Fidelity Creative Writing Workshop ends in Abuja - By Chuks Oluigbo
The 3rd edition of the Fidelity Creating Writing Workshop which started in Abuja on Friday, July 16, 2010, has come to an end with a grand closing ceremony held at Sheraton Hotels, Abuja on Thursday, July 22, 2010. Sponsored by Fidelity Bank Plc, the week-long workshop was facilitated by Nigerian-born Helon Habila, author of Waiting for an Angel and Measuring Time, and creative writing teacher at George Mason University , Virginia , the United States of America ; Madeleine Thien, award-winning Canadian novelist; and Tsi Tsi Dangaremgba, Zimbabwean writer. The workshop took place at Grace Point Hotel, Wuse Zone 6, Abuja .

The twenty participants for the workshop were selected from over one thousand entries through a rigorous process that involved submission of sample short stories which were assessed by Helon Habila. The participants arrived Grace Point on July 15 for registration, while the workshop classes proper began on July 16.

The first session which dwelt on ‘beginning’, that is, the various styles of beginning a story, was handled by Helon Habila. The second session, ‘Telling details and point of view’, was handled by Madeleine Thien; while Tsi Tsi Dangaremgba took the participants through the rigorous and sometimes troublesome ‘middle and dialogue’. Essentially, Tsi Tsi’s lecture concentrated on how to establish a link between the beginning of a story and its end by sustaining an interesting middle using step outline format as well as how to maintain the three unities: of time, place, and action. Dialogue, she said, is an essential tool in establishing a solid middle.

A number of short stories from some established fiction writers were used to demonstrate some of the techniques taught. One of such was Jackie Kay’s “My Daughter, the Fox”.

There were series of exercises in-between the sessions where participants were given the opportunity to put into practice some of the techniques they had learnt. But besides the class exercises, each of the participants submitted a short story of not less than 7 pages and not more than 12 pages (double-spaced) written within the workshop period. Thereafter, the participants were split into three groups of about 7 people each, and each of the groups was handled by each of the three resource persons for the workshop proper where the participants’ stories were generally critiqued.

There was also a reading session on the evening of Sunday, July 18 during which Helon and Madeleine each read from their books for about ten minutes. In attendance was Dr. Emman Usman Shehu, who did a guitar performance of Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry” and Captain George, who did performance poetry. Prior to that, the three resource persons had gone with Dr. Shehu to witness the critique session of Abuja Writers’ Forum.

Some senior staff of Fidelity Bank, Abuja region, headed by the regional manager, also paid a brief visit to familiarise with the facilitators and the participants. In his remarks during the familiarisation, Helon Habila appealed to the Fidelity Bank to think of making an anthology from the stories done by the participants during the workshop so as to give them something concrete to go home with, and also to ensure that the whole effort put in yielded fruit.

Prior to the closing ceremony, the participants and the resource persons were taken on a sight-seeing of Abuja town. They visited such interesting places as the Arts and Crafts Village and the Millennium Park , Abuja .

The week-long event came to an end with a closing ceremony held at the famous Ladi Kwali Hall of Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Abuja on Thursday, July 22, 2010. It had in attendance the workshop facilitators, Helon Habila, Madeleine Thien, and Tsi Tsi Dangaremgba; prolific writer, Abubakar Gimba; representative of the Canadian High Commissioner; ace broadcaster, Eugenia Abu; founder of Abuja Writers Forum (AWF), Dr. Emman Usman Shehu; former FCT Minister, Engr. Moh’d Abba Gana and his lovely wife, Hajiya Yagana Moh’d Abba Gana; among other distinguished guests.

Highlights of the occasion were presentation of certificates to the workshop participants, a panel discussion led by Eugenia Abu, and readings by Abubakar Gimba, Dr.Emman Usman Shehu, Helon Habila, two participants at the workshop, Emilia Udom and Nnadozie Onyekuru, and children from Creative Kids Club House.

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Measuring Words With Helon Habila - By Mike Ekunno
Helon Habila, Nigerian born US-based award winning novelist and first Chinua Achebe Fellow was home recently and took his turn on Abuja Writers Forum’s Hot Seat. The occasion was the Forum’s monthly guest writer’s session for the month of July which held at its usual venue – the Pen and Pages Bookshop on the very last day of the month. Habila, whose new novel is on the Niger Delta conundrum is being keenly awaited by literary buffs, read ‘The Hotel Malogo’, a short story to the packed hall. Before his reading, the business of the day which was compeered by Miss Onyinye Nwadimma had started with a musical glee.

Ajime Jeremiah, a young musician, had thrilled the audience to some miming over electronically arranged beats. His wriggles were as frenetic as the sounds that inspired them. Then came an excellent rendition of performance poetry from Eru Emmanuel whose stage name is Dek Mankind. He was at his theatrical best performing a political satire while the audience clapped their approval. There was also an a cappella rendition by Princess J, a female artiste, before the compeer read Helon Habila’s citation.

With the Caine and Commonwealth prizes in his kitty for two novels – Waiting for an Angel and Measuring Time – the guest writer/reader was the destination that many budding writers in the hall were only just setting out for. Expectation was high among an audience that included his relatives and peers. He did not disappoint.

Dressed simply in a white short sleeved shirt flying over dark pants and brown laced shoes, Habila read from typed scripts which were also distributed to the audience. ‘The Hotel Malogo’ was a complete short story and was not read as an excerpt. It detailed the story of a teenage Johnny-just-come job-seeker who had a close shave with death in one of Lagos’ dingy and dangerous backstreet hotels.

The audience followed the emotive cadences of the story as Fate unites the job-hunting Diaz with another lodger – a pensioner waiting forlornly for his terminal benefits and living on charity. Habila read in a business-like manner without emotions. Reading over and a round of applause later, it was time for questions and comments.

Having facilitated a poetry writing workshop earlier in the day, it was no surprise that some people took him up on perceived areas of concurrence and divergence with what he had earlier preached. There were concerns about exaggeration and the disregard for historical accuracy among the new generation of fiction writers. There were also issues with the use of pidgin and how it is received by Western readers. One commentator commended his ability to draw his reader into whatever subject matter or locale he wrote about unlike others who wrote from ‘outside’. Another wanted to know Habila’s writing routine.

In response, Mr. Habila acknowledged that exaggeration was an intrinsic part of every creative writer’s license and noted that historical accuracy should not be the duty of fiction but history. He would not jettison pidgin English in dialogue where realism warrants it like when penning lines from the lips of a Lagos bus conductor. He was cautious with accepting the compliments about being embedded in his subjects preferring to ask the admirer to just wait for his coming novel on the Niger Delta before concluding the matter.

He further harped on the necessity for avid reading as the mother of good writing. He was all for having a writing routine and enough discipline to safeguard the creative space from Nigeria’s myriad challenges. He should know, having written Waiting For An Angel amidst Lagos’ stresses and epileptic electricity. He disclosed that he didn’t go into writing to make money but as a natural progression from admiring the narratives thrown up by society. He opined that every good writing whether home-bound or from outside would eventually get recognised on merit.

The richly rewarding event would not end before AWF Founder-President, Dr Emman Shehu, came forward to announce there were freebies to be given out. Immediately, a lucky dip was organised to give away 10 quality new books to as many winners. Gifts were presented to the day’s chairman, Ambassador Saidu S. Pindar, Chairman of the Nigeria-Sao Tome and Principe Joint Development Authority, who was represented by Mr. Ejimofor Agbachi. The day ended with book signings with a modest bee line of those who had bought his very affordable novels taking turns for autographs and then a photo session.

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