…as Group calls attention to Nigerian maritime heritages via literary exploits
The 3rd edition of Maritime Writes Project is scheduled to commence in few weeks as hundreds of Nigerian youths will be tutored for free to become excellent writers even as they are exposed to the nation’s rich maritime heritage.
According to the organisers, the event will hold in three locations in Nigeria; Lagos, Osun, and Rivers States with participants slated to visit the Tin Can Island Port and Apapa Port in Lagos; the famous Osun Grove; as well as some maritime assets in Bonny, Rivers State.
The Maritime Writes Project will be holding in Lagos at the LCCI Conference Centre, Ikeja on August 10th, 11th and 12th, 2023; while Osun State is scheduled for August 20th, 21st & 22nd 2023 at Adeleke University, Ede; and the Rivers State edition is slated for August 25th and 26th, 2023 in Bonny, 9am daily at all centres.
In order to qualify for the 2023 Creative Writing Boot Camp, applicants are expected to submit a 250-word entry essay on MARITIME HERITAGES with the deadline slated for July 31, 2023. Interested participants in LAGOS & OSUN can register on https://forms.gle/re4LCRe4oavBT2ea7 while those in BONNY are expected to register using https://forms.gle/vpriWeQzJnoWT5dBA.
Speaking ahead of the event, the Project Coordinator, Ezinne Azunna expressed optimism that the 2023 edition and consequent works from participants will showcase real time maritime heritages that can be found in locations where the trainings will hold.
Her words: “Interested participants are expected to send in an entry essay and following selection by our faculty, they can join our highly intensive Creative Writing Boot Camp at either of the venues.”
“Besides the training, participants have the chance of interacting with captains of industry who will serve as mentors during the training. We also offer each participant an opportunity of becoming published authors as the best five works from each state will be selected for publishing.”
While revealing that the literary works will be published in a compendium to be exhibited locally and internationally across maritime outings, she announced that the best 18 projects from 2021-2022 participants are currently being published into a compendium of maritime fiction.
The Maritime Writes Project is a Creative Writing programme that trains and guides children, youths, men and women within Nigeria to author fiction that are set within maritime communities/industry and convey themes from the sector. An initiative by Media Traction, owners of Maritime TV Africa, this project debuted in 2021 with 21 participants making it to the first four-day creative writing boot camp.
The Maritime Writes Project Faculty insists that while Africa has constantly produced world-class authors, less than one percent of available works of literature have maritime/marine themes, and so, driving early exposure to literature with maritime themes can influence the career choices of children, with many unconsciously nursing career dreams in maritime professions and offer the industry in Africa exposure and leverage.