SEVHAGE Literary and Development Initiative and the ALINEA Initiative are delighted to announce the launch of the Eugenia Abu/SEVHAGE International Prize for Creative Nonfiction, funded and administered by their organisations. This prize, named in honour of the distinguished writer, broadcaster, and media consultant Eugenia Abu, aims to celebrate outstanding creative nonfiction from writers worldwide, highlighting voices that challenge, inspire, and/or provide deep insights into the human experience. It is also supported by an endowment from Dr Victor Oladokun, Senior Advisor to the President for Communication and Stakeholder Engagement, African Development Bank Group, and some anonymous patrons.
The Eugenia Abu/SEVHAGE International Prize for Creative Nonfiction is a key component of the SEVHAGE Literary Prizes 2024, which also includes categories for Fiction and Critical Essays. Professor Hyginus Ekwuazi, multiple award-winning multi-genre writer, scholar, Professor of Broadcast Media and former Vice Chancellor of the Dominican University Ibadan, will serve as the Chief Judge for this year’s prizes, ensuring the selection of the highest-quality entries.
Submissions for the Eugenia Abu/SEVHAGE International Prize for Creative Nonfiction are currently open and will close at 23:59 WAT on 29th August 2024. The competition is open to writers globally and is free to enter. The winner will receive a prize of ₦750,000 and have their work published, with additional opportunities for other shortlisted entries. Furthermore, portions of their work will be featured in an exhibition in Nottingham, England, as part of the SEVHAGE Festival. Detailed submission guidelines can be found on the SEVHAGE website at www.sevhage.com/prizes.
“We are honoured to dedicate this year’s Creative Nonfiction Prize to Eugenia Abu, better known as one of Nigeria’s cherished broadcasters, an award-winning author and an outstanding mentor,” said Su’ur Su’eddie Vershima Agema, an award-winning writer, Executive Director and President of SEVHAGE. “Mrs. Abu holds a special place in many of our hearts. It was always a delight to watch her on TV and, for me personally, to learn from her guidance at different points. She is a once-in-a-lifetime figure, and we are blessed to have her in our lives. Inspired by her life, and rich legacy across fields, we are excited to celebrate nonfiction works that resonate with readers locally and globally.”
Eugenia Abu is one of Nigeria’s frontline Broadcast Journalists winning several awards in the field including the prestigious NMMA Best Newscaster of the year in 1995. She is one of Nigeria’s most recognisable faces. She anchored the NTA flagship network news for 17 years and retired from active public service at the top of her career as Executive Director, programmes having served meritoriously for 34 years. Eugenia Abu is a visiting consultant at Bingham University and a council member of Veritas University. She is a judge on the National Maltina Teachers Award and the OFAB Media Award. Eugenia is also a member of the National Media Complaints Commission and a board member of the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development as well as Trust TV. She has consulted for several national and international organisations including UN Women, ILO, ECOWAS, NEDC and Trust TV among others.
A Multimedia Strategist, Media Consultant, Columnist, and Author, she is a much sought-after Compere and high-level Moderator and Facilitator at home and abroad and was the compere at the inauguration of President Yar’adua and President Jonathan. She also compered the inaugural dinner of President Buhari. Only recently she anchored the 2023 Presidential inauguration Lecture and the Presidential inaugural ball for President Tinubu. She is the Managing Partner/CEO of The Eugenia Abu Media.
She is the author of two books, In the Blink of an Eye (a collection of essays) which won the ANA/NDDC Flora Nwapa Prize for Best Women’s Writing and Don’t Look at Me Like That (a poetry collection). Eugenia wrote weekly columns for the national newspaper, Sunday Trust for a decade, and for over a decade, has written for the national newspaper, BusinessDay.
The SEVHAGE Literary Prizes are a series of annual literary and art awards organized by the SEVHAGE Literary and Development Initiative and SEVHAGE Publishers (a branch of SEVHAGE Integrated Services Ltd) in collaboration with various partners. They are open to Africans and other writers globally. Since its inception in its current form in 2019, the Prizes aim to recognize and celebrate the outstanding contributions of African creatives across various categories, including poetry, prose, spoken word, drama, dance, and general writing.
Submissions are annually reviewed by a distinguished panel of judges, including established writers, editors, and literary critics. The shortlist and final announcement of winners for the awards will be announced in the final quarter of 2024.
For more information about the Eugenia Abu/SEVHAGE International Prize for Creative Nonfiction and to submit your entry, please visit www.sevhage.com/prizes. For more updates and information, follow @SEVHAGE on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
