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THE SILLERMAN FIRST BOOK PRIZE FOR AFRICAN POETS

The African Poetry Book Series is made possible through the generosity of philanthropists Laura and Robert F. X. Sillerman, whose generous contributions have facilitated the establishment of the APBF. In recognition of their invaluable support of our work, Mr. and Mrs. Sillerman have welcomed the use of their name for the First Book Prize for African Poets.

THE PRIZE

The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poetry is awarded annually to an African poet who has not yet published a collection of poetry. The winner receives USD $1000 and book publication through the University of Nebraska Press and Amalion Press in Senegal.

The African Poetry Book Fund Editorial Board, including Kwame Dawes, Chris Abani, Matthew Shenoda, John Keene, Gabeba Baderoon, and Bernardine Evaristo, will judge.

A winner will be announced in early January, with notifications sent shortly thereafter.

ELIGIBILITY

The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets will only accept “first book” submissions from African writers who have not published a book-length poetry collection. This includes self-published books if they were sold online, in stores, or at readings. Writers who have edited and published an anthology or a similar collection of other writers’ work remain eligible.

An “African writer” is taken to mean someone who was born in Africa, who is a national or resident of an African country, or whose parents are African.

Only poetry submissions in English can be considered. Work translated from another language to English is accepted, but a percentage of the prize will be awarded to the translator.

No past or present paid employees of the University of Nebraska Press or Amalion Press, or current faculty, students, or employees at the University of Nebraska, are eligible for the prizes.

WHEN TO SEND

The 2016 Prize is open to submissions! Manuscripts are accepted annually between September 15 and December 1st.

MANUSCRIPT

No entry fee is required to submit to the contest.

Poetry manuscripts should be at least 50 pages long.

The author’s name should not appear on the manuscript. All entries will be read anonymously. Please include a cover page listing only the title of the manuscript (not the author’s name, address, telephone number, or email address). An acknowledgements page listing the publication history of individual poems may be included, if desired. No application forms are necessary. Eligible writers may submit more than one manuscript.

While we have no specific formatting rules, we suggest sending your manuscript in Times New Roman or Arial, 12 point font, single-spaced. We also prefer one poem per page, meaning a new poem does not begin on the same page on which another ends.

To submit an entry click here

Rules

The 2017 Prize is open for entries from 1st Oct to 1st Dec (11.55pm) 2016.
The shortlist will be announced March 6th 2017.
The winner of the Prize will be announced on May 2nd 2017.

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

Rules: General

1. The prize is open to African poets, defined as those who were born in Africa, or who are nationals of an African country, or whose parents are African.

2. The prize is open to African poets who have not yet had a full-length poetry book published. Self-published poetry books, chapbooks and pamphlets are exempt from this stipulation.

3. Only poems written in English are accepted. Poems translated into English are also accepted with a percentage of the prize going to the translator.

4. The prize opens for submissions from October 1st 2016 to December 1st 2016. Each entrant must submit 10 poems to be eligible, no more and no less.There is no stipulation as to the content of submitted poems but no poem should exceed 40 lines in length.

6. The poems may have been previously published or won previous awards.

7. All entries must be submitted via email only to BUAPP@brunel.ac.uk.

An acknowledgement will be sent. (Please note that email enquiries about the rules will not be answered.)

8. Under no circumstances can alterations be made to poems once entered.

9. Under no circumstances will the organisers or judges enter into discussions with entrants who have submitted for the prize.

10. The prize organisers reserve the right to not award the prize if, in the judges’ opinion, such an action is justified.  The organisers also reserve the right to split the prize if they decide that more than one poet is worthy of it.

11. The judges’ decision is final and they will not enter into any correspondence with entrants regarding their decisions.

Rules: Poems

12. All poems must have a title.

14. Poems must be the original work of the entrant.

15. Poems should be single spaced.

16. There is no stipulation regarding font type and size.

17. Poems must be emailed in a SINGLE Word document attachment (not PDF) – with an index cover page that contains the entrants’ name, nationality, country of birth, full address including country of permanent residence, personal email address and telephone number.

18. The entire submission must be written with black ink, no colours.

19. Individual poems received as separate file attachments and poems sent within the body of an email will be automatically rejected with no notification to the poet.

20. People who have entered previously for the prize can re-submit again but it is advisable to re-submit with new poems. People who have previously been shortlisted for the prize, or won the prize, can re-submit but only with new poems and only after they have skipped one competition year since making the shortlist and/or winning. So if a poet was shortlisted in 2016, s/he cannot re-enter the prize until 2018.

Rules: Winner Only

21.The winner must be available via email to reply promptly to correspondence. The winner will be required to provide a biography and photograph and to be available for media interviews, either online, by phone or, if geographically possible, in person.

22. It will be helpful if the winner has or creates a social media presence but this is in no way a condition of winning the prize.

23. The copyright of the winner’s poems remains with the winning poet.

The 2017 Prize is open from 1st Oct to 1st Dec 2016

The Brunel University International African Poetry Prize is a major annual poetry prize of £3000 aimed at the development, celebration and promotion of poetry from Africa. Now in its fourth year, this year the Prize is sponsored by Brunel University and Commonwealth Writers.

British-Nigerian writer, Bernardine Evaristo, who is Professor of Creative Writing at Brunel University London, initiated the award in 2012. She describes her reasons for a new prize devoted exclusively to African poetry:

ALSO READ THE ENTRY RULE CLICK HERE

‘I had judged several literary prizes including chairing the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2012, an award that continues to revitalise the fortunes of fiction from Africa since its inception in 1999. It became clear to me that poetry from the continent could also do with a prize to draw attention to it and to encourage a new generation of poets who might one day become an international presence. African poets are rarely published in Britain. I hope this prize will introduce exciting new poets to the world’s poetry editors.’

The Prize works closely with the African Poetry Book Fund (APBF) and since its inception, most of the poets who have been nominated and/or won this award have published chapbooks with the African Poetry Book Fund series of ‘New Generation Chapbook Box Sets’. http://africanpoetrybf.unl.edu/.

The Prize is open to poets who were born in Africa, or who are nationals of an African country, or whose parents are African. It is for ten poems exactly in order to encourage serious poets. These poems may, however, have already been published. Only poets who have not yet had a full-length poetry book published are eligible. Poets who have self-published poetry books or had chapbooks and pamphlets published are allowed to submit for this prize.

For press, media and other professional enquiries only, contact Bernardine Evaristo at Bernardine.Evaristo@brunel.ac.uk. (For the submission email address see Rules.)

KIDS POEM AND MORAL LESSONS

Night

Night, night, night,
You are always dark
Why are you not as bright as Day?
I hope someday you change I pray
Did you made those monsters that hide in you?
The sun wakes from the east with zest
And soon you chase it back to the west

And we all little children go home and weep
We must go to dinner and then to sleep
Under your sky dream of the skies
And if in the morning we open our eyes
We will miss you for a while until you come.

MORAL LESSON
Nature cannot be controlled and it should be taken the way it is not the way we want it to work for us.

SHADOW

Wherever I go, you must follow
You have never said a word
All you do is follow
You have never helped when I was bullied
All you did was ran

You have never cried with me
All you did was mock me
Because you had no eyes
When I eat, you pretend to eat too
When I'm scared in the dark
You run and hide
And when there's light
You run back to my side.

MORAL LESSON
Our shadows are a reflection of our selves and cannot be guilty, rather we will use them as a way of checking our morals.

Three Leg Table

He is a soldier table without a leg
He has only three legs,
He tries to balance his stand
For breakfast
For lunch
And for dinner
Until the day is spent.

MORAL LESSON
This comes to show that you are only invalid when you think you are, inferiority is of the mind.

The Sky

Must you always cry?
For the earth to bathe
I don't know why,
Is this your fate?

And the thunderclap
And your roaring echo?

MORAL LESS

My Lunch Box

Here inside my lunch box is a pie
I carry you wearing my bow tie
I am a rich kid with a full lunch box
I am a poor kid who does not have a lunch box

The Big Trunk

The car horn has been honk
It is filled with a lot of junk

Who said it is not a mighty lump
Covers most place in my poor bunk

It is too heavy, is why mom is still here
One day it is gone and mother too was gone.

MORAL LESSON

Bullied Child

I am the bullied child called Charlie
In love with a girl called marly
Her brother is my bully
I have a scar from been bruised
Been bruised by this big bully

One day big bully

The River Down

The river flows down
It never stops, it goes round and round

The rain enters too
And flows down
My mum’s tears enters too
And flows down, down

Farmers drain into their farm
But it never runs dry

FLOWER

It has rain and it sprouts
Who planted the seed?
I do not know
Sprouts as a grass
But later becomes beautiful
And grow into a flower

Money

A paper in exchange for food
One penny for one bread
Easy to spend and hard to earn

OFFICER

O officer there is a monster in my closet
It has refuse to come out
It hides in my bedroom
And wait until I am asleep
And then in the morning
I am awake again
Waiting for another night.
MORAL LESSONS
You are responsible for your own imagination and have power over it. So take control.

THE LAW

When you come home late
You are grounded
When you attend a party
You are grounded
When you do drugs
Then you go to jail

Moral Lesson
There are different levels of crime and non should be taking likely or it will lead you to dangerous places.

My First Broken Tooth

My first broken tooth
I am white and I hide it
Under my pillow for a penny

I African I throw it on my roof
Away from the rats
To where the lizard
Will find it and send me a new one

MORAL Lessons
We share the same belief only with a few difference in changes no matter our color or race. We are one.

THE WIND

Blow on the hills
Blow the hairs of the long grass
Throw the seeds into the mud
Let the leaves fall

The Stubborn Goat

THE NIGERIAN CHANGE A BIG CONSPIRACY OR THE FUTURE

The Nigerian economy has suffered a great change since the last ten years galloping from one level of poverty to another. The new elected government APC also known as “CHANGE PIONEERS” in their interventionist policy propose is putting measures in place to salvage the devastating situation and revamp the economy of Nigeria.

In a bid to put an end to Nigeria’s economic problems and self sufficiency the country experience a lot of changes that dealt a deadly blow on commerce and even international trade. The removal of fuel subsidy that resulted in the increase in pump price of fuel by independent marketers, followed by the final stabilization of price which doubled the old pump
price.

Following the recent pump prices of fuel by the independent marketers, it is becoming clearer the intent of the removal of the fuel subsidy. It is noticed that the independent marketers have varying prices, this is as a result of the increasing in competition in the market; every consumer wants a good value for his money and is willing to patronize the seller that will meet their needs.

Therefore, some sell at exactly the price stipulated by the federal government, some sell even below the pump price per liter and others sell above the pump price. Thereby, using low price, quick turnover as a tool to keep them in business and maintain constant patronage. The prices are stabilizing themselves into a natural equilibrium point where it becomes normalized.
The government haven't known the complications that would arise from such action should have followed strictly on the adherence of the pump price by putting law enforcement agents to work, monitoring the independent marketers from cheating and exploiting the people, that way there wouldn't have been black market activities that causes artificial scarcity even when the fuel pump price is very high.
It was after the wound have grown sore and the masses have been exploited and put through untold hardship, that the government thought of enforcing those laws.

The subsidy removal is another area to look at, a subsidy removal in fuel simply means more money in the hands of the federal government which I can categorically tell you it is unaccounted for. If the amount paid as subsidy is removed then the masses directly pay for it in every liter of fuel pump price. There have been attempt to remove the fuel subsidy before to use it and fund other project that will benefit the masses, as the government of Nigeria claim they pay millions of dollars to subsidize the fuel which are not recoverable through tax and other source of revenue. If my calculations are correct, since tax has increased, trade restrictions have become more stringent and the budget delayed, in the end all the chunks of funds in the country ends in the fat purse of the government who are currently delaying spending any money due to the trending budget padding.

That raises the question of clarity of purpose and accountability, the masses are beginning to call him the silent oppressor, a military dictator in the guise of democratic cloak.

The common sense thinkers see the CHANGE phenomena as a good dream that is badly executed. They see the change as a good thought in the head of a wrong leader, a huge political fallacy designed to decorate their manifestoes. The common sense thinkers, the bases of their argument is that, if you can see the future and know it is going to rain, will you not buy an umbrella and towel? They believe that the federal government should have put structures in place having sighed the effects of the removal of fuel subsidy and strengthening of international trade barriers, should have put structures in place to absolve the problem. The borders are shut In order for Nigerians to patronize home made products manufactured by our companies, but how many of them do we have in Nigeria and how many are actually functional?

Corruption cripples an economy to all fours but PMB has his foresight and resources set on sweeping out corruption and has ignored other failing parts of the economy. The Nigerian corruption cannot be completely eradicated, it can only be reduced and with continuous conceited effort consequently reach a barest minimum. Corruption in Nigeria is deep rooted into our culture and traditions, it's in the way we think act and talk. From giving of colanuts to visitors to giving of undeserved gifts and bending of the laws that has grown into an evil practice called Bribery And Corruption.

Another angle about the PMB administration that doesn't add up is that delayance of the 2016 Zero-budget. The delayance as he posits was as a result of some adjustments he made to the budget he considered unnecessary and extraneous matters. The day the budget was singed by PMB he said that the reason for the delayance or padding in the signing of the 2016 budget was due to the fact the Senate replaced some items in the budget and doubled some expenses in the budget.

In PMB'S quest to wipe out Corruption and Bribery in Nigeria, it is noticed that about %70 of the politicians that were prosecuted and found guilty are from the south. This simply implies that Northern politicians are less corrupt and if they are less corrupt, why has he not caught one Northern corrupt politician, despite the facts that northern Nigeria has the highest number of politicians in this country and also that the govt he overt. This makes his pursuit of a corrupt free Nigeria a big joke and a giant political game. Here, another the big question is, what is happening to the money recovered from those that embezzled Nigerian Fund, it sure does not go to the Federal Account.
After many political acrobat, the details that all Nigerians have been waiting for was released, a bunch of figures were published by the president as the amount recovered, he called it the "Looters List". As much as many Nigerians were expecting to see the list, they were disappointed by its content. The list is not a list at all but a total of amount recovered by PMB as there were no names to collaborate his claim. PMB posits that releasing the names will jeopardize further recovery of funds.

In the same bid, he also promised to publish the names of those corrupt polictians that he has investigated and have evidence that they are corrupt. Why has he not done that? From the count of people PMB has thrown behind bars, most of them are familiar faces from his sordid past when he was the president of Nigeria. The question now is are there men and women In this country that are above the law and cannot be brought to justice?

One thing is certain and undeniable about the APC President Muhamed Buhari, he is doing a good work fighting corruption compared to the PDP Ebele Goodluck Jonathan regime that was fraught with bribery and corruption in virtually all sector of the economy. According to statistics from TIO the corruption perceptions index rank and score in year 2015 is score 26 and rank 136.

Then the borders were shut to international trade which collapsed the internal trade as small scale traders were left to trade the little that was in the country before the restriction was imposed. The whole economy was canned and nothing comes in or goes out. Both import and export was restricted forcing an instant increase in the prices of goods and services within the country. Where garri one of the cheapest consumer good sells for one cup 30, the increase was outrageous as every commodity almost doubled its price. Economist analyst in Nigeria posit that actions like that is meant to improve and protect Home Industries and to prevent capital flight but one will begin to wonder what Home Industry because most of our manufacturing industries are not functional, some Economist claim it is an attempt to force entrepreneurs to bring all their investments home but with the sky rocketing increase in tax no profit motivated business will be able to cut even if they are not owned by the government.

The PMB administration made so many promises that he is gradually reneging on his words. The change pioneer, PMB told in one of his many speeches that he is going to pay every unemployed in the country an amount tagged as “Unemployment allowance” in order to reduce the level of poverty in the country. The senate asked PMB how he intends to make that possible and it was added as part of the 2016 Zero-budget that was delayed till thy kingdom come. The tension on the unemployment allowance issue became tense and once again PMB shows political deniability by redefining the term unemployed as the disabled in the society and those beyond retirement age. He further renage on his promise He said: “This largesse N5,000 for the unemployed, I have got a slightly different priority. I would rather do the infrastructure, the school and correct them and empower agriculture, mining so that every able bodied person can go and get work instead of giving 5,000, N5,000 to those who don’t work.”
Furthermore, the withdrawal of Nigeria in using dollar as their official currency for foreign exchange earnings affected the value of Dollar to Naira in the international market which consequently resulted into the Nigerian Naira losing its value at home, as 20 Naira can longer buy what 20 Naira used to buy.
Many economists translates this as a measure to close the widening gap between the rich and the poor. If there is one thing Nigerians have learnt is that projects that do not affect them directly is a useless effort to reduce their level of poverty.

During the old administration one cannot deny the rampart bribery and corruption in the country. But my question is why do people prefer the old GEJ administration to PMB's administration?
Furthermore, the issue of Buhari's fake Certificate will be the next area of review in the part two (II). To be continued.

Thanks for reading....

Human beings are emotional and trust the business that can translate their profits and names in heartfelt words and goals. A business is a representation of your heart and unwritten intentions in the public eye. If the picture of your business speaks ‘better service’ and the business speaks ‘High turn over’ there is a problem with the poetry of your business.

Poetry In Your Business (PIYB) will help you to translate your goals in clear terms to investors, making the image of the business in public eye to symbolize and represent the true intentions of the business owners.

As an accountant and a poet it is a big plus for me as I have channeled my poetry into excellent business ideas. An investment is not looking for at the organizations over decorated projected income when they intend to invest but the real and unwritten intentions behind the organization.
The first place to bring poetry to your business is in the goals and objectives, mission and visions of the organizations. This is the moment when you draw in your investors and create, show and share with the public the foresight of your business. Some words sound better even though they may not be right’

The value of poetry in your business also is in carrying out social responsibilities in the business society that one operates. Though there is no direct measurement as to how it translates to high patronage by investors but social responsibility increases the value of a company’s name which is valuable when selling your business or when merging with another company either partially or fully.

That is why some organizations hire experts to restructure their goals and objectives. Restructuring it takes more than the knowledge of business. One will need all the passion of poetry.

Millions of businesses all over the world fold up everyday because of this simple and solvable problem. Some will say I have done everything that needed to be done and still my investors are not trusting me to invest in my business.

This is because window dressing has become a tool used by seekers of funds to lure investors into their unreliable investments. Constantly, investors have sought for the reputation of the company as a way of measuring their trust as we are living in a very corrupt world, that even auditors cannot be trusted to present a fair representation of the company's assets and liabilities in clear statements.

Poetry helps you to understand the workings of your human resource management, as human beings are the most complex resources to manage. The empathy from poetry helps you to understand their humanity and appeal to their morality when you want them to listen. This is important because someone who can understand and write poem has the greatest communication skill

Poetry lets your secret a mystery to your competitors, they will be busy trying to understand you and your ways while you'll be busy grabbing all the opportunities in your industry. That way it keeps them busy and off track about your internal dealings.

Poetry brings out the true beauty of your business, poetry is not just beautiful words but also anything that touches the mind of customers. I have once known a business that uses the kiss from his wife as his logo in business. That displays love and trust, a passion that is channeled into business through the help of poetry.

Poetry helps business owners to connect with their clients establishing a long lasting business relationship that will encourage future encounters that may lead to profitable business activities.

Poetry encourages creativity in every departments of an organisation, it is said that poets are critical thinkers and creative person. In the aspect of advertising, poetry is very much important as creativity is highly needed in such departments.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Thanks for reading...

1. The man who looks backward has been bitten by his past and the man who looks forward already lives in the future.

2. A man that is drenched by the rain, understands the gravity of tears and does not wish for it to get cloudy.

3. Wear the same shoe forever, if it is making you rich and reach your destination.

4. It is from tiny little pence that fills a piggy bank not paper money, those who understand savings know what I mean.

5. I will throw away the suit and forget about being fancy when I work in the farm for it will damage my reputation.

6. I have one belief, to fail in the examination of being poor.

7. Nothing is certain, defend your lies for it might become the truth that will set you free.

8. Comfort is a thorn to the skin, it kills you without hurting you. Do not bask in it without caution.

9. If they found blood on your money, tell them the money comes in colors and red is your favourite.

10. The walls may be crashing down, do not worry about your death, worry about rebuilding the walls ten times stronger than it was.

11. If I had no sickness, I would not seek a doctor. Some problems will show you the way you have been ignoring.

12. I have never heard any successful man say, it was easy. The beginning does not define the end.

13. Be lost in your quest for success, and you have been lost for a good course.

14. If honesty does not pay you, then I suggest you should try the business of politics.

15. Do not be a fool that invest a pence and expects a million in short time. Small money makes small money except it is a lottery.

16. It's okay to be a gambler if you can always win and beat the odds against you. But can you always win and not suffer loss?

17. Draw your strengths from the sun, it never ceases to rise and it never ceases to set. The key is consistency.

18. I want to give up, don't you want to give up too? But when you have given up, the fun will be gone and the challenges that makes you a man is gone.

19. Success and opportunities comes late at night when you are deep asleep, be vigil.

20. If I can think it, I can attempt to create it. The power of the extraordinary man.

21. Doors have keys do not be disappointed that your do not oped those doors. Probably you need to build your own door and own your keys.

22. A crook knows his tricks, and a business man knows his profit. Do not admire what you do not know. Do what you can do and earn your living.

23. There will always be a boss and a subordinate, you might find yourself as either one of the both. Whatever you are, is what you are accept it.

24. If you are man enough to take a risk, do not complain about the consequences. I mean a calculated risk.

25. It is not getting to success that is the problem, it is the lack of the strong will to thread it's road and journey to our destination that is the problem.

26. Outside your walls, there are different rules and different laws. Be wary of them for they shape your external dealings.

27. Is there any resilient thing like your shadow, design with the will to always go against his schedule.

28. Do not depend on luck to do business, it kills profit faster than cancer. But when it comes be you will be happy you were not depending on it.

29. Do not waste your time with a sinking ship, salvage what you can and dive out into the oceans of other opportunities.

30. The fire from a furnace does not burn without fuel. Have a source that will continously fuel your succes.

31. If your smile is very expensive then sell it than waste it on unprofitable Ventures.

32. Have you ever wondered why the clock does not tick backwards? Because the past is not important and it is headed for the future.

33. When you win it you deserve it, when you don't win it, you don't. Do not sugar quote failure and forget the lessons.

34. Make succeeding like a road, when it comes to a road block, make a turn and take another one. Just keep moving forward.

35. If you are short rule the lands where your hands can reach, if you are tall rule the skies of your reach. It doesn't matter where you are you can still make a difference.

36. Understand the traffic signs of life, when to invest, when to wait for opportunities, and when to understand and avoid uncalculated risk.

37. Do not mind those who tell you that you succeed because you have not faced much difficulties, they just don't understand their business environment.

38. Your counterparts want your secret, hold them to it. Don't tell. That way you are always in control.

39. Find just one justifiable reason you need to succeed and you are ready for success.

40. Do not only air your mind, materialize those thoughts into action. That is what truly makes you great.

41. Just like clock work, let them know you for falling and getting back on your feet.

42. Don't hate or drive away your enemies, you need them so you'll know you are still succeeding.

43. Write your problems in a paper and burn them and watch them take to the wind, it is very therapeutic.

Thanks for reading..

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