The Association of Nigerian Authors & Its Contributions to the Society

The date 27 June of the year 1981 stands ever memorable in the world of Nigerian as well as contemporary African literature. On this day, some of the most distinct personalities across the domain of Nigerian literature met at Nsukku – the scenic academic haven of the University of Nigeria. The urge for this meeting was actually because of an invitation sent out by Prof. Chinua Achebe. The band of literary geniuses who were present at the meeting debated over the need to form a writers’ association in the country. It was this meeting on the fateful day that paved the way to create the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA).

The Nsukku Conference, as the meeting is referred to as, is a momentous event across the entire world of African literature. The ANA, since its inception, has contributed handsomely to the causes of Nigerian authors. The organization stands at the forefront in promoting Nigerian literature. Rather, it is the incessant effort and dedication of this guild that African literature has gained prominence at the international level in the contemporary times.

There were specific objectives behind setting up of the ANA. The primary goal was to encourage and promote the literature of the country. Significant volume of literature of the region remained scattered in oral format. The authors’ guild planned to encourage the collection, recording and transcription of all oral forms of the region’s literature. The association also fought for securing the interest and the rights of authors in the society.

As such, the ANA has significant contributions in popularizing the genre of modern African literature to the larger world outside. Prior to this the larger world knew Africa only because of its unbelievable wilderness and exotic species of wild birds and animals. Hardly anything was known about the indigenous art and literature of the continent. In fact, the ANA has contributed heavily in bridging the cultural gap of the region with the larger world outside.

Dr. Tanure Ojaide & Modern African Literature Steadily Gaining Global Prominence

African literature has gained global popularity only in the recent times. Prominence of the genre of literature has obviously been possible because of some ideal classics that have been penned. Actually, the tradition of written literature is comparatively new to the continent. However, the art of oral account of literature has been well preserved in this society across the ages. It was only in 1986 that the continent received its first Noble Prize for Literature.

In the recent times, a number of talented as well as dedicated poets and authors have emerged across the continent. Thanks to their spirited effort, the genre of modern African literature seems to be more impressive than ever. In this context, it is indeed relevant to mention about Dr. Tanure Ojaide – one of the most prominent and powerful literary geniuses that the continent has produced.

Dr. Ojaide is a Fellow in Writing at the University of Iowa who travels wide and far almost round the year to deliver the inherent message of Africa along with the enrich culture and tradition of her society and people. He has a humble upbringing in an Urhobo household across the typical marshy landscape of the Niger Delta. After finishing the local school, he attended the Federal Government College in Warri and thereafter, he moved to the University of Ibadan, to receive his bachelor's degree in English. Finally, Dr. Ojaide got his master’s in creative writing and Ph.D. in English from the Syracuse University.

The Nigerian poet in Dr. Ojaide has penned a number of poetry books till this date. Some of his most famous works in the context include Labyrinths of the Delta, The Fate of Vultures, The Blood of Peace, The Tale of the Harmattan, Waiting for the Hatching of a Cockerel, The Beauty I Have Seen, and Love Gifts, etc.

Apart from a gifted poet, Dr. Ojaide is a powerful writer, a captivating author and a talented creative genius. In spite of all these facets, his identity as a sharp and sensitive socio-economic observer cannot be underestimated anyhow.