Iquo Dianaabasi and Ifeanyichukwu Peter Eze are the judges for the 8th edition of the annual Eriata Oribhabor Poetry Prize, EOPP 2019. Both judges are seasoned writers.
Entries were received for the N50,000 prize from September 2019 to November 2019 on the themes of: Unity, Truth, Justice, Change and Sustainable Development in society, with focus on Nigeria – her people, cultures, experiences, hopes, and aspirations.
JUDGES PROFILES
IQUO DIANAABASI writes prose, poetry and scripts for radio and screen. She often performs her poems with a touch of culture-rich Ibibio folklore. An avid student of human nature, Iquo’s writing explores socially cognizant themes, pain, love, womanhood and trials of the griots of this age.
Her first collection of poems, Symphony of Becoming, was shortlisted for the NLNG Nigeria prize for literature, and the ANA poetry prize, both in 2013. It has also been shortlisted for the Woke Soyinka Prize for Literature.
She is an alumnus of Fidelity Bank’s International Creative Writing Workshop, and was a writer in residence at the Ebedi International Writers Residency In 2013. Her writings appear in Kalahari review, Saraba magazine, ANA Review, AfricaInWords and Olisa.tv.
Iquo’s works have featured in several poetry anthologies. She has also graced various stages including Lagos International Poetry Festival, Ake Arts and Book Festival, The Big60 Cultural Exchange, Wole Soyinka @80, Lagos Black Heritage Festival, The Macmillan Literary night, PLAY Poetry Festival, Word slam, The Lagos Poetry Festival, Word and Sound.
Iquo published a collection of short fiction Efo Riro and Other Stories in January 2020. She resides in Lagos, where she has just completed work on her second volume of poetry.
IFEANYICHUKWU PETER EZE is a Nigerian writer and fiction editor. He holds a BA in Philosophy from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Eze’s works have appeared on several platforms including Tiny Essays, Pangolin Review, Scarlet Leaf Review, Expound, Brittle Paper, Praxis, The Single Story Foundation Journal, The Vanguard Book of Love Stories, Late Night Blues Anthology, BPPC Anthology, and a few other places.
He won the Brigitte Poirson Poetry Contest (May 2019) for his poem, KILL and was a finalist in the Igby Prize for non-fiction (January 2017) for his piece, ‘Life Deferred’.
He is presently a Senior Editor at Words Rhymes & Rhythm Publishers, Editor at Ayamba LitCast and Contributing Writer at Panorama: The Journal of Intelligent Travel.
PRIZES TO BE WON:
- First Prize – N25,000 cash and books by Eriata Oribhabor
- First Runner-up – N15,000 cash and books by Eriata Oribhabor
- Second Runner-up – N10,000 cash and books by Eriata Oribhabor
- NOTE: All poets on the shortlist of 10 will receive SFEV certificates of recognition and books by Eriata Oribhabor
ABOUT EOPP:
EOPP was instituted in 2012 as an annual Prize to give the much-needed attention to Nigerian poetry and encourage young Nigerian poets to use poetry as a tool for social change. The yearly contest has become the leading platform for the discovery, encouragement, and celebration of poets in Nigeria.
