By Prisca Sam-Duru The Nigeria Prize for Literature 2024 is nearing its climax. Last week, the Advisory Board for the prize, led by erudite scholar and author, Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, announced a shortlist of three in the competition focusing on Children’s literature. From the final list, a winner will be announced in October and will receive a cash award of $100,000 from the sponsor of the prestigious literature prize- Nigeria LNG limited. Author and dramatist Olubunmi Familoni, is one of the finalists, a position he earned with his book, “The Road Does Not End”. In addition to writing plays, Familoni writes short fiction, and essays. His collection of stories, Smithereens of Death, won the ANA Prize for Short Stories in 2015; his children’s book, I’ll Call My Brother for You, won the ANA Prize for Children’s Literature in 2020; the manuscript for his novel, The Becoming-Nothing of Bodies, was longlisted for the Island Prize in 2023; his play, When Big Masquerades Dance Naked, was longlisted for the Nigeria Prize for Literature 2023 and was a joint winner of the ANA Prize for Drama in 2023.
The author is a writer who has been shortlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize. This is a significant achievement, as the Booker Prize is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world. The author’s success is a testament to their talent and dedication. **Detailed Text:**
The author’s journey to the Booker Prize finals is a testament to their unwavering commitment to their craft.
The book, “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” by Nigerian author, [Author’s Name], explores themes of family, education, friendship, and cultural values. The author highlights the significance of family relations in shaping children’s characters and emphasizes the importance of quality formal education. The book also celebrates the value of friendships and the importance of respecting cultural values.
This passage describes a person who is optimistic about their future financial prospects. They believe their qualities will lead to success and wealth. They are hopeful that their efforts will result in a significant increase in their income.
Commending Nigeria LNG for initiating and sustaining the Prize for two decades, Familoni stressed that “The prize is important most especially for what it does in awarding excellence especially, in genres that do not have such prestigious prizes that pay attention to works of writers in those genres such as children’s literature and drama. Also NLNG has invested so much in improving the general reading culture by collaborating with the writers and publishers to make books available, through literary events such as book readings, book tours, the book party, etc.” To ensure quality books are made available for young ones, he stressed the need for any intending writers of children’s literature to “Read more children’s literature and interact with children; learn their language and write from their perspective.”
