The Quramo Pageant of Phrases 2024 was thrilling and crammed with actions that highlighted the significance of storytelling and cultural dialogue.
WRITERS, publishers and different artwork lovers gathered on the Eko Resort, Victoria Island, Lagos, from October 4 to six, 2024, for the eighth version of the Quramo Pageant of Phrases (Qfest 2024) themed 'The Shifting: Empowering Voices… Inspiring Minds ' .
It's been fairly a journey for the occasion, which debuted in 2009 because the 'Kuramo Convention' and targeted on growth themes. It remodeled into the Quramo Pageant of Phrases in December 2017 and was held consecutively, happening in 2020 as a digital occasion resulting from COVID-19 restrictions.
The pageant has made vital progress and this 12 months's activity-packed occasion reiterated its significance to Nigeria and Africa's literary ecosystem in nurturing rising writers and publishers.
There was not a boring second from the opening, with actions such because the inter-school debate, tribute to Professor Wole Soyinka with the screening of two movies specializing in him, 'Ebrohimie Highway: A Museum of Reminiscence' and 'The Man Died', grasp courses, chats and panel discussions exploring the intersections of storytelling, social influence and artistic innovation.
Evolving panorama of inventive expression
QFest Chairman Mrs Gbemi Shasore welcomed visitors on the opening, describing the pageant as a celebration of storytelling, creativity and cultural dialogue.
She famous that the theme was necessary as a result of “it displays the worldwide and continental modifications we’re experiencing. Throughout Africa we’re witnessing cultural, political and financial shifts that demand a brand new strategy to managing creativity. The panorama for inventive expression is evolving, from the rise of latest media platforms to political modifications in areas corresponding to West and East Africa. Now greater than ever, we should embrace these shifts and harness their energy to drive innovation and transformation.”
The Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Tradition, Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka, has recommended the facility of storytelling and its potential to remodel societies, empower voices and join minds. She known as the pageant “a motion that brings collectively individuals from totally different backgrounds to rejoice the artwork of storytelling in all its types.”
The Commissioner additionally reiterated Lagos' help for creativity. “We acknowledge the invaluable contribution of artwork to our social and financial growth. On the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Tradition, we stay dedicated to making a stimulating atmosphere that fosters creativity, empowers artists and promotes cultural change. The inventive sector has at all times been on the coronary heart of Lagos and we’re proud to proceed supporting initiatives like QFest that carry individuals collectively, encourage creativity and inform our tales,” she mentioned.
Prize winners
Rising South Sudanese author Arthur Gabriel Yak gained the 2024 Quramo Writers Prize together with his manuscript 'Whispers of Survival'. The prize comes with a money prize of 1 million naira and a publishing contract. 'The Worst Nightmare' by Chukwuma Jonathan was the primary runner-up. 'Rajah and Eva' by Abiodun SelomeMedemaku got here third.
Jury head Dr. Eghosa Imasuen defined that Yak's manuscript “takes us into the lifetime of Anyang, a younger lady navigating the brutal actuality of a refugee camp. Within the midst of violence and exploitation, Anyang's resilience shines when she is confronted along with her violent brother Ayok and the manipulative camp politics. This manuscript affords a haunting but highly effective portrayal of survival, sacrifice and human dignity within the face of the scars of warfare, demonstrating emotional complexity and narrative energy.”
Imasuen defined that every manuscript was “scrutinized towards 5 key standards: originality, narrative energy, coherence, language and dramatic depth. However past these formal classes, we additionally checked out a sixth and maybe most necessary criterion: the general influence of every manuscript on us as readers. These works exhibit the immense expertise and creativity inside modern African writing. From deeply private tales of household bonds and betrayal to tales of survival towards unimaginable odds, each bit has a definite voice that speaks to the core of the human expertise. The writers have demonstrated an distinctive mastery of character growth, emotional depth and storytelling, making this 12 months's shortlist a set filled with promise.
“Every manuscript resonated with a novel authenticity and depth that speaks to the way forward for African literature. Though of their early phases, these works have the potential to change into timeless and replicate the resilience and richness of the human spirit. The expertise we now have seen ensures that the way forward for African storytelling is in succesful fingers. I eagerly await what these writers will create subsequent.”
The opposite judges had been Mrs. Lechi Eke and veteran journalist and author, Mr. Anote Ajeluorou.
The three writers weren’t the one winners at QFest 2024. On the QShorts Group Movie Screening, Moses Ipadeola's 'Ekun Iyawo' was declared Prime Brief Movie, incomes him N100,000.
Saheed Sunday took dwelling N100,000 for Qfest Poetry Phrase Slam. A pupil at Vivian Fowler School, Azima Davis, additionally gained the QCommand Problem for Younger Readers competitors. Vivian Fowler additionally gained the college debate with Dowen School and St. Gregory School. Eminent tv journalist Bimbo Oloyede, Sola Alamutu and Adenike Oyetunde-Lawal had been the talk judges.
Energy of storytelling
One of many useful resource individuals, filmmaker Femi Odugbemi, emphasised the facility of storytelling as a software for social change and reordering society from the brink that so typically turns resulting from political impunity. He famous that it’s via the facility of storytelling that society can reclaim itself from chaos by altering its mindset and means of being.
He mentioned: “Along with its potential to entertain, storytelling has at all times been a profound software for social change. Tales can expose injustice, problem methods of oppression, and encourage collective motion. By storytelling, we can provide voice to the marginalized, spotlight points that have to be addressed, and spark dialogue that results in reform. Storytelling can catalyze transformation on our continent, the place we regularly search for methods to empower communities and promote growth.
“By our tales we will encourage actions, affect mindsets and construct a extra simply and equitable society. In current days, QFest has additionally underlined the significance of storytelling as a software for connection. Tales transcend borders and break down obstacles; they’re the last word expression of our shared humanity. Quramo's imaginative and prescient for this pageant was to create an area the place African storytellers may unite, share their work and amplify their voices. At the moment, QFest has grown into greater than a literary pageant. It’s important to our cultural panorama: celebrating African creativity in literature, movie, music and visible arts.”
Talking on the closing ceremony, Ms. Shasore highlighted the achievements of the eighth version, together with the alternatives African creatives need to personal their tales in a world panorama that’s always altering via improvements and new fashions.
She mentioned: “There’s a shift in alternatives for written publications, movies and each different means we inform our distinctive tales. A shift is happening, and Africa is on the heart of it. The place are our new African writers and readers? The place is the expansion of our publishers, literary brokers, guide distributors and bookstores? The place are our African on-line sellers? This provide chain will enthrone Africa as an ever-authentic heart of distinctive tales and narratives.
“We urge our group and past to proceed supporting the manufacturing chain of how artwork and tales are created, recorded, distributed and consumed. We urge them to simply accept the altering panorama and seize the various alternatives for optimistic change.”
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