Feast of Words 2016 WRR Literary Festival is coming to Ibadan again

The annual WRR Literary Festival Feast of Words to hold on the 3rd of December 2016 in the ancient city of Ibadan.

The annual WRR Literary Festival Feast of Words to hold on the 3rd of December 2016 in the ancient city of Ibadan.

For the second year running, Ibadan will host writers, performers, thinkers, artists, book lovers and lovers of literature for the one-day festival at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan (UI), Ibadan, Oyo State.

Themed ‘Words in a Season Change’, the festival will feature stimulating discussions, awards, book unveiling, readings musical performances, a play by the University of Ibadan Theatre Arts Students, and an African Night of words, music, and palm wine.

Poet, linguist, lecturer, Emmanuel Inedu, author of Cockcrow At Noon will present a paper exploring the place of writers in the prevailing political atmosphere.

 He will be joined in discussion by Sickle Cell awareness campaigner, Awodiya Funke, who will also be reading from her book The Farmers Daughter, and Goodness Olanrewaju Ayoola, teacher and author of the acclaimed collection of poems, Meditations.

The Feast of Words is one of the most anticipated literary festivals among young Nigerian writers. It is organized by Words Rhymes & Rhythm (WRR Ltd), a foremost Nigerian publishing and educational institution which actively promotes Nigerian writing and supports the development of young Nigerian writers through several interventionist programmes. 

The 2015 edition had in attendance major stakeholders from all over the country.

• DATE: Saturday December 3rd, 2016
• VENUE: INSTITUTE OF AFRICAN STUDIES, UI, Ibadan
• TIME: 10am – 8pm

IN MY LINE OF SONGS

(to Dr Moses T. Tsenongu)

 

 

   Prelude:
As I walk on waves weaved
on grown hair of River Benue
my feet stroke skulls of songs
where rhythms rang from pages of
autobiography of a common man.

I biograph out your commonness
in my line of songs and sing
of ingredients that make you a
soup set to sail ships in our throat

I will slog out songs from indyer*
with rhythms that will shatter
Olympus so Gods will hear hill of
holy rhymes that spell your grace

This biography is your auto's
telling of humility
you cravat your neck and the
spurt of mfena* you spit speaking

Your tongue invokes daughters of Iduh*
to dance donary dance to drums
from sons of Takuruku* and when
you wind your wheels colours intermarry

From shelf of noble names I
sing of your open hand nailing notes
to outstretch altars of palms
waiting for wetness to dawn their throats

When your verses vase our ears
our heart dances to incantation
priming from priestly mouth calling
Sun the Male Born Moon the Female

To preserve the sanity of our soul
you poem lines to milk us mild
and retain the tongue which
our ancestors answered

Along this chiseled coast I
will wet the arid shore of
your ears with water breath
of songs panegyric pin from
temple of ancient songs

Your commonness is the song
that swells round our mouth
and this verse is the biography
of your greatness common to
priests on pulpit of humility.

Indyer: a Tiv slog drum, significant for its ritual purpose.
Mfena: wisdom
Iduh: the progenitor of the Idoma people in Benue state.
Takuruku: one of the greatest ancestors of the Tiv people in Benue state


© 2016.11.20
Oko Owoicho







About the Author
Oko Owoicho pen named Oko Owi Ocho was born in Udabi Adoka in Otukpo local government of Benue state on 08 October 1994. He attended his secondary school in Lagos where he served as the Secretary General of AJ HOUSE OF POETRY. A writing organization based in Ajegunle. He has performed on lots of stages in Lagos and Benue respectively. He featured in Lagos State Black Heritage Festival 'Night of the Poet' 2014 and Sevhage Literary Festival 2015. He was a guest poet for Freedom Spoke Word organised by Goethe Institut and Aj House of Poetry 2016. His poems has been published both online and 'Black Communion: an Anthology of 100 Modern African Poets'He is a Pan Africanist who base most of his writings on Africa. He sees Art as a tool that can help facilitate the cultural and economic emancipation of Africa which is one dominant theme inherent in most of his works. He is currently studying English in Benue State University where he is currently the Financial Secretary of WRITERS LEAGUE. He has an unpublished collection of poetry titled 'Broken Rhythms' and is currently working on another one titled 'Middle Passage'

He can be reached at okoowiocho@gmail.com. His mobile line is 08090662867.

http://egcreativity.blogspot.com.ng

Tuesday, 8 November 2016

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS, TOP 50 CONTEMPORARY POETS WHO ROCKED NIGERIA IN YEAR 2016

Few years ago, non-poets rarely invite Poets to non-poetry events in Nigeria. The art was like the least art and the most placed in the background here. Though it could not be said that Poetry is mainstream entertainment like Music, Comedy, and Movie yet; things have changed.

More Radio/TV shows now feature poetry, more books were published, more poetry festivals were held, and more events are springing up. There seem to be many new Poets and they look good to stay up for a long time. More so, a lot of poets are coming up with new things, they call for at least applause/appreciations if not award plaques.

This is a call for You to join us to nominate the Poets whom you feel really rocked Nigeria in the outgoing year (2016). Please note that by ‘Rock’, we do not mean the best Poets in Nigeria; we mean those whose impacts were really felt in various categories where Poets/poetry is concerned. The categories we consider for this year are:

a.      Page Poet of the year

B.      Spoken Word Poet of the year

C.       Poetry Promoter of the year

D.      Cross over poet of the year 

NOTE:

1.      If there is any poet you would like to be in your list but he/she is older than 50 years old, please place them in (E) Honorary mention category.

2.      This is not a ‘Please nominate me’ thing, kindly nominate Poets based on your conviction alone.

3.      Minimum of 15 and maximum of 25 names are required for nominations in each of these categories. Nominations not made in categories (A-D) above will not be counted.

4.      Number your nominations, your number '1' will be scored higher than number '10'/'16'/etc.

5.      For those who are yet to understand the Cross over category, it is meant for Poets who venture into other arts such as Prose, Drama, Film, Music, Visual arts, etc.  Also note that there will be top 10 Poets in each category and there will be eventual Top 5o (who are poets with highest nominations).

6.      People who are actually not proven to be Poets will be removed from the list (this excludes those in poetry promotion category).

HOW WE GRADE

Points from nominations will be graded 35% (EGC focused group), 35% (Poets Panel, i.e. People we are sure of their knowledge about Nigerian Poets. Their identity will not be made public), 30% (General nominations) where anybody can nominate. This is important as we desire near 100% accuracy in this survey (we know nobody can get it right 100% though), let us at least do it together and do it better. Poets are please advised not to call for anyone to nominate them; send in your own nominations and let others send your own name on merit.

BELOW ARE SIMPLE THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN NOMINATING POETS FOR EACH CATEGORY:

1.       IMPACT: are the works of these Poets felt by a lot of people in Nigeria?

2.       ORIGIN: are these Poets Nigerians?

3.       AGE: are these Poets between 1-50 years old?

4.       REASON: why are we nominating these Poets?

5.       SINCERITY: am I sincere with my nominations or biased?

NOMINATION WINDOW OPENS 9^TH NOVEMBER 2016 AND CLOSES 10^TH DECEMBER 2016.

To view Top 50 list for past year Click: Top 50 year 2015, 

For FAQs on this annual project Click.

 TO NOMINATE

Send nominations as body of e-mail to egcmails@gmail.com.  Use ‘#EGCtop50’ as subject line

FULL PROOF Movie will be on DVD soon

WATCH OUT!

View Movie Trailer Here