Eyewitness report from the Fidelity Workshop

Here's Helon Habila, Fidelity Bank MD Reginald Ikejiani and writer/columnist Okey Ndibe at Friday's launch of Dreams at Dawn, the anthology of works by participants in the Fidelity International Writing Workshop.

I had thought the Fidelity MD's penchant for hogging the limelight, especially in terms of photo-ops - which must impose a lot of unnecessary formality and 'Nigerian' protocol on literary workshop business whenever he's around - would be the biggest huddle... At the last real BookJam (as run by Igoni Barrett) in Lagos last year, Ikejiani sat on the high table in front with the featured writers who were reading at the event (Habila, Madeleine Thien, Tsitsi Dangarembga and Unoma Azuah). It was odd to say the least, especially as he wasn't part of the proceedings and never said a word in the discussions back and forth. There was plenty of space on the other side of the room. Habila, Thien and Dangarembga had come from the Fidelity workshop, true, but the Bookjam was not a Fidelity event, yet their banner was displayed prominently there. Then writers were ushered to one side at some inopportune moment or other to pose for pictures with the bank MD. No such shenanigans when the Farafina Trust people came to the Bookjam weeks before. Different approaches, I guess.

Some might argue that, well, the Fidelity MD likes to smile for pictures, what's the harm? However, an eyewitness report from the just concluded 2011 workshop held in Nsukka, suggests there may be organisational shortcomings with the Fidelity workshop too. Here goes.

"I'm in Lagos again, after a week in Enugu for the Fidelity Bank International Creative Writing Workshop at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. It was a mixed bag--the good parts being the instructors, in the persons of Helon Habila, Diana Evans, and Jamal Mahjoub. The bad part, which threatened to undermine the instructors' efforts, was Fidelity Bank itself. They were inept. Disorganized. Laughable. And I seriously questioned their ability to execute any manner of things, including meals and photocopying."

Wow. Read the rest of the post here.

It must be said though, that the publication of an anthology is a good move on Fidelity and Helon Habila's part. Let's hope they iron out the rest of the teething problems. When it comes to writing workshops in Nigeria, we need several thriving initiatives, not just one or two.

Photo: James Eze

Fidelity workshop anthology out tomorrow

L-R: Jamal Mahjoub (who's facilitated many a Caine Prize Workshop), Fidelity Bank MD Reginald Ikejiani, Diana Evans (author of '26a' and 'The Wonder'), IK Mbagwu of Fidelity and Helon Habila, the Caine Prize winning author of a trio of books including 'Oil on Water'. They're shown in Lagos at last week's opening event for this year's Fidelity Writing Workshop (Friday June 17).

Habila has since last year been the arrowhead of the Fidelity workshop and he's been assisted this year by Mahjoub and Evans. The workshop proper started in Nsukka on Saturday 18th and ended today with a closing ceremony at the Princess Alexandria Auditorium of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. With the theme, Lending Wings to the Nigerian Story, the closing ceremony featured performances from many including Iquo Eke and Chimalum Nwankwo.

Well, that was just the first leg of the closing ceremony. The second leg holds tomorrow in Lagos and a major highlight of the Lagos event is the launch of Dreams at Dawn, the first in the Fidelity Bank's Workshop Series of books. It was edited by Helon Habila, Tsitsi Dangarembga and Madeline Thien and I expect features the works of participants at the 2010 workshop. Details of tomorrow's event, below:

Fidelity Writing Workshop Closing Ceremony

Lagos Resource Centre

Anifowose Street, Victoria Island

Lagos

Date: Friday, June 24, 2011

Time: 5pm.

Photo: James Eze

Commonwealth Writers' Prize 2011

While Wordsbody was sleeping, the Commonwealth Writers' Prize shortlists were announced...

Here's the UK-based Chioma Okereke, a writer whose face some are only just beginning to notice, after noticing her book first, of course. Especially now that her debut novel, 'Bitter Leaf' has been shortlisted in the first round of the prize, in the Best First Book category in the Africa Region. I love this photo of her because she evidently takes the concept of natural hair to brave new lengths. And having met her dad, I look at the daughter and I just see the father.

Among those joining Ms Okereke in the First Book category is Caine winner E.C Osondu, whose collection of short stories, 'Voice of America' has been reviewed by several of his peers, including Petina Gappah and Helon Habila.

Habila himself in the running for the Commowealth in the Best Book category for the Africa Region for his third book, 'Oil on Water' - the only Nigerian in this segment. Nigeria has 3 writers in contention this year, the closest competitor to South Africa, which weighs in with 7 shortlisted writers.

While I'm only going to reproduce the lists for Africa, the other Commonwealth regions are also worth a look. How else would one see that the very first winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing, Leila Aboulela, is now shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers Prize for the South Asia and Europe region, flying the flag for the United Kingdom? Meanwhile, Aminatta Forna, who could comfortably have been 'British' now, has been entered and shortlisted in the Africa region for 'The Memory of Love', a contender for Sierra Leone. Good to know that when it comes to national allegiances in the world of literature, everyone discovers where the dice falls, eventually.

Regional winners will be announced next week (March 3) and the overall winners, on May 21.


Shortlists for the Africa Region

Africa Best Book
The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna (Sierra Leone)
Men of the South by Zukiswa Wanner (South Africa)
The Unseen Leopard by Bridget Pitt (South Africa)
Oil on Water by Helon Habila (Nigeria)
Blood at Bay by Sue Rabie (South Africa)
Banquet at Brabazan by Patricia Schonstein (South Africa)

Africa Best First Book
Happiness is a Four Letter Word by Cynthia Jele (South Africa)
Bitter Leaf by Chioma Okereke (Nigeria)
The Fossil Artist by Graeme Friedman (South Africa)
Colour Blind by Uzoma Uponi (Nigeria)
Voice of America by E. C. Osondu (Nigeria)
Wall of Days by Alastair Bruce (South Africa)

Image: Publicity Photo

Fidelity Bank gets catty with Adichie

Here's Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie caught in Ooops-like mode at the Farafina literary evening at the Civic Centre in Lagos on May 29.

Adichie, who's made the New Yorker's list of 20 writers under 40 (no surprise) could have responded with 'No, they didnt!' if shown Fidelity Bank's recent press release announcing their 2010 workshop, taking place in an unspecified serene location in Abuja, commencing July 18. The Fidelity Workshop is to be led by Helon Habila who the bank says is "a more rounded" choice for them.

The question then follows: 'a more rounded choice' than who, exactly? Adichie? Is this an 'Ouch' moment?

Once upon a time, Adichie started a workshop to bring new Nigerian writers to the fore, and got Fidelity Bank to sponsor it. She starred in many a full page advert for the bank. Now she's moved the workshop to the Farafina Trust, with sponsorship by Nigerian Breweries, and it seems Fidelity Bank is sour. So, they rebrand her workshop as theirs and sign Habila on board.

One more writing workshop in Nigeria is to be welcomed, especially with the involvement of Habila, who has not been seen to be a major champion of up-coming Nigerian writers. But did Fidelity really have to get so personal in their press release?

• Images by MW

Habila reviews Forna

Helon Habila reviews The Memory of Love, Aminatta Forna's new novel about four characters trying to cope with the psychological aftermath of the war in Sierra Leone - in today's UK Guardian Review.

Forna writes like a scientist, not only in the accuracy of her descriptions but in the way she selects which incidents to highlight, turning each scene into a metaphor that reverberates with meaning beyond the event itself. One character can't walk, and the doctors are carefully breaking his legs and putting them back together to help him do so. This procedure becomes a symbol for the nation, determined to regain the use of its legs after the crippling civil war.

Forna's writing is not lyrical; you feel that what she is reaching for is economy of phrasing, aptness of imagery, exactness of description, and she achieves that perfectly. This is a remarkable novel: well researched, well thought out, well written – the kind that deserves to be on the Booker shortlist.

And we're told Helon Habila himself should be out with a new novel, 'Oil On Water', later this year.

• Read the review

Habila on tour

Here's the author of Measuring Time Helon Habila talking at the NuMetro Bookshop, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Saturday 17 November. It was the first date of his book tour of Nigeria, organised by, Cassava Republic Press. Some 80 people turned up to hear Habila apparently, which is a healthy audience for a literary event, even by UK standards.

Habila is touring 5 Nigerian states, appearing in both Nassarawa & Abuja today, Wednesday 21 November. He moves on to Jos tomorrow Thursday 22nd; with 2 events in his home state of Gombe on Friday 22nd (see details on flyer).

• Author's image by Jeremy Weate

Habila Tours 6 Nigerian States - November 07

Press Release

Caine Prize winner Helon Habila is due in Nigeria for a six-city reading tour from the 17th to 26th of November 2007. The tour is expected to take Habila to Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Nasarawa, Jos and Gombe. It will feature readings from Nigerian editions of his latest book, Measuring Time, and the award-winning Waiting for an Angel.
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Helon Habila was the first Nigerian writer to gain international recognition after the Abacha regime and is the leading figure in the new crop of Nigerian writers that have been feted and celebrated all over the world. Since the launch of his latest book Measuring Time to critical acclaim in February this year, Habila has embarked on a world tour, reading to packed audiences at all the major literary festivals. Helon has chosen to end his tour in Nigeria in order to celebrate his 40th birthday in the land that gave birth to his creativity and is the subject of all his writing to date.
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The Nigerian tour, organised by Habila’s Nigerian publishers Cassava Republic Press will include public book signings, private reading and writing workshops. The reading tour will be supported by poets and singers.
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Odoh Diego Okenyodo
Publicist
For Cassava Republic Press
0803, 5909 778,

odoh@cassavarepblic.biz
cassavarepublicist@yahoo.co.uk

• Image: Cassava Republic

Review: Measuring Time

Excerpt from my review of Helon Habila's second novel, Measuring Time...

Sick and awkward, Mamo believes “he was doomed to die young.” He measures his survival in the face of encroaching mortality, taking “long walks to kill time.” Iliya paces, “measuring time with each step.” As for Lamang, he ends up rambling, “as if he were trying to make up for lost time.” Ultimately, it is the weak Mamo who must be strong.

• Read the review in full on BBC Africa Beyond.

Word from the Mutha

Word From Africa - a London-wide celebration of the languages of Africa - takes place @ various venues between 2 - 10 June. There's some 2000 languages spoken on the African continent apparently (I'd hazard there's more). But don't worry if you don't speak 1, 2 or more of these languages. All are encouraged to come along anyway, because events will be in English or in translation or with commentary.

As for Music, organisers are confident it won't need translating.

Word from Africa kicks off with a full day of free events @ the British Museum on 2nd June.

• On 2nd June, Ngugi Wa Thiong'o (a passionate advocate of writings in African languages; and he has put his own writing/books where his mouth is) will give the keynote speech. Very appropriate.
• Poetry from Sudan & Somalia
• Music from Zimbabwe & Cameroon - and a talking drum performance by Nigeria's Ayan Ayandosu
• Helon Habila & Chuma Nwokolo will be discussing how their native languages influence their writings. It's a pity the programme records both writers' native language as Igbo. Incorrect. Nwokolo is Igbo. Habila isn't.
• 4th June - and there'll be a Zimbabwean Writers' Evening @ Borders, Islington. Valerie Tagwira will be reading from her novel, The Uncertainty of Hope [title reminds of 'The Redundancy of Courage']
• And London-based Ghanaian Nii Ayikwei Parkes will host an African Writers Evening @ The Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden - on 8th June. Ayikwei Parkes will be keeping company with giants soon on the London Underground. He is one of 6 African poets whose work will be read on tube trains during June. Others include Wole Soyinka, Leopold Sedar Senghor & Niyi Osundare. Giants, yes.

And so on and so forth. Lots more writers & artists including Wangui Wa Goro & Blessing Musariri.

More information on Africa Beyond.

Habila & Sontag

In Saturday's Review section of the UK Guardian, novelist Helon Habila presented his rereading of Sam Selvon's The Lonely Londoners, which centres on the experiences West Indian immigrants in 50s Britain.

Habila's second novel, Measuring Time, is published is published by WW Norton.

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Still on the Review, the late Susan Sontag, in an essay written before she died, discusses the novelist's task.

Hear her - "I'm often asked if there is something I think writers ought to do, and recently in an interview I heard myself say: "Several things. Love words, agonize over sentences. And pay attention to the world." To that she added, "Be serious".

Fittingly, Sontag's son, David Rieff pays tribute to his late mother, discussing "her almost devotional insistence on never missing a concert, an exhibition, an opera or a ballet was for her an act of loyalty to seriousness, not an indulgence, and a part of her project as a writer, not a taste, let alone an addiction."

Sontag was torn between her yearning to work on her own fiction, and a sense of duty to write about other writers. "And yet when I asked her once why she had devoted so much time to making essayistic cases for writers ranging from Nathalie Sarraute at the beginning of her career to Leonid Tsypkin, Halldór Laxness and Anna Banti in the year she got ill , what she once called "the evangelical incentive" she spoke of as a duty, whereas fiction writing alone had brought her pleasure as a writer. But she was never able to think of herself as a writer alone, and in the essay on Banti she speaks of "militant reading." It was that militant reader, or, as she put it elsewhere, the would-be "world-improver ", I believe, who wrote most of the essays, while the fiction languished."

Some months ago, I blogged about Annie Leibovitz's own 'tribute' to Sontag - a project of unrestrained bad taste masquerading as love, in which the famed photographer published intimate pictures of Sontag, including some showing her in varying stages of nudity. Thank heavens for Rieff's touching son's tribute and Sontag's own words which will continue to find their way to us. This is how one would wish for Sontag to be remembered.

Publisher's Pride

No one can accuse Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's UK publishers of not being proud enough of their wave-making author. "When beauty shines through, everyone sees it" - goes the bold statement on adverts for the new paperback edition of Half of a Yellow Sun. This (left) is a poster on a platform at Green Park Station - right there as you wait for the rush hour tube train. You can't put it plainer than that. The ad also announces the fact that Adichie's book is a Richard & Judy Book Club selection for 2007 - something which is certain to lead to sky-rocketing sales - and which will bring the author onto the Richard & Judy TV programme on March 14.

So there I was last week in the Wembley Asda store - to buy carrots, cereals, chicken legs and such like. I could hardly believe it when I saw right there on sale among the usual publishing suspects - Half of a Yellow Sun. No more talk of not being able to find this African writers' book in Books Etc..., Borders, or what have you. This one has broken the supermarket barrier in the UK! Which is to say it will be bought by the bucket loads. Which is to say our girl has "run past the bend in the road" - as I like to say. Well, never mind that I already have a hardback copy, I just had to have my own certified Asda, Richard & Judy approved copy. So I plonked it into my shopping trolley.

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Meanwhile, Giles Foden, author of the book from which The Last King of Scotland is adapted, reviews 2001 Caine prizewinner Helon Habila's 2nd novel, Measuring Time, published this month in the UK by Hamish Hamilton - and later this year in Nigeria by Cassava Republic. Foden writes:

"Given the way the country has gone, Nigeria now being a byword for scheming selfishness and corruption, it seems no accident that twins should play such a big role in the late renaissance of the Nigerian novel, as illuminated by Helon Habila, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Helen Oyeyemi... Habila... author of the acclaimed Waiting for an Angel, has also written a novel in which twins and history are central. It is a very subtle piece of work in which the story of a family and community in northern Nigeria in the 1980s and early 90s is woven into a wider sociopolitical narrative, touching on education, responsibility, the colonial inheritance and the mythic substratum of folklore." - Read the review in full.

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• An interview with Habila - was published in The Independent last week.