We are thrilled to introduce the distinguished panel of judges for the Brigitte Poirson Literature Prize (BPLP) 2023. They are: Iquo DianaAbasi, a decorated creative writer, editor, and performer whose works explore womanhood, the environment, and humanity; [Su’ur E.] Su’eddie Vershima Agema, a multiple-award-winning writer, cultural activist, development practitioner, and editor; Brigitte Poirson, a French poet, editor, educationist, and literary promoter who has dedicated herself to supporting African poetry; and Kukogho Samson, an accomplished writer, communications professional, arts administrator, and publisher.
BPLP 2023 – A Creativity-Rewarding Platform
In this inaugural edition under the new format, the BPLP opened its doors to poets and storytellers with an open theme, encouraging entrants to explore their creativity without constraints. The guiding principle for the judges will be to seek entries that delve into the intricacies of the human condition with originality, creativity, authenticity, and a profound respect for human dignity. Open to Nigerian creatives residing in any part of the world, BPLP 2023 offers an opportunity to win prestigious honours including:
- A $300 cash prize awaits the winner in each of the two categories: poetry and short fiction, with $150 allocated for each.
- A chapbook publishing contract in digital format for the winners of each category
- Publication in the annual BPLP anthology featuring the top 10 entries in both poetry and short story categories.
A Note About the Judging Process and Copyright
- The judges’ decisions are final, and no correspondence will be entered into regarding the outcome of the judging process.
- While the copyright of each submission remains with its author, the organizers retain the right to publish all entries in the annual BPLP anthology, on our website, or in our magazines, with full credit to the author.
Now, Let Us Fully Introduce Our Esteemed Judges:
IQUO DianaAbasi is a creative writer, editor, and performer from Nigeria. She writes prose, poetry, and scripts for radio and screen, exploring societal issues, womanhood, the environment, and the need to embrace our humanity as a precursor to healing. Her second poetry collection, Coming Undone as Stitches Tighten, was nominated for the 2022 NLNG Nigeria Prize for Literature. In April 2022, she released her first audio offering of poems and music, Beyond the Staccato, a commentary on the state of affairs in Nigeria. Iquo is also the author of the short story collection, Èfó Rírò and Other Stories (2020), and Symphony of Becoming, which was longlisted for several prestigious literary prizes. Her writings have appeared in numerous print and online publications, including African Literature Today, OlongoAfrica, Poetry Potion, Brittle Paper, and Saraba Magazine. Iquo is known for her performances of her poems with a touch of Ibibio folklore. She has graced the stages at several notable festivals and events, including the Pa Gya! Festival Accra, Lagos International Poetry Festival, Ake Arts and Book Festival, and Wole Soyinka @80. In addition to her creative work, Iquo edits the African speculative fiction magazine, omenana.com. She is currently a graduate student at the University of Alabama.
[Su’ur E.] Su’eddie Vershima AGEMA is a multiple-award-winning UK and Nigerian-based writer, cultural activist, development practitioner, editor, and one of Nigeria’s most notable poets in 2022. Among other prizes across genres, he has won the Association of Nigerian Authors Poetry Prize (2014 & 2022), the Mandela Day Short Story Prize 2016 and was a finalist for the Nigeria Prize for Literature 2022, Africa’s most prestigious literature prize worth $100,000. Su’eddie is the Managing Editor of the notable African poetry collective Konya Shamsrumi. He heads SEVHAGE Publishing and its sister charity, SEVHAGE Literary and Development Initiative while convening the annual Benue Book and Arts [International] Festival. He was previously the Black History Month/Project Curator and co-founder/president of the African Writers [Society] at the University of Sussex, where he earned an MA with distinction in International Education and Development as a Chevening Scholar. He was a 2022 David C. Pollock Scholar of the International Families in Global Transition. His books include the poetry collections, Bring Our Casket Home: Tales One Shouldn’t Tell; Home Equals Holes: Tale of an Exile; Memory and the Call of Waters, the short story collection, The Bottom of Another Tale, and the children’s book, Once Upon a Village Tale.
Brigitte POIRSON is a French poet, editor, educationist and literary promoter who has over the years worked assiduously to support African poetry in various capacities. Brigitte has taught languages in high schools and universities in France and England. She has authored eight books: La Nouvelle Vouivre, 1977; Étamine des Jours, 1978; In Worms and Against All, 1979; The Passion Fruits, 1984; Poems from the Free County, 1995; The Ten-Year-War, 1996; Jurassically Yours, 2009; Clair – Obscur Encounters: A Poetic Duet Leading to Self – Discovery, 2015 (co-authored with T. Haynes); Surviving CORONAtion Street, 2018; and edited or co-edited more than twenty publications, including the BPPC Anthologies. She has also contributed to numerous anthologies and magazines, has won many awards and has been a member of the Société des Gens de Lettres de France. She currently devotes time to promoting African literature and is a patron of the Brigitte Poirson Poetry Contest (BPPC), the precursor to the BPLP, and the Albert Jungers Poetry Prize (AJPP), two prestigious literary prizes rewarding young poetry talents in Nigeria. Believing that literature can be used for social reorientation and development, Brigitte is currently battling red tape in the way of setting up a France-Nigeria Literary Arts Residency and exchange programme for young Nigerian writers in partnership with Words Rhymes & Rhythm Publishers.
KUKOGHO Iruesiri Samson is a Nigerian writer, communications professional, publishing entrepreneur, and renowned arts administrator. He is the author of the award-winning novel, Devil’s Pawn, and four poetry collections. His literary accolades include the 2022 HIASFEST Golden Award for Art Administrators, the 2018 GT Bank Dusty Manuscript Prize, the 2017 ANA Prize for Fiction (first runner-up), and the 2016 Nigerian Writers Award for Poetry Writer of the Year. Kukogho is the founder of Words Rhymes & Rhythm (WRR) Ltd., a not-for-profit arts organization that has been supporting young Nigerian creatives through literary development interventions since 2012. Through WRR, Kukogho has administered numerous youth-targeted initiatives, including the Brigitte Poirson Poetry Contest (now the BPLP), the Green Author Prize, and the annual Feast of Words literary festival. He is also the Publisher of WRR’s assisted-authorship imprint, Authorpedia Publishers, and the editor-in-chief of its arts journal, CỌ́N-SCÌÒ Magazine. Kukogho is a passionate advocate for the arts and has served as a judge for several literary prizes. He has also headlined various literary events and facilitated many writing workshops in Nigeria.
The Brigitte Poirson Literature Prize 2023 is set to be an exciting journey of creativity, exploration, and recognition. Our judges look forward to discovering the next generation of Nigerian literary talent.
Visit https://authorpedia.net/csr/bppc/ to read more about The Brigitte Poirson Literature Prize (BPLP) and its past winners. For inquiries, send an email to info@wrr.ng.
