The dance of life

On loud utterances

And vain promises
Our hopes lay
Desperately waiting for the rays
Of sunshine to penetrate
Our lives in the darkest state
For we have been held captive by fate
For so long a time that we faint
And our eyes have become shielded
Until the lid is lifted
We might never understand what we face
Though we run a good race
Our hopes lay flatly on chance
Even though we understand the dance
We fail to hear the lyrics embedded in the rhythm
And we are soon lost in rhymes
Confusion is our game
Vanity is our second name
Yet we continue on the endless journey
In pursuit of total joy
Even when we have money
It never satisfies our yearnings
It never quietens the voice within us that cries
Against the vanity in our lives.
The dance of life
Is a game of sight
Until we see with our mind
We will continue to be blind
Till we learn the basics
Of living life with simplicity.

Is another global conflict imminent?

With the volatile pace of political events around the world and the escalation of violence in the middle east due to the Arab spring, the world is becoming more polarized than it has ever been since the fall of the Berlin wall.

The issue of conflict in Libya and the rest of the middle east, has shown a great geopolitical divide among the 5 world powers that make up the core of the united Nations; China, Russia, United States, United Kingdom and France. We now know there is china and Russia on one side, being supported by the emerging economies called BRICS(Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and the trio of US, UK and France on the other side as the western powers being supported by western Europe and the so-called Nato alliance.

On tuesday, drama played out at he United nations security council as China and Russia vetoed a western-backed resolution to impose and threaten sanctions against the government of Syria, getting the US and her allies very furious. The emerging economies of Brazil, India and South Africa also refused to vote on the resolution. This means that UN can no more come out with a unanimous resolution.

How will this division play out? For some time now, there has been tension between US and China about imbalance of trade and continue US protection of Taiwan, which is supposed to be a Chinese territory. The Americans are now planning to impose sanctions on China even as the world economy staggers.

Are we seeing the emergence of a new world order or a prelude to a global conflict between the western powers and the emerging economies?
For more, got to the discussion
http://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-776433.0.html#msg9288675

'Two gone---still counting' by Oyindamola Affinih. Book reveiw by Peter Sunday

Two gone, still counting. By Oyindamola Affinnih
Book Review by Peter Sunday

‘Not since The Concubine, by Elechi Amadi, the epochal novel in which the heroine is fated to serve as the source of death for her suitors has there been in African fiction a mythical cliff-hanger as Oyindamola Affinih’s heartrending Two gone---still counting’
Those were the words of Uzor Maxim Uzoatu in describing this author’s debut novel. He is right in comparing the novel to Elechi Amadi’s the concubine in that they both portray unfortunate heroines held captive by the potent mythical powers of superstition. But what makes this contemporary story different is its modern setting; its attempt to portray the 21st century Nigerian society, its poignant, feminist perspective and its depiction of the importance of class in a third world country.
‘Two gone---still counting is an illustrative tale of a young, Nigerian woman, who is trailed by a supposed African curse that supposedly kills men who marry her. Amani, the troubled heroine is a Nigerian who lived in England and later moved to Nigeria. While in London, she was told by her parents that she fell down from her mother’s back as a baby and so is fated to carry the curse unless her mother runs naked in the market. For her and many people of her generations, such dark fantasies belong to the realm of superstitions in the African culture. Yet she was surprised that many Nigerians actually believe in it. The superstition would come to haunt her later in life, long after her parents’ death, when she kept losing her spouses to death.
As profound as this theme is throughout the book, I have a feeling that this is not really what the story is all about. Beyond the potency of dark myths and superstitions, the book explores the power of societal forces in African societies and the negative power they can sometimes wield on individuals. Amani, the heroine was brought up with her brother in England by relatively affluent parents. When they move to Nigeria, her parents are gruesomely murdered by unknown people and that was how her world came crashing. The family bickered over her father’s property and tore the whole place apart. Her father’s cousin took over the house and made the children miserable. He later threw them out. The story explores Amani’s travails as she struggled bravely to rise beyond her misfortune and achieve success in a society that is sometimes exciting and yet sometimes hostile. She eventually attains success and yet the curse continues to trail her.
While the story is simple and interesting, it also provokes a deep thought in the reader concerning the effect of some values in African societies and whether they are not causing more harm than good to young women. The book is written from the first-person perspective, which makes it easier to see into the mind of the heroine. This causes the feminist views of the writer to be strongly evident. One doesn’t have to read between lines to recognise the heroine’s extreme feminist attitude and the first person narrative makes it easier to relate it with the author’s supposed views. Yet the author is not as guilty in this as Seffi Attah in her book, Everything good will come. Apart from the issue surrounding the myth, Two gone---still counting reads much like Everything good will come, only that one would be more inclined to like the heroine in the former better because of her suffering. Yet that doesn’t mean she is less arrogant.
In totality, the book is interesting, at least in my view more interesting than the average Nigerian novel. I like the contemporary English used in the book, it makes it fun reading it. I also like the way it depicts contemporary Nigeria and Nigerians. From the chaotic cacophony of Oshodi Oke to the posh serenity of Victoria Island, the author gives us something to laugh about Nigeria. It is an emotional story that would arouse the sympathy and sometimes anger of the reader, yet it is also full of funny dialogues that will bring laughter to one’s mouth. The cover is also colourful and the lettering big enough, making it even more fun to read. Yet I can’t resist the urge to poke fun at the author’s obsession with class. It was quite evident throughout the book. It’s a strong story but I can’t resist the cynical laughter that comes to me when I read feminist writers.
As for me, this is not bad for a debut, I enjoyed reading it, even while sipping Coca-Cola along.
 0

Second Literary Cafe event holds at Rise library, Ikeja, Lagos

We are pleased to announce that the second literary cafe event has successfully held on Friday, 5th August, 2011 at the Rise library in Ikeja. Oyindamola affinnih, Temitayo Ilori and Tope Apoola were featured writers at the event. There were book readings, poetry readings, Literary discussions and book presentations. All the participants were given free books, courtesy of the guest writers.

Literary cafe 2

Freedom (New poem)

Postponement of the Literary Cafe event

Second Literary Cafe event holds at the Risenetworks Library.

We are pleased to announce that the 2nd Literary cafe event will be holding on Thursday, the 21st of July at the Risenetworks Library on 20, Bayode Oluwole street, by Balogun street, off Awolowo way, Ikeja, Lagos.

Time: 3:00pm
Guest writer is Onyeka Nwelue, author of 'Abyssinian Boy'

The Abyssinian Boy was published in India in 2011 by Serene Woods.It won the TM ALUKO Prize for First Book and came second at the IBRAHIM TAHIR Prize for Fiction, all in 2009, organized by Abuja Writers' Forum (AWF).

Onyeka Nwelue was Visiting Fellow at Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR) in Cochin, Kerala and was a Visiting Lecturer at Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, India
In 2000, he won the THOMSON Short Story Prize
He is currently the Writer-in-Residence at Centre for Research in Art of Film & TV (CRAFT), where he teaches Film Adaptation.

At the event, Tope Apoola will read from his book, 'Times of The Supermen' a tensed science fiction released last year to wide acclaim.

There will also be a poetry rage competition and a Literary forum.
There will be book exhibitions and sales as booksellers are expected
submissions for the poetry rage can be sent to ideologyera@yahoo.com or posted on the literary cafe facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/groups/165150650215216?ap=1

Literary cafe is a monthly event hosted by Peter Sunday and Tope Apoola

The Hamitic Heritage: clues and misconceptions on the origins of the black man(part 3)

We must understand that in Jewish tradition, unlike the Europeans, the name of a person is synonymous with his identity, e.g Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. Therefore, we can logically infer that Cushie was a black man, and if so, Zephaniah was also a black man. Another case was that of Bathsheba, formerly, wife of Uriah, and later, wife of David and mother of Solomon. David and Solomon were two important figures in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. The Bible reports that Uriah was a Hittite. Today, historical evidences have made scholars to believe that Bathseba was also a Hittite. However, there is ongoing debate on whether she was a Hamitic or Semitic Hittite. (Hamitic here refers to the lineage of Ham, while Semitic is the lineage of Shem). The Hittites were a mixture of Semites and Hamites. I could go on analyzing the various discrepancies in our historical heritage as regards the black man for the rest of this article. Yet, that would not be enough to correct the wrong nature and history that the black race has been branded with, for they have been embedded in deep ideological roots far beyond what the imprisoned intellect of the average Blackman could grasp. Even when he gets to be aware of the truth, the average Blackman of today is too complacent with his materialistic world and too concerned with the struggle for survival to reflect on the relevance of things as abstract as this. Yet, this is the basis of what we now know today as the inability of the Blackman to equal his other racial contemporaries in the ability to organize an orderly, sophisticated social order. Is any black nation a world power today? It is now necessary for the Blackman to take it upon himself to know the truth about himself. So far, the research into the origin of the black man has been dominated by other races. A rapid ideological revolution is needed if the Black African nations are to achieve a sophisticated state of national development. It is not a sophisticated infrastructure that makes a civilized society, but a sophisticated ideology. If the people lack the right knowledge of their identity, infrastructure will fail. This is the case in most African countries of today. The knowledge of origin and heritage of the Black man’s identity is necessary in his quest for ideological development; for it is there that he find answers to fundamental questions plaguing him. He will be able to see the reasons why some things are how they are. He will be able to analyze the genesis of his current challenges and face them with the right knowledge. He will be able to learn that his people are not just timeless entities, contributing nothing to the history of civilization, but that they have had a glorious past, in which his ancestors flourished in civilization. Lastly, the Blackman will be able to define himself for himself and not be swallowed up in other people’s misconceptions about him. For our world to be a better place, historical truths must be acknowledged without racial sentiments. The purpose of history is to control the future by the past.

To read more on the black Jesus controversy, follow these links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_of_Jesus
http://sathyasaibaba.wordpress.com/2008/07/07/alternate-views-of-jesus-christ-in-art-pictures-society/
http://www.africawithin.com/jgjackson/jgjackson_was_jesus_christ_a_negro.htm
http://yeyeolade.wordpress.com/2006/12/11/jesus-christ-was-black-4/
http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Black_Jesus

Note: This article is incomplete and still under construction.

Hamitic Heritage; clues and misconceptions on the origin of the black man(Part 2)

Biblical education and history has generally been dominated by European pattern of thinking for centuries. Our perception of Biblical characters and events is based on the pattern set forth by European thinkers and historians. Da Vinci made the painting of ‘The Last Supper’ and Jesus Christ was made to be a white man. Imagine a black artist painting Jesus black in his artwork! The church and the general public will scream heresy, just like they’ve done to Madonna. Yet, it’s the same thing; nobody has proved beyond reasonable doubt that Jesus was white. Today, every representation of Jesus conforms to the Da Vinci illustration of the messiah. Actors must be costumed to conform to this dogmatic picture if they want to act Jesus in movies. Jesus trod the surface of this earth more than 2000 year ago. So far, there has not been discovered, any picture, portrait, sculpture or statue of Jesus that has survived from his time. So nobody really knows what He looked like. He could have been olive skinned like a typical Jew; he could be fair skinned or colored like a black man. For convenience, people have generally come to accept the Da Vinci portrayal of Jesus Christ as the standard. Nevertheless, historical evidences point to the appearance of the black race in the lineage of Jesus. Mathew chapter 1 lists the lineage of Jesus Christ. Note that when the Israelites were coming out of Egypt , a mixed multitude went out with them (exod 12:38). Now, inferring from the black heritage of Egypt , many Egyptians must have been part of the Israelites that went out. Joseph, who became the second highest ruler in Egypt , married an Egyptian woman (most probably a black woman). Joseph married Asenath, the daughter of Pharaoh. It was this same Joseph that became the father of two major tribes in Israel ; Ephraim and Manasseh. Moses, the Hebrew leader married Zipporah, the daughter of Reuel, the Ethiopian Midianite. Now, the daughters of Reuel told their father that an Egyptian saved them. If Egyptians were majorly black people and Moses had resembled them, then most probably, Moses must have been a black. Genealogically, Black Africans are called the sons of Cush . Cush is the Hebrew word for black; it is the Biblical name of Ethiopia . Can the Ethiopian change his skin? (Jer 13:23). In second Samuel 18:21, during Absalom’s revolt against David, we come across Ha Cushie, who brought the news of Absalom’s death to David. In Hebrew, the etymological meaning of Cush is black. Zephaniah, one of the minor prophets in the old testament, was called the son of Cushie. Cushie means ‘the black one’ (Zeph 1:1). Also in the same Zephaniah chapter one, the Bible gives a short list of the family links. Here is the shocker; King Hezekiah was a grand uncle to Zephaniah. This was the same Hezekiah, who is a direct ancestor of Jesus Christ.

Further Writing Competition July 2011

I was searching on google for writing contests this July and stumbled upon this. Hope you might be interested.
If you are a writer who has written a novel opening anytime before 31st July 2011, The Next Big Author Competition and associated site youwriteon.com are running another initiative for novel writers in July 2011 with feedback from Random House and Orion, the publishers of Dan Brown and Terry Pratchett. The Top Ten highest rated authors of opening chapters between 5,000 to 7,000 words - written prior to 31st July 2011 - will be read by and receive feedback from Random House and Orion. Both publishers have been participating on youwriteon.com for several years. See the competition rules for this further competition on the website:
http://www.thenextbigauthor.com/Information/Further-Writing-Competition-July-2011.aspx

Nominees for the Nigerian blog awards 2011

i

Reflecting on the nominees, several questions came to my mind.
What are the criteria for choosing nominees and winners?
Does a popular blog necessarily mean a good blog?
Is blogging really about the number of followers or the number of comments?
Is interaction with other blogs a sign of a good blog?
How then do you know a good blog?

Personally i feel blogging is all about expressing yourself in a particular way on a particular subject. It may be literature, fashion, entertainment or even crime. Yet I wouldn't look at a blog twice if it doesn't have posts on a topic I am interested in and yet some blogs post on topics that are not common. This, I believe, is why we have categories. On checking some of the blogs I realized some barely have up to 50 followers while I know of blogs with up to 500 followers that are not nominated in the same category.
Whichever blog wins in the various categories, I believe it does because it was known and acknowledged by the organizers and not necessarily by you and I. So if you check through the list and you don't find your blog or your favorite blog, don't fret, take solace in these words.

The nominees:

Best Beauty Blog
Bella Naija
Bob-ij
Delicious in Pink
Pwetty Bambi
YNC Chill Lounge

Best Daily Read
Bella Naija
KTravula
Linda Ikeji
Naked Sha
Verastically Livin’

Best Designed Blog
Bella Naija
Bumight
Ego Du Jour
Light Her Lamp (Jaycee)
Missy Xclusive (Grown & Sexy)

Best Entertainment Blog
100% Naija
Bella Naija
Linda Ikeji
Olamild Entertainment
People in the Limelight

Best Fashion or Style Blog
Africana Wardrobe Diary
Bella Naija
One Nigerian Boy
Shop Liquorice
The Culture Cynic

Best Food Blog
Alhaji’s Cuisine
Avartsy Kitchen
Food Matters by Yemisi Ogbe (234 Next)
My Kitchen (Ms. O)
Spice Baby

Best Group or Collaborative Blog
Blog(s)ville Gist
In My Dreams It Was Simpler
Myne Whitman Writes
Naija Stories
Nigerians Talk

Best Health or Fitness Blog
African Weight Loss Diva
Kimekwu

Best Music Blog
Diary of an Unpaid Intern (Neefemi)
Gidi Lounge
Nigerian Music Movement
Not Just Ok
Taynement

Best New Blog
9ja Boy Blog
360 Nobs
Cupids’ Gift Consulting
Ego Du Jour
KTravula

Best News or Magazine Blog
234 Next
Bella Naija
Linda Ikeji
Mimi Magazine
Nigerian Curiosity

Best Parenting Blog
Aloted
Andrea
Flourishing Florida
His Treasure (A Fabulous Mother’s World)
It Was So Much Easier When I Only Had One (Solomon Sydelle)

Best Personal Blog
Funms-The Rebirth
GeeBee’s Trip
Good Naija Girl
KTravula
Sting

Best Personal Development Blog
Femme Lounge
Good Naija Girl
Le Dynamique Professeur
Light Her Lamp (Jaycee)
YNC Chill Lounge

Best Photography Blog
Bedazzled Photography
Dotun’s Blog
KTravula
Onada Photography
Tunji Sarumi

Best Poetry Blog
Blogoratti
KTravula
Poetic Ideas
Seye Kuyinu
The Talkaholic (Harry)

Best Political Blog
Black Looks (Sokari Ekine)
Chxta’s World
Little Thoughts
Nigerian Curiosity
Nigerians Talk

Best Religion Blog
A Day in God’s Will (Remi)
Jolly Notes
Light Her Lamp (Jaycee)
Rita
Zoe Believer

Best Science or Technology Blog
Loy Okezie
Naija Web Geek
Seye Kuyinu
Timbuktu Chronicles
Tomi Davies

Best Student Blog
Bumight
KTravula
Leggy
Memoirs of a Nigerian Living Abroad
The Talkaholic (Harry)

Best Travel Blog
Jide Salu Diary
KTravula
Lola Akinmade
Naija Blog

Best Use of Media, including Social Media
Bumight
KTravula
Light Her Lamp (Jaycee)
Myne Whitman Writes
Verastically Livin’

Best Use of Theme
Black Looks (Sokari Ekine)
Cupid’s Gift
KTravula
Standtall
We Are Jos

Best Writing or Book blog
Bookaholic
In My Dreams It Was Simpler
Myne Whitman Writes
Nnedi Okorafor
Nzesylva

Most Controversial Blog
Afrobabe
Jaguda
Sugabelly
Sugarking
Truth Don Die

Most Humourous Blog
BSNC
Nice Anon
Original Mgbeke
Sugarking
Verastically Livin’

Most Inspiring Blog
Aloted
Jolly Notes
Le Dynamique Professeur
Light Her Lamp (Jaycee)
The Talkaholic (Harry)

Most Intellectual Blog
Aloofaa
Bagucci
Doug
KTravula
Rethots

Most Unique Voice
Bagucci
Lola Akinmade
Naked Sha
Rethots
Verastically Livin’

Nigerian Blog of the Year
Bedazzled Photography
Bella Naija
Femme Lounge
In My Dreams It Was Simpler
KTravula
Myne Whitman Writes
Nigerian Curiosity
The Talkaholic (Harry)
Tunji Sarumi
Verastically Livin’

Nominees extracted from http://nigerianblogawards.com/group-a-categories/presenting-the-group-a-category-nominees/

Sefi Attah's "Everything good will come"

Seffi Attah

I finished reading Seffi Atta's "Everything good will come" last week. It's a poignantly illustrative tale of the Nigerian middle class; the ones in Lagos. Good story, beautifully written and simple in style. i also like the innocent perspective and the intense optimism towards feminism which I find amusing. Kudos to Attah for making making a simple biography seem like an epic tale. I must confess i enjoyed it. No wonder it won the Wole Soyinka prize for prose. This is one of those things that make me wonder why more Nigerians are doing well in creative writing abroad while many are struggling to get published in the country. Seffi Attah lives in the United states with her husband. The book was published by Farafina books, who also publish Chimamanda Adichie in Nigeria.

Farafina Literary Workshop ends with a night of thrills

The 2011 Farafina Trust Literary workshop finally wraps up with a public event at the Eko hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. the event, hosted by popular writer, Chimamanda Adichie and sponsored by Nigerian Breweries had Binyavanga Wainana, Nathan Englander, Doreen Baingana, and Jackie Kay as facilitators.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/ArtsandCulture/Books/5464754-147/story.csp

Maiden literary cafe program holds in Akure

The maiden edition of the Literary cafe event hit the sunshine city, Akure on the 21st of June with Geraldine Iheme of Big brother Africa Revolution as the guest writer. It was an evening of fun and intellectual interaction at the cozy Golden crown restaurant in Akure. Geraldine read from her book; disfigured emotions, which was released last year to the admiration of the youthful audience. There was also a literary forum on creative writing and writers in Nigeria and a keynote speech delivered by the coordinator of the pan-African youth organization, Africa unbound in Nigeria; Afere Lawrence.

Literary cafe is hosted by Peter Sunday and Tope Apoola, who is the author of 'Times of the Supermen'