The winner of the $100,000 prize sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited for the 2020/2021 cycle on Prose has taken to social media to show off her excitement.
She is Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia, law professor at Babcock University in Ogun State, named winner for her work Son of the House.
The book, which had competed against 202 books submitted for this edition of the competition, edged out “The Girl With The Louding Voice” by Abi Dare and “Colours of Hatred” by Obinna Udenwe entries in the shortlist of three, to clinch the prize.
Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, Chair of the Prize’s Advisory Board, made the announcement at the award ceremony and public presentation of the winners of the three NLNG prizes for 2021 at Expo Centre, Eko Hotel & Suites in Lagos.
The novel was chosen not only for its suspense and intrigue, but also for its ability to “tell human and indeed universal stories of rural as against urban life, suffering and survival, loss and redemption, decline and renaissance, destruction and reconstruction, and death and rebirth,” according to Adimora-Ezeigbo.
The 11 books on the shortlist, in alphabetical order by the title of the book, are:
1. Delusion of Patriots, Obianuju V. Chukwuorji
2. Give Us Each Day, Samuel Monye
3. Imminent River, Anaele Ihuoma
4. In The Name of Our Father, Olukorede S. Yishau
5. Mountain of Yesterday, Tony Nwaka
6. Neglected, Lucy Chiamaka Okwuma
7. The Colours of Hatred, Obinna Udenwa
8. The Girl with The Louding Voice, Abi Dare
9. The Return of Half- Something, Chukwudi Eze
10. The Son of The House, Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia
11. Your Church My Shrine, Law Ikay Ezeh
The professor of Law took to her social media pages – Facebook and LinkedIn to express her delight and to thank people for their supports
She said, “Good morning all! The Son of the House was named the winner of the Nigeria Prize for Literature 2021 on Saturday, October 30, 2021.
“My heart is full. Brimming, in fact, with the overflow of your embrace and support and warm wishes. I am trying to respond as much as I can to messages online and offline, public and private. And I thank you for rejoicing with me. Life would definitely be less interesting without people to celebrate with in times of joy.
“As I said in my hastily put-together speech on Saturday, there are many to thank, some of whom I did remember there on the stand. Standing there, looking at the array of people dresses in beautiful clothes, I prayed earnestly that my mind wouldn’t blank out completely and willed all my training as a lawyer and a teacher to come to my aid. It was a surreal experience. Still is. My hands shook so badly that at first, right after I got off the podium that I could not sign books immediately.”
Among the person she specifically mentioned were an award-winning writer, Obinna Udenwe; the bestselling author, Abi Dare; her publishers in and outside of Nigeria – Azafi Omoluabi of Parrésia Publishers Ltd, Fourie Botha, Penguin Books South Africa, Scott Fraser of Dundurn Press and Eva Ferri, Europa Editions.
“Thank you to friends who have held my hands in this season Darlington Chibueze Immaculate Patience Ugomma
“Thank you to all of my family, my siblings – Akaoma Blessing Onyemelukwe Soke Onyemelukwe Tochi Okekeogbu Onyemelukwe . My life would be incomplete without you.
“Thank you to my cousins who celebrate me on every occasion- Ifeanyi Ogbalu Udo Obinwa Chima Ogbalu
“Thank you to the Onyemelukwe family of Nanka – proud to be part of such a storied family and like my late uncle Clem would love, proud to be keeping the family brand going. Thank you to the Onuobia family, of Umuokoroala, Umuegwu, Afugiri for their warm embrace and continued support.
“Thank you to my work family at Babcock University School of Law and Security Studies. Thank you to my teams Health Ethics and Law Consulting and Centre for Health Ethics, Law and Development for continuing support.
“Thank you to all the various communities that give meaning to my life and who have rejoiced with me this weekend – HIJC Nkpor, Old Girls’ Association, the 1994 set of HIJC, and Class 2000 of the Law Faculty of the University Of Nigeria Nsukka.
“Thank you to my friends and sisters Ukamaka Osigwe and Chinelo Oraghalum Ezenwa and Shivani Chopra. Your being in my life just makes it so much better.
“Thank you Jude Idada for your faith and warm support.
“Thank you to my young friends, writers, warriors who reached out to encourage me, especially that morning – Sima Essien Chike Boo Chisom Okafor. O ga-adi nma,” she said.
