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LITERARY NEWS™

Volume 1, Issue 1

December 1999

Miinistry Greenlights ALS Culture Night

The Abuja Literary Society in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Culture and Tourism, will next month organise an event tagged Minister's Culture House The event, which is conceived as a forum to showcase various aspects of Nigerian Culture, would be for an audience drawn from the Federal Executive Council, the Civil Service and the Diplomatic community.

"Heavy wind" Laitan Adeniji is expected as one of the star performers at the show which will also feature poetry, drama and a talk on the history of Nigerian Literature.

Members interested in taking part in this epoch-making event should please contact the secretariat.

D.O.P for ALS

The Abuja Literary Society has appointed a Director of Programmes to oversee the day-to-day administrative functions of the Society. The new Director is Ms Chinyere Afam Anadu, an English Honours graduate of the University of Abuja. We are happy to welcome her to the ALS family and wish her a successful tenure.

 CULTURE SUMMIIT GETS PLANNING CONINIITTEE

The Federal Ministry of Culture and Tourism recently organised a planning committee meeting for the proposed Culture Summit coming up later this year. Held at the Abuja Sheraton Hotel and Towers, the meeting drew such leading heights of the Literary scene as Rueben Abati, Odia Ofeimun and Obi Nwakamma.

We look forward to a fruitful summit, especially considering the quality of input going into the planning of the summit.

ANA and MUSON, LITERARY PRIZES

The Association of Nigerian Authors and the musical Society of Nigeria have called for entries for their annual prizes. While the ANA prizes cover poetry, prose and drama, the MUSON prizes cover poetry, painting and choral music.

The deadlines for entry are March 15th for the MUSON prizes and May 30th for the ANA prizes. Interested members should contact the ALS Secretariat for guidelines and details.

CRYSTAL PALACE HOSTS POETRY CLUB

The Poetry club of the Abuja Literary Society held its 1st meeting on the 5th of February. The event though with a small participating audience was a forum for poets to exchange ideas, critique each other's work and offer analysis and suggestions. Venue was the new Crystal Palace Hotel Bar in Area 11. Another meeting will be coming up early next month. Members interested in taking part should contact the secretariat for details.

Another Poet's Corner

The Mirage

Out of the wood into
the open, there it
stands, it a long
Tunnel, I turned on
my heels and the
search began.

Down the passage
I touched a stone
My heart skipped a beat and
I sighed. Into the open I went
with a song, only to discover
It was a mirage...

The dream is lost and
So the stone, I grope in the dark
Not knowing what to find.
I came by the coral and thought its there
But, oh! No it was
another mirage...

A dream, non-existent
the dream is over,
I sit on my heels with
confusion all over the place
Even the mirage is gone
I know not what to do........

W. WILLIAMS

 Ready for Adventure

Come hold my hand
Let my moments be complete
My boats are burnt halfway
have you come to stay?
Sail away.. A ship that passes by night
Though today I think of you
I taste an unknown flavour...
Sadness, sweetened by joy