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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
I had to comment when I saw this...Habila is THE leading figure? I thought that was Chimamanda... :):) :) ;) According to Vanity Fair anyway. Helon has a very enthusiastic publicist, for sure, which is great, but I must say I smiled when I saw that photo, someone needs to buy some photoshop!
ReplyDeleteSnark aside, it is super that HH is on tour in Nigeria...what is it that Ousmane Sembene said, Africa is my audience, the rest are markets....
Sunny greetings my dear MW from PG in Geneva....
PG Hi,
ReplyDeletePhotoshop... ahem! The fault is mine. The Press release did not come with any image and I made one up. I hope Habila won't sue for the bad quality of my representation!
Thanks for that Sembene quote.
Greetings from London...
MW
Habila did open the gate for Nigerian fiction, post-Abacha. You know, by winning the Caine Prize, attention was drawn to fictionists from Nigeria and that worked in favour of Chimamanda, Chris Abani, Afolabi, Oyeyemi and a whole lot others.
ReplyDeleteHabila may not be as hyped as Chimamanda (as many a progenitor isn't, in relative terms) but that does not detract from what his historical position is in Nigeria literature.
This is just my favourite blog. I always come here to find out about whats happening in Nigerian/african literary world. And you never ever disappoint. Thank you very much for this information. I read Helon's Waiting for An Angel at university and I'll definitely attend the event.
ReplyDeleteThanks Anon. We aim to please!
ReplyDelete