Maynooth University Library Launches Ken Saro-Wiwa Poetry Competition 2020
Sister Majella McCarron (OLA) speaking at the 2019 MU Ken Saro-Wiwa Seminar Ken Saro-Wiwa was a social and environmental activist from the Niger Delta. His death-row correspondence to Sister Majella McCarron (OLA) was donated to Maynooth University Library in 2011. The letters, poems by Saro-Wiwa and contextual essays are available in the open access book Silence Would be Treason:Last Writings of Ken Saro-Wiwa edited by Íde Corley, Helen Fallon & Laurence Cox, and published by Daraja Press.
To mark the 25th anniversary of the execution of Saro-Wiwa and his eight colleagues (the Ogoni 9) Maynooth University Library is running a poetry competition, which will be judged by renowned poet Jessica Traynor, who edited, with Stephen Rea "Correspondences: An Anthology to Call for an end to Direct Provision."
Poems can be on any of the themes embodied by Ken Saro-Wiwa and the issues he and his colleagues campaigned for. These include: environmental destruction, social justice, land rights, poverty and gender, power and control.
The competition has two categories: Adult: Over 18 years of age. Schools: Transition year and above.
Prizes are National Book Tokens worth €100 (first prize) and €50 (second prize) in each category.
Winners and shortlisted poems will be published in a winner’s anthology to be launched in Maynooth University Library on 12th November 2020. Closing date for entries is 29th May 2020
You can learn more about Ken Saro-Wiwa and view images and other material, from the Ken Saro-Wiwa Archive at MaynoothUniversity, from the Ken Saro-Wiwa Libguide.
Helen Fallon
No comments:
Post a Comment