By Innocent Onoh
The contest for the 2017 Nigerian Prize for Literature, sponsored by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG, has reached an advanced stage with the panel of judges shortlisting three finalists from the list of eleven top contestants.
We hear that the entry by each of the three poets – IkeoguOke who is a professional journalist; TanureOjaide, a lawyer; and OgagaIfowodo, a writer – looks good enough to cart away the $100,000 prize money.
According to a statement by NLNG’s spokesperson, KudoEresia-Eke, the three contestants emerged after the initial shortlist of the eleven contestants released last July by the Advisory Board led by Emeritus Professor Ayo Banjo. The statement named the shortlisted entries in alphabetical order as – A Good Mourning by OgagaIfowodo; Songs of myself: Quartet by TanureOjaide; and The Heresiad by IkeoguOke”.
The statement quotes Professor Banjo as announcing that “the eventual winner of the competition will be announced at a World Press Conference in October, 2017”.
About 184 entries for the contest were received this year. The focus of next year’s contest will be drama.
