Education

Booker Prize 2021 Shortlist: ‘Absorbing Global Stories Of Life And Death’

Booker Prize 2021 shortlist: ‘Absorbing global stories of life and death’

Novels set in Sri Lanka and South Africa, Cardiff Bay and the outer cosmos are among those to have been nominated for this year’s Booker Prize.

The chair of the judges said choosing the six “immersive” books had felt “transporting in a year when so many of us have been confined to home”.

The list includes three American writers and, for the second year in a row, only one British author.

The longlisted authors who missed out included Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro.

The novelists who did make the cut include Pulitzer Prize-winning American writer Richard Powers and Damon Galgut, from South Africa, who has been nominated for the Booker twice before.

The prestigious British-based £50,000 award is open to any authors writing in English, and the scarcity of UK authors was “just a coincidence”, according to one judge.

“While judging the Booker Prize we look at not just what the writers are saying but how they are saying it, and therefore nationalities do not really matter,” said Chigozie Obioma, who is on the panel six years after being shortlisted twice himself.

Last year, the sole British representative, Douglas Stuart, went on to win. This year, British-Somali Nadifa Mohamed is nominated for her third novel The Fortune Men.

The nominees in full:

Anuk Arudpragasam – A Passage North. In his second novel, the Sri Lankan author explores the lasting effects of the trauma and violence of his country’s civil war, and a past love affair. “We felt that he was taking on with great seriousness this question of, how can you grasp the present, while also trying to make sense of the past?” said judge Horatia Harrod.
Damon Galgut – The Promise. The South African writer’s ninth novel follows a white family over the decades from the Apartheid era. “The ultimate question that the novel asks is, is justice – true justice – possible in this world?” Obioma said. “If it is, then what might that look like?”

Patricia Lockwood – No One Is Talking About This. This is the first novel by the American poet and memoirist. It follows a woman catapulted to social media fame, told using what Booker judge Rowan Williams described as the “unpromising medium of online prattle”. When reality impinges on this online existence, it ends up being a story “with intense, emotional energy and truthfulness”, he said.

Nadifa Mohamed – The Fortune Men. Mohamed was born in Somaliland and raised in Britain, and her book is set in the docks of post-war Cardiff Bay. It fictionalises the story of Mahmood Mattan, a real Somali sailor who was wrongly accused of murder. “This is a story about the past that has great significance for the present,” said judging chair Maya Jasanoff.

Richard Powers – Bewilderment. The US author won the Pulitzer for his last novel The Overstory. Here, a widowed astrobiologist turns to experimental treatments to help his nine-year-old son with additional needs – and take him to other planets. It is “a clarion call for us all to wake up and realise what our minds might be truly capable of if we were less obedient to the status quo,” judge Natascha McElhone said.

Maggie Shipstead – Great Circle. Another American author, Shipstead’s third novel intertwines the stories of a daring post-war female pilot and a 21st century Hollywood actress who is trying to rescue her reputation by making a film about her. It “speaks to ever-present questions about freedom and constraints, particularly in women’s lives”, Jasanoff said.
Jasanoff explained: “Our shortlist is immersive – stories that you can get absorbed in, voices that get inside your head, which feels quite reflective of the experience of reading in lockdown.

“Our shortlist is global – in their authors and their settings – which feels transporting in a year when so many of us have been confined to home.

“And our shortlist engages with matters of life and death, which feels quite poignant and pertinent in this catastrophic year.

Education

NUC Approves 25 courses for Kogi varsity, Kabba

The National Universities Commission (NUC), the regulatory body, has approved the 25 courses presented to it by the new Kogi State University, Kabba, for its takeoff.

This development has paved the way for the commencement of students’ admission into the institution as a precursor to the start of academic activities.

The Obaro of Kabba and Chairman, Okun Area Traditional Council, His Royal Majesty, Oba Solomon Dele Owoniyi, made this known at a special Thanksgiving service held at ECWA Church, Kabba.

Oba Owoniyi said the state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, informed him that contractors were at work at the university campus to prepare it for the commencement of academic activities.

The governor, according to the traditional ruler, also gave assurance of his administration’s commitment to ensuring the smooth takeoff of the institution before the new government assumes office next month.

Towards that end, he said a special allocation of N200 million per month has been approved for the university, and that disbursement has taken off with immediate effect.

Governor Bello, the monarch said, further gave assurance of his unwavering support for the institution even after the end of his tenure.

He said the establishment of the university was the government’s well-considered answer to the yearnings of the people of Okunland for higher education.

Oba Owoniyi appealed to stakeholders to support the institution to enable it to raise its head among its peers.

He also thanked the Okun people for ensuring that peace reigned in Okunland before, during, and after the recent governorship election in the state.

Education

UNILORIN Grants 25% School Fees Discount To Staff Children

The University of Ilorin has granted a 25 per cent school fees rebate to children of its staff members.

The rebate was approved by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Egbewole, SAN, following a meeting with university-based union leaders on Thursday.

According to a tweet shared via the institution’s handle on X, the rebate seeks to cater to the staff welfare of the school.

The Registrar, Mr. Mansur Alfanla, shared the update in an interview with UNILORIN Bulletin.

The tweet stated that the VC’s decision “reflects a deep understanding of the economic challenges facing the country, and it’s a positive step towards supporting the university community.”

The tweet read in parts: “The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Egbewole, SAN, has just given a major boost to staff welfare. Following this morning’s meeting with university-based union leaders, a 25% school fees rebate has been approved for the children of University of Ilorin staff.

“To avail of this incredible opportunity, staff members are requested to check their emails and respond to the provided links between 9 a.m. today (Thursday, December 7, 2023) and noon tomorrow (Friday, December 8, 2023).”

The union leaders, including the Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities, Alex Akanmu; the Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Naheem Falowo; the Chairman, National Association of Academic Technologists, Paul Awolola; and Chairman, Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, UNILORIN Branch, Suberu Ibrahim; were instrumental in the decision-making process during the early morning meeting that began at 7:30 a.m.

The tweet further noted that the rebate applies to “officially registered biological children” which covers both freshers and returning students.”

It added that a maximum of four children of staff are eligible for the rebate.

Reacting to the development on behalf of other unions, Akanmu, recognised and commended the VC and the “entire management for this positive move”.

Education

Unilorin Announces Downward Review of School Fees for Students

Authorities of the University of Ilorin announced on Monday a downward review of charges payable by students for the 2022–2023 academic session as academic activities resumed.

The announcement of the new charges followed a series of meetings between the university’s management, led by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Abayomi Omotesho, and the Students’ Union, led by its president, Comrade Joseph Adesunkanmi Ologundudu.

The new charges range between N114,720 and N215,820 for new students and N52,700 and N91,430 for returning students, depending on their courses of study.

This reflects a significant reduction from the earlier released charges, which ranged between N138,240 and N254,640 for new students and N69,360 and N103,560 for returning students, depending on their courses of study.

The university had initially released charges on November 24, 2023, through its official social media platforms but announced a downward review on November 28, 2023, after the meeting with the students’ union leadership.

It quoted the deputy vice chancellor as saying that the university addressed the students’ concerns through dialogue to demonstrate its commitment to fostering a supportive and conducive learning environment for all members of the academic community.

In his reaction, the president of the students’ union, Comrade Ologundudu, expressed gratitude to the university management for its thoughtfulness, as reflected in the adjustment of the charges