CORA Literature Prize Party 2017

Authors of the 11 Longlisted Nigeria Literature Prize.

At the Book Party For Eighth CORA- Nigeria Literature Prize 2017, it was  a rich harvest of the country's poetry at the new Terra Kulture Arena, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The last edition in July 31, 2016, at the Muson Centre on Lagos Island, the event was for prose.

The Nigeria Prize For Literature is the biggest cash prize award for a literary competition on the continent with N30.5 million naira worth.

CORA sees an opportunity for the creation of an entire economy around the book trade.

  The book party is a way of ensuring that there’s a robust audience engagement

with the books that have been longlisted for the award; A poetry collection that makes it to the last 11 out of 184 entries is worthy of acknowledgement.

 CORA believes in the building of the soft infrastructure of the book industry; the presence and improvement of book reviews in the old and new media, the availability and utility of a functional library system, the efficiency of distribution and the profitability of the vocation of writing.

The eighth edition was another opportunity to hear the voices of the poets; to meet, greet and feast with the 11 longlisted authors for the NPL. The audience shared their day in the sun with the star writers, gain insight into their works, and engage them. It was part of CORA’s extension services; midwifing the interaction between the culture producer and the consuming public.

The Book Party is one of the series of events in  CORA Calendar that preface the annual Lagos Book & Art Festival, LABAF. Three days ahead of the event, at the University of Lagos, CORA started the  yearly Book Trek, as its little contribution to growing a community of book lovers.

  The CORA Party was  the third time  of focusing on Poetry: The Nigeria Prize itself is on its Fourth round of genres and featured poetry for the fourth time. The NLNG-sponsored Nigeria Prize For Literature picks one literary genre every four years.

Seven years ago, in 2009, the event for poetry made its debut. It was held at the then seaside venue of the Goethe Institut on Ozumba Mbadiwe Street, Victoria Island.

More than creating a community of Book Lovers, and an economy around the book trade, the passion, at CORA, is always to expand the membership of the community of culture patrons. And this Book Party fits in.

The event this year was a light evening of entertainment in different kind.

  Quite unlike last year’s party, which was largely about the Female voice in Nigerian literature, the guests of honour for the 2017 were mostly males. Last year, eight out of 11 guests were female (even though a male won. This year it was only one female.

It was an exciting time with star studded cast of writers.