*Also featuring exhibitions of Bruce Onobrakpeya’s artworks
SELECTED POEMS (1965-2022): A Retrospective, Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka’s latest publication will be formally presented to the public today at the Rooftop Lounge of Providus Bank’s Corporate Office on Adeola Odeku Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. Time is 3pm.
Published by Bookcraft Africa, the presentation is on the platform of the 6th edition of the CORA BOOKTREK, the monthly literary platform through which the foremost culture advocacy group, the Committee for Relevant Art, CORA, promotes reading culture.
The venue is a lounge with limited capacity for large gatherings, most guests without RsVP have thus been advised to join virtually via:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88903575462?pwd=cCs5OHRvSkcrOGVkWDJKcDhseG1YQT09
ID: 889 0357 5462 | Passcode: kongi
The BookTrek is a session of readings, conversations and book signings, described as “CORA’s extension services, aimed at deepening Literary Appreciation and Audience Engagement with the published text.”
A statement from CORA’s Secretary-General, Toyin Akinosho, says, the session will “feature readings by the author himself as well as a cross-generation of Nigerian aesthete.
“Professor Soyinka will be engaged by two interlocutors in the course of the afternoon.
“The CORA BookTrek is a periodic author-audience interface featuring readings, reviews and discussions of select books of searching historical and contemporary insight into the African condition.
“It is part of CORA’s extension services, aimed at deepening Literary Appreciation and Audience Engagement with the published text.
“The BookTrek is a front in the campaign for Literacy, geared towards boosting citizens’ EDUCATION, ENLIGHTENMENT and EMPOWERMENT, to achieve CORA’s fundamental mission of building HUMAN CAPITAL capacity of the nation and the continent.
“CORA has hosted BookTreks around five books in 2023, including Vincent Maduka’s REEL LIFE: My Years Managing Public Service Television; Simon Kolawole’s Fellow Nigerians: It’s All Politics; Ben Egbuna’s Destiny Fulfilled (Posthumous); Musikilu Mojeed’s The Letterman: Inside the ‘Secret’ Letters of former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and Uche Nwokedi’s A Shred of Fear.“
Professor Soyinka is a globally-renown playwright, novelist, poet, and essayist in the English language, who was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature, for “a wide cultural perspective and with poetic overtones fashioning the drama of existence”, the first sub-Saharan African to be honoured in that category.
FACTS ABOUT EVENT:
INTERLOCUTORS
TADE IPADEOLA: A practising lawyer and poet, his poetry collection The Sahara Testaments won the 2013 Nigeria Prize for Literature instituted by the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG). In 2009, he won the Delphic Laurel in Poetry for his Yoruba poem “Songbird” at the Delphic Games in Jeju, South Korea. His first collection was published in 1996. His second collection was A Time of Signs (2000). He self-published his third collection of poems, A Rain Fardel, in 2005. Ipadeola has also translated two classical Yoruba novels, by Daniel Fagunwa, into English: The Divine Cryptograph (Aditu); and The Pleasant Potentate of Ibudo (Ireke Onibudo), both in 2010, but they remain unpublished. In 2012 he translated W. H. Auden‘s first dramatic work Paid on Both Sides into Yoruba as Lamilami.
JULIET NNAJI: A multi-passionate creative known for her exceptional skills as a writer, spoken word poet, and performer, her captivating voice and storytelling abilities make her stand out, particularly when addressing social issues, especially those affecting women. As a spoken word artist, Juliet has graced the stage at several notable events, leaving a lasting impression on the audience. Some of the events she has performed at include Moonlight Tales 2019, Cedar Fest 2020, LABAF (Lagos Book and Arts Festival) in both 2018 and 2020, and LIPFEST 2021. Her powerful performances shed light on various social issues, creating awareness and inspiring change. She is the anchor of “Poetry In Motion,” a column in Naija Times that serves as a platform for poets to connect.
READERS/REVIEWERS
VICTORY ASHAKA: A multi-award-winning spoken word artiste, poetry slam champion, linguist, climate activist, poet laureate of FAO of the United Nations in Italy and Lagos state youth ambassador. He is artistically inclined with the passion for oratory. His artistic and literary prowess has earned him laurels, certifications and autographs from prominent dignitaries. Victory is well known as a social impact maker and high-energy spoken word performer.
KELANI MERCY TIMILEHIN: An undergraduate of English Language, University of Lagos, Timilehin. I am a huge lover of arts and literature, and a writer of short stories, poems and book reviews. I have worked as an active volunteer in academic and literary environments: Quramo Festival of Words and Lagos Studies Association (LSA) Conference. I am also currently working as an author with a Canadian-based Nigerian news outlet, AskNigeria.
IYABO ABOABA: Her professional career has spanned over 40 years in varied industries. She was, for 17 years the Admin and Human Resources Manager for Roxburg and Partners, a firm of Quantity Surveyors and for Design Group Nigeria, a firm of Architects. She held management position for 16 years in MUSON where she worked as House and Operations Manager then advanced to become General Manager. She is currently the Chief Operations Officer (COO) of the historical Freedom Park, Lagos.
FRANCIS KAINEBI ONWOCHEI: Consumate stage/screen actor, film Producer and art activist, Francis’ key producing projects have earned awards and commendations from across the globe. His produced works include: “Raging Storm”, “Final Onslaught”, “Saving Alero” – which won the Best Actress award and Best Nigerian Film at the 2002 National Film festival; and others. Since 2015 , Onwochei has focused on script consulting works and project development essentials with many project credits under his belt,helping to strengthen big pictures in the Nigerian film circuit. He is an alumnus of the London International film school,DW Television Training Centre,Berlin & New York Film School. He is a recipient of Nollywood Distinguished Veterans award and a Fellow of The Arts, fta.
Comments are closed.