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The recently concluded 2024 Port Harcourt Poetry Festival is not one creative and spoken word lovers will forget quickly. The festival featured poetry slams, thought-provoking workshops, panel discussions, and performances.
For three days at The Azny Place, this year’s edition lived up to its billing as an integral force in the Nigerian literary space, attracting an impressive roster of poets, writers, and lovers.
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Under the theme “Bridging The Gap,” the festival celebrated established voices and fresh, exciting talents.
The weekend started with an energetic opening ceremony graced by Professor Ibiere Ken-Maduako and poets Gold Eugene, Kimora, Feelix Sam, Nweke Emmanuel, and more.
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By day two, a series of panel discussions and book chats were set in motion with several professionals in the literary field.
The event wasn’t just about watching from the sidelines as attendees and young poets got their hands dirty in workshops that covered everything from refining your poetic flow to book publishing and the essentials of performance in poetry. From Pariolodo to Dami Ajayi to Delight Olumati and many more, there was no shortage of informative discussions and creative explorations.
Unfiltered Creativity
At the Festival Poetry Slam brought to life with the partnership of Nigeria LNG Limited, contestants battled for the winning title.
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The prize of N 200,000 naira was eventually won by Justice Amakiri, a talented spoken word artist who often uses powerful objects and props to evoke sensation in his performances.
Book prizes were also offered to the High Schools Poetry Slam contestants, courtesy of Bookville World.
Numerous talented poets from all over the country, including Grey Martyr, Amu Nnadi, Olalekan Ayodele, West Biokpo Joshua, Amife, Churemi, Ibrahim Babatunde, and more, headlined this event. They each performed poems on the festival theme of creating a link between generations of creatives yet unborn and those currently striving for exponential growth.
Grey Martyr mainly dealt with the subject of a country secure enough for creatives to live safely and express themselves unapologetically, which alluded to Amife’s poetic performance on the consequences and aftermaths of the country’s national atmosphere.
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“We truly believe our activities will help foster an enabling environment for creative expressions across the nation,” said Ken-Adele Marvellous Oruchi, Festival Director. “Building capacity and developing talents who will go on to take advantage of the numerous opportunities in the global creative economy.”
With more poets, energy, and creativity than ever, organisers said they are already gearing up for an even bigger and bolder festival in 2025.
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