews ending up being more difficult to read than the work itself.
I believe that the page could be a little more adventurous as far as the category and nature of the work are concerned. There should be a wider range of reviews of works from different generations of writers and subjects. The column can be improved by pumping up the heat of critique. This might involve more time in reading the works thoroughly and comparing them of others of its kind.
Elnathan John is a graduate of Law from ABU, Zaria.
The Write Stuff should be an independent newspaper ? Lawyer
I have had the pleasure of reading your column The Write Stuff in the Saturday edition of the New Nigerian newspaper for the last three years and I wish to make suggestions concerning how I feel NNN and your column could even better serve the up-and-coming Nigerian literati and intelligentsia, especially with the advent of democracy and the emerging middle class.
Your featured write-ups (editorials) on various aspects of writing, across the genres and your interviews with celebrated writers in the country have had the effect of inspiring younger writers to begin their contribution to comprehensive Nigerian letters. Even more important has been your dedication of space to feature poetry and prose from writers who are yet to break into the mainstream, giving your teeming readers an exposure to such emerging talents. The language of The Write Stuff is grammatically correct and easy to understand. Your interviews have done more than anything else to expose my generation to the literary pulse of the nation. In all these things, I commend you.
However, it is my considered opinion that The Write Stuff, as it currently exists as basically a three-page column within the Saturday New Nigerian, can better serve the literati if it is removed entirely from the paper. It should be an independent paper on its own. If this is done, the number of pages in it can be increased to eight or ten and the frequency may be made fortnightly. As a beginning, it could remain as an insert within the Saturday paper, much in the same way ThisDay newspaper has packaged their ?Gliteratti? and the Vanguard has packaged ?Allure?. In your case, it will become a literary journal/paper and really the only one dedicated purely to literature in Nigeria (to my knowledge). Subsequently, The Write Stuff could be spun off entirely with its own cover price within the New Nigerian stable.
In the new paper, I would expect interviews with both Nigerian and foreign writers on various topics and issues concerning both Nigerian literature and its place within the corpus of world literature - an expose on poets, novelists, dramatists, academics etcetera. It would serve as a forum where publishers like Cassava Republic and Spectrum would market their newest offerings and where constructive literary criticism would find a haven. For, of what value are the works we churn out if they are not reviewed and read by our peers and the society for whom we write? I also think that a page should be set aside in every edition to feature the work of a talented writer (poems, short story or novel excerpt) and the review of it by a professional critic, perchance drawn from the Academia or ANA itself. I would also expect news on the global literary scene; who said what and who is winning what, what competitions are open and how they may be entered for. Readers? feedback, especially in the early stages of weaning the new paper, should be sought and published, making The Write Stuff even more fun and interactive.
It is my belief that large Nigerian companies such as Banks and Telecom companies can easily be convinced that a part of their social responsibility to the Nigerian public would be well served by donating money to the new journal-zine and dutifully placing adverts in it. That way, the cover price would be minimal and you will be able to circulate not only in Northern Nigeria but every nook and cranny of the country. And truly, if you have any trouble getting sponsors to behave, let us know through your column and I and many others like me will start firing letters of support to CEO?s.
The thrust of the new journal-zine would be a creative use of colour, pictures and graphics.
I think you get the drift of what I am saying and I hope your superiors at New Nigerian Newspapers would join you in making history and at the same time impacting on the history of Nigerian literature.
Richard Ugbede Ali was Editor of a Zaria-based magazine, Sardauna magazine (2004-2006). A graduate of Law from ABU, Zaria, he is currently based in Jos.
(c) Anniversary edition of New Nigerian Weekly, 23/2/08.
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