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About
The Competition
As more and more Africans immigrate, Africa loses some of its finest
minds. While abroad, the struggle for survival often overshadows the
utilization of the potentials in these Africans. Their talents and
expected contributions to humanity suffer as a consequence.
This competition is a little effort aimed at encouraging talented Africans
abroad to revisit their gifts, reconnect with their dreams and reassert
their unique place in literary world.
At Iroko Productions & Publications, we believe that the African
geniuses are here with us. We are committed to the search for these gems.
When we find them, we intend to nurture and celebrate them. We believe
that the continuing existence of the African masterpieces depends on our
ability to identify, promote and preserve the African geniuses at home and
abroad.
We aspire to give greater audience to established African talents and beam
a bright light on those previously unrecognized. It is also our hope that
African experiences at home and abroad should occupy a central place in
world literature.
With time, we hope to expand the prizes and recognition programs we have
to include Africans writing in Africa.
About Olaudah Equiano
Olaudah Equiano was born in Essaka, an Igbo
village in the country now known as Nigeria in the year 1745. At age 11,
he was kidnapped by Aro people and sold into slavery. He survived the
inhumane Middle Passage to Barbados in which over 50 % of all African
slaves perished. He was finally sold to a planter in Virginia. In 1757,
British Naval officer, Michael Henry Pascal bought him as a present to his
cousin in London and renamed him Gustavus Vassa. He traveled to Britain
and from 1758 – 62, he served the British Navy during the French and
Indian War. The promise of freedom made by Pascal was not fulfilled.
Equiano was again sold to Robert King in Montserrat.
From 1763 –66, Equiano worked on ships that transported slaves from West
Indies to Mainland America. By 1766, he had mastered merchants’
commercial practices and was able to save enough money from his own labor
that he paid 40 Pounds Sterling and bought his freedom. As a seaman, he
traveled the world from Europe to America and down the Mediterranean. He
was involved in the movement to abolish slavery. In 1789, he presented
antislavery petition to England’s Queen Charlotte, wife of King George
III. He was appointed a commissary officer charged with the resettlement
of London’s poor Blacks in Sierra Leone.
Equiano was an intelligent man who was able to learn the language,
religion and laws of his enslaver. In 1789, he published “Interesting
Narrative of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa the African.” It became a
popular best seller and made Equiano rich. The book influenced the
struggle for the abolition of Slave trade and literally created a new
literary genre known as slave narratives. Equiano’s narrative was the
first book published in English by an African. He was also the first
African to write about life in African villages and the horrors of
slavery. In 1789, Equiano married an Englishwoman named Susan Cullen. He
died in London in 1797 at the age of 52. He was buried in Cambridgeshire,
England.
At the time of his death, his narrative has been published in nine
different editions.
The struggle, survival, and success of Equiano exemplified the best of
Africa in the Diaspora. Naming this prize after Equiano is more of tribute
to a man who was the first to tell the African story in English, the first
to challenge the oppressive environment Africans in the Diaspora find
themselves and the first to overcome the obstacles and make a success of
himself. In another way, it is a commitment to the discovery, celebration
and preservation of the African experience in the Diaspora.
Rules
1.) This competition is going to be an annual
competition open to any African living abroad.
2.) All works must be an original and unpublished short story. Each story
shall center on the experience of Africans living abroad.
3.) The length of the work must be between 3000 and 10000 words.
4.) All entries must be in English and not submitted elsewhere until
winners are announced.
5.) All entries must be typewritten and double-spaced on one side of 8.5 x
11 white paper. Manuscripts will not be returned, so keep your
original.
6.) A word document attachment of the same entry must be sent to editor@irokoproductions.com
7.) There will be a cash prize of $1000 for the winning author. Second
place author will get $500 and third place author will get $100.
8.) All stories will be considered for publication in an anthology of new
voices of Africa abroad.
9.) Iroko Productions reserves the first serial rights to publish the
stories worldwide. All rights return to the author on publication.
10.) Iroko production also reserves the first right to option the stories
for motion pictures production.
11.) Writers can submit as many works as they wish.
12.) Please send hard copy of your story to Iroko
Productions, LLC, 43 Beldon Lane, Bay Shore, New York, 11706
13.) Closing date for entry is April 30th, 2005. Entries received the day
after will not be considered.
14.) Short-listed entries will be announced on July 1st 2005.
15.) Winning entry will be announced on September 1st 2005.
16.) Entries that fail to conform to the rules above will not be
considered.
17.) Employees of Iroko Productions, their immediate families, the judges
and their immediate families are not eligible for this competition.
Judges
For the first in this annual prize, the judges will be:
a.) Okey Ndibe is an Associate Professor of Literature and Languages,
Simon’s Rock College of Bard, Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Ndibe is
the author of Arrows of Rain and a columnist for Nigeria’s Guardian
newspaper.
b.) Monica Arac de Nyeko was short-listed for the Canine Prize for African
writing – April 2004 for her short story, Strange Fruit. She is
currently working with a development agency after studying Humanitarian
Assistance.
c.) Wale Adebanwi, until recently, was a lecturer in Political Science
(University of Ibadan), and currently Bill and Melinda Gates Scholar at
the Cambridge University, England. He is a writer and literary critic.
d.) Obiwu, Director, The Writing Center, Central State University,
Wilberforce, Ohio. Obiwu is the author of Igbos of Northern Nigeria.
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