About the Competition

s more and more Africans immigrate, Africa loses some of its finest minds. While abroad, the struggle for survival often overshadows the utilization of the potentials in these Africans. Their talents and expected contributions to humanity suffer as a consequence.

About the Competition

As more and more Africans immigrate, Africa loses some of its finest minds. While abroad, the struggle for survival often overshadows the utilization of the potentials in these Africans. Their talents and expected contributions to humanity suffer as a consequence.

This competition is a little effort aimed at encouraging talented Africans abroad to revisit their gifts, reconnect with their dreams and reassert their unique place in literary world.

At Iroko Productions & Publications, we believe that the African geniuses are here with us. We are committed to the search for these gems. When we find them, we intend to nurture and celebrate them. We believe that the continuing existence of the African masterpieces depends on our ability to identify, promote and preserve the African geniuses at home and abroad.

We aspire to give greater audience to established African talents and beam a bright light on those previously unrecognized. It is also our hope that African experiences at home and abroad should occupy a central place in world literature.

With time, we hope to expand the prizes and recognition programs we have to include Africans writing in Africa.

About Olaudah Equiano

Olaudah Equiano was born in Essaka, an Igbo village in the country now known as Nigeria in the year 1745. At age 11, he was kidnapped by Aro people and sold into slavery. He survived the inhumane Middle Passage to Barbados in which over 50 % of all African slaves perished. He was finally sold to a planter in Virginia. In 1757, British Naval officer, Michael Henry Pascal bought him as a present to his cousin in London and renamed him Gustavus Vassa. He traveled to Britain and from 1758 - 62, he served the British Navy during the French and Indian War. The promise of freedom made by Pascal was not fulfilled. Equiano was again sold to Robert King in Montserrat.

From 1763 -66, Equiano worked on ships that transported slaves from West Indies to Mainland America. By 1766, he had mastered merchants' commercial practices and was able to save enough money from his own labor that he paid 40 Pounds Sterling and bought his freedom. As a seaman, he traveled the world from Europe to America and down the Mediterranean. He was involved in the movement to abolish slavery. In 1789, he presented antislavery petition to England's Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III. He was appointed a commissary officer charged with the resettlement of London's poor Blacks in Sierra Leone.

Equiano was an intelligent man who was able to learn the language, religion and laws of his enslaver. In 1789, he published "Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa the African." It became a popular best seller and made Equiano rich. The book influenced the struggle for the abolition of Slave trade and literally created a new literary genre known as slave narratives. Equiano's narrative was the first book published in English by an African. He was also the first African to write about life in African villages and the horrors of slavery. In 1789, Equiano married an Englishwoman named Susan Cullen. He died in London in 1797 at the age of 52. He was buried in Cambridgeshire, England.

At the time of his death, his narrative has been published in nine different editions.

The struggle, survival, and success of Equiano exemplified the best of Africa in the Diaspora. Naming this prize after Equiano is more of tribute to a man who was the first to tell the African story in English, the first to challenge the oppressive environment Africans in the Diaspora find themselves and the first to overcome the obstacles and make a success of himself. In another way, it is a commitment to the discovery, celebration and preservation of the African experience in the Diaspora.

Rules

1. This competition is going to be an annual competition open to any African living abroad.
2. All works must be an original and unpublished short story. Each story shall center on the experience of Africans living abroad.
3. The length of the work must be between 3000 and 10000 words.
4. All entries must be in English and not submitted elsewhere until winners are announced.
5. All entries must be typewritten and double-spaced on one side of 8.5 x 11 white paper. Manuscripts will not be returned, so keep your original.
6. A word document attachment of the same entry must be sent to editor@irokoproductions.com
7. There will be a cash prize of $1000 for the winning author. Second place author will get $500 and third place author will get $100.
8. All stories will be considered for publication in an anthology of new voices of Africa abroad.
9. Iroko Productions reserves the first serial rights to publish the stories worldwide. All rights return to the author on publication.
10. Iroko production also reserves the first right to option the stories for motion pictures production.
11. Writers can submit as many works as they wish.
12. Please send hard copy of your story to Iroko Productions, LLC, 43 Beldon Lane, Bay Shore, New York, 11706
13. Closing date for entry is April 31st, 2005. Entries received the day after will not be considered.
14. Short-listed entries will be announced on July 1st 2005.
15. Winning entry will be announced on September 1st 2005.
16. Entries that fail to conform to the rules above will not be considered.
17. Employees of Iroko Productions, their immediate families, the judges and their immediate families are not eligible for this competition.

Judges

For the first in this annual prize, the judges will be:

1. Okey Ndibe is an Associate Professor of Literature and Languages, Simon's Rock College of Bard, Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Ndibe is the author of Arrows of Rain and a columnist for Nigeria's Guardian newspaper.
2. Monica Arac de Nyeko was short-listed for the Canine Prize for African writing - April 2004 for her short story, Strange Fruit. She is currently working with a development agency after studying Humanitarian Assistance.
3. Wale Adebanwi, until recently, was a lecturer in Political Science (University of Ibadan), and currently Bill and Melinda Gates Scholar at the Cambridge University, England. He is a writer and literary critic.
4. Obiwu, Director, The Writing Center, Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio. Obiwu is the author of Igbos of Northern Nigeria.