Eliongema Udofia of the University of Uyo has emerged the winner of the second edition of Late Dr Sesan Ajayi Fireflies Prize for prose and poetry and took home the first prize in Poetry with a cash award of N100, 000, while the first prize for prose went to Castro Ailele Osemwingie who also went home with a cash prize of N100,000.
The art community had converged on Lagos for the 2nd edition of the Late Dr Sesan Ajayi Fireflies Prizes for Prose and Poetry. It was held at the Business Club Alausa Ikeja in honour of the late Literary Icon and Poet Dr Sesan Ajayi.
The runners-up included Miss Ayodele Oluwayemisi Elizabeth, who took the second position in Prose. In contrast, Sofia Damilola Ojikutu took third place with cash prizes of fifty and thirty thousand naira, respectively.
Messrs Agboola Tariq Adebola and Michael Emerald Oladosu went home with the second and third prizes in the poetry category.
In his keynote address, a poet and renowned Analyst, Mr. Ayo Baje spoke eloquently about the search for young writers and enjoined the winners to keep the fire burning.
He attributed the theme of the event “The Empty Nest: Nostalgic Contemplations”, to mean the rebirth of a nation in the throes of a crisis and urged the young laureates to stay focused and hone their craft to greater heights.
A poet Laureate, Mr Olumide Akinwumi-Oke, spoke profusely about Sesan Ajayi and the legacy he left behind at the Olabisi Onabanjo University and in the hearts of his admirers. He told his audience that even though he read Law at the University, he often gravitated towards the art department because of the influence of Sesan Ajayi.
He congratulated the winners and promised that an anthology of their works would be published later.
Mr. Osinach Ezema, a Tetfund Research Fellow and one of the judges, spoke about the need for originality in the creative works of contestants.
