At
least three heads of state have confirmed their intention to be part of
the activities marking the fifth edition of the Wole Soyinka Prize for
Literature, which is coinciding with the 80th birthday of Wole Soyinka, a
professor and Nobel Laureate.
The three heads of state are Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana.
The Wole
Soyinka Prize for Literature is a biennial event staged to recognise the
best literary work produced by an African. It was established by the
Lumina Foundation in 2005 to promote literary excellence in Africa and
has since become the African equivalent of the Nobel Prize.
The
organisers of the award have announced a longlist of 10 African authors
from a total of 163 entries submitted from 17 African countries in the
genre of Drama, which is the focus of the 2014 edition.
A shortlist
of candidates for the prize is expected to be announced shortly, while
the ultimate winner is expected to emerge on July 5.
The event will start with book presentation in honour of the Nobel Laureate three days after the announcement of the Prize winner. The book presentation is slated for Accra, Ghana on July 8, 2014, three days after the presentation to the Prize winner on July 5 at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.
It is being sponsored by Globacom, the national telecommunication carrier.
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