ken saro-wiwa
Umbrella body of Nigerian writers and authors, the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), has announced plans to celebrate its past National President, late Ken Saro-Wiwa in an International Colloquium scheduled for August, this year..
The late Saro-Wiwa, a poet, environmentalist and human rights activist, hanged on the orders of late military ruler General Sani Abacha, was also a former chairman of the association’s Rivers state chapter.
According to a release made available to M2A by the national publicity secretary of the writers’ body, Mr. Hyacinth Obunseh, who also doubles as Chairman, Organizing Committee, the move to celebrate Saro-Wiwa is in line with its tradition of celebrating Nigeria’s literary icons.
“The ANA announces for the benefit of writers, academics, critics and friends of literature at home and in the Diaspora, that it will be celebrating this year, its past chairman of Rivers State Branch, National President, Environmental and Human Rights Activist, Ken Saro Wiwa,” said Obunseh.
According to the writers’ group, it is therefore putting together a five-day programme of activities which includes an international colloquium on the theme: Ken Saro Wiwa: Literature and the National Question.
The yet-to-be-announced keynote speaker, the body promised, ‘will be a foremost scholar and specialist on Ken Saro Wiwa’s writings and life.’
The colloquium which is billed to hold at the University of Port Harcourt from Wednesday, 10 to Sunday, 14 of August, will also feature plenary sessions (where scholars will present papers that will form the body of a book that will be published to commemorate the event), a competition on adaptations of his works of poetry and prose to stage, staging of the winning entry, exhibition of his manuscripts, his books, rare documents in his possession and books by other writers.
“There will also be a visit to Ogoni Land, where a ‘Literary Party will be held in his honour. The focus of the colloquium will be to interrogate what his contributions to African literature, in life and beyond,” the association stated.
Meanwhile, ANA has called on playwrights to submit entries of their choice of works expected to be adapted to the works of the late poet Saro-Wiwa.
“Playwrights are hereby invited to adapt any of the works of Ken Saro-Wiwa (apart from his plays) for stage.
The best adaptation of his works will win a cash prize of N150, 000, while the second and third will win cash prizes of N100, 000 and N50, 000 respectively,” the writers said.
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