Call for participants: The Port Harcourt World Book Capital 2014 writers-in-residence programme kicks off

Writers’ workshop on fiction with Chika Unigwe. PHBF 20133

 

by David Cyril
The city of Port Harcourt now in its 3rd month as UNESCO World Book Capital has launched various programmes to fulfil the World Book Capital (WBC) mandate as expressed in the winning bid.
Programmes that have kicked-off include Reading Tree and Book Clubs, the Walking Book and National Essay competition for students in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions respectively across Port Harcourt and Nigeria. Also started successfully are the monthly Book-of-the-Month discussions and drama performance, Books in the Air, and Library Support programmes.
The Port Harcourt Book Festival, the Port Harcourt Book Center, new Public libraries and the Writers in Residence project are some of the WBC programmes soon to be unveiled.
The Writers in Residence project will bring together 12 selected writers (published and unpublished) from all over Nigeria to reside in the city of Port Harcourt for 3 weeks. Throughout their stay, they are expected to exchange ideas and engage in intense training sessions that will be anchored by seasoned literary professionals.
They are also expected to draw inspiration and ideas for new works based on the theme of the Port Harcourt World Book Capital 2014: Books- Windows to our World of Possibilities, which would then be published in an anthology.
The objectives of the programme include inspiring a new generation of creative writers from all over Nigeria, showing the importance of intercultural communication and exchange in order to encourage creative collaboration, raising the profile of aspiring writers participating in the programme and enhancing the exchange of ideas, skills and experience amongst the participating writers.
The Residency is expected to foster cooperation, unity and friendship among the writers thereby encouraging national integration and promote tourist activities in Rivers State.
This is a call to interested writers who wish to take advantage of this once in a lifetime prospect to be recognised on an international platform such as the Port Harcourt World Book Capital is offering. Application is open to emerging writers from all parts of Nigeria with interests in fiction and creative non-fiction. To participate, writers must be Nigerian citizens or permanent residents of Nigeria, be at least 21 years old and possess a portfolio of good quality written material.

 

re                                                  Writers’ Workshop on Script writing with Mr. Chris Ihidero.PHBF 201
Applications for the Writers in Residence programme must include a statement of what they hope to achieve during the residency, a detailed curriculum vitae and a 1200-1500 words excerpt from a published or unpublished work. Application forms can be downloaded at www.portharcourtworldbookcapital.org. Entries should be submitted electronically to [email protected] not later than Friday 22nd August, 2014.
All enquiries should be addressed to the Writers in Residence Programme Coordinator via [email protected] or via telephone on 08023187731.

 

 

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