We had great entries for this year’s Valentine competition and the winners of the N100,000 cash prize have emerged.
This time we saw some great writing in the 11 entries published. The following 3 essays received 2 nominations. Thus each wins N20,000.
1. A February In Crisis by Chukwuemeka Oluka: This creative non-fiction took on the issues we faced in a month that should ordinarily be filled with love and joy. Chukwuemeka wittingly captured the travails of a young man on a typical day during the cash/fuel scarcity period leading up to the 2023 general elections in Nigeria. Narrated in his usual witty manner, this is a story that will have the reader wanting more from the writer. Congrats Chukwuemeka.
2. BITCH by Becky Peleowo: Becky is a good writer and here she penned a romantic comedy with only 2 main characters. The most intriguing aspect of this work is how the reader is left wondering if the antagonist is a flat or round character. Well done Becky.
3. And This Is You by Kenneth Nwabuisi: This is perhaps the star of the competition considering the fact that the writer is a first-timer with us. Written in the second person POV, the plot, flow and climax in this pubertal adventure will blow the reader away. This guy is a writer and we hope to read more from him. Congrats Kenneth.
Thorny Valentine: A Poem by Solomon Ekoja: and Red Teddy by Victor Oladejo will win N15,000 each for the writers’ effort and ingenuity respectively.
And finally, for her consistency Oluwaseun Osanyinro wins N10,000 for the poem My Beloved.
Canticles Of Love and Cupid And A Strange Town are worthy poetic attempts. The rest of the stories are equally good and you are encouraged to read them. It is pleasing to know that we are this versatile.
Unfortunately, some entries were rejected for not meeting the required editorial standards. As we continue our journey there will always be room for improvement and we expect to improve. Going forward we will be stricter in enforcing our rules and more capitalist in rewarding excellence. We will also strive to create a routine so that writers will incorporate the times into their calendars. You can always refer to our free resources for publications and tips that will help you to improve your writing.
We thank everyone who participated in this week’s competition. Our special appreciation goes to Tilova For Africa and the anonymous donor for supporting our endeavour.
Congratulations to all!
