BlankPaperz partners with the first Ibom International Art & Book Festival as sponsor
This year, we’re proud to be part of the Ibom International Art and Book Festival as one of the sponsors of the event. IBOM International Art and Book Festival will bring more than 2000 writers
Ibrahim Mohammed: This is me
BlankPaperz Short Piece contest longlist I’ve always admired people who have all the confidence in the world. People who are not afraid of a crowd or not afraid to say what’s on their minds without any hesitation. I’ve fought every single day to become that person. As a young child, my mother made it clear to me that in a selfish world, the smart ones succeed. As humans, the idea of being competitive and wanting a better life, runs through our veins. How we achieve this relies solely on us. My dream is to become a legitimate business entrepreneur, but getting there is no easy task. I wish to take advice from people who have been there and are thriving and hopefully, this will work out for me. On the other hand, if it does not, this does not mean my dream is over. It simply means I need to…
Joshua Omale: A Person that Impacts Lives
BlankPaperz Short Piece Contest longlist One of the complexities of our frail frame is the problem of finding ourselves, knowing who we really are and what we are specifically here to do. This problem of identity has made a lot of people ⏤ young people especially ⏤ to run ‘kitikiti‘ in search of answers. In the process, purpose is replaced with ambition and material abundance. In the end, they do not become the perfect versions of themselves and do not fully maximize their inert potential. Instead, they become what society says they are. I go love be that person I was originally meant to be ⏤ one that should impact lives. With this understanding, I will not pursue my ambition as one that is seeking personal comfort and fame which could be at the expense of anything and anyone. I’ll rather channel my time, energy, skills, talent and resources into…
Ugo Anna Ude: The person I go like be
BlankPaperz Short Piece Contest longlist The person I go like be tie many gele—remember Boy Alinko for Papa Ajasco and im many specs? Na so I wan make my eyes see the world and make people for world take see me. Multidimensional but all the colours align for one person head; one centre. The person wey I go like be na woman wey hold ground for many places. Professor, advocate for people with disabilities and education for children in educationally-disadvantaged communities, woman wey dey criticize African and Nigerian literature make people for obodoyibo take know the true story for wetin happen for we country as we take write am. The person wey I go like be don dey knock for my head since. The professor na since grandmama call me ogomodiri, “human being wey dem born to read book” (my head kuku dey inside there every time). Everything: my dreams,…
Kelechi Alpheaus: The person I go love be
BlankPaperz Short Piece Contest longlist “He don smile” Mama shouted. “Sophy, Junior don finally smile”. The excitement in her voice faded into choking stutters with each repetition of those words until she was wailing. I could see why she broke down into tears. It was only 4 months since Pa died, and 3 months since the baby came. Junior never cried or smiled. It was like he understood the situation of the family. But today he smiled and the brightness of his smile resonated with the beauty that was my father. Mama tried to stop him that day. “No go dat place Ade, you no dey hear word” were her last words to him. He smiled, his dimples deeper than ever, like they knew they would never have another chance, “I no be coward, I dey do dis tin for Sophy and our unborn children, you wan make I dey…
Mantuie Emenyi: The person I go love be…
BlankPaperz Short Piece Contest longlist I go love be artist or photographer. E get some kind things wey people no dey see because dem dey distracted. With my paint and brush or camera, people fit see beauty in ordinary things. I go love be accountant. I want to chill with the big boys, follow dey in charge of the money wey dey flow for their account. I go love be politician as per Madam President. I like the idea of having legitimate power and being in charge of people. I go love be actor. I dey like entertain people, make them just dey happy forget their wahala. I go love be Mathematics teacher. I wan make my students dey see topics like circle theorem as if e be simple addition. “It makes me laugh now. It’s as if I wanted to be everything.” When I bin pikin, I dey talk…
Oluwatobi Akinola: The person I go love be
BlankPaperz Short Piece Contest longlist A change maker for the less privileged kids.Person wey get mouth wey go fit ensure say children wey dey less privileged get opportunities to actualize their dreams. An Early Childhood Educator.Person wey go fit nuture children wey them put under her care, wey be say the children go get adequate care and attention when their parents no dey around. An Early Years Photographer.Person wey go help parents keep track of their pikin growth right from when them get belle until the last years of their Early Childhood (0-8years). An Early Childhood AuthorPerson wey go dey write engaging and interesting books for children. My Love for children has been an inspiration for me. It has influenced my choice of course and it has also built my passion to make amazing inventories for children. I go like be person wey dey intentional about the holistic development of…
Ebuka Okonkwo: A ruptured dream
I was envious of the fact that he felt smaller around her. He was physically taller and bigger than both of us…
Precious Dada: Wonder Woman
Precious is a creative writer and narrative illustrator with over 3 years of experience. She is skilled with words and painting mental imagery through narration.
Debby Jones: The Person I go love be
BlankPaperz Short Piece Contest longlist ‘Na money be fine bobo’, a popular saying that got me into this mess. Now, this fine bobo don get moni e no con dey funny. You know while growing up, everyone had a profession they admired and seemingly pursued, even though it might have changed at one point or another whether willfully or painfully, somehow it changed. But I was part of the ‘unfortunate’ dullards with no ambition. While our mates were singing ”standard livingstandard living…” We made a mockery of them and called them ‘sandal Jelili’ (Jelili’s sandals) which makes no sense right? But, now I know the difference. The strive of being a ‘fine bobo’, the struggle for cash, the battle of fitting into a social space I didn’t keep has stolen my prized possessions; Purpose which I never pursued, the love of a mother who struggled to give me the education…
Toyosi Falese: The person I go love be
BlankPaperz Short Piece Contest longlist The kind world wey I dey, nobody wants to be true to anybody. Imagine my roommate wey be confirm Christian for house come school come become runs girl and she still dey post church programmes for WhatsApp. The world just full with fake people. Person wey soak garri yesterday go dey talk say na shawarma hin chop. Person wey no get shishi for account go dey talk say hin get millions. Person wey borrow clothes wear go dey shakara for the person wey wear hin poor clothes. Even the person wey never make any dime from copywriting sef go dey gather people, collect their money say hin wan teach them how to make billions as copywriters. Make person tell me, where we dey go sef? The person I go love be na the person wey true. The person wey no dey ashame of hin present…
Winners and long list of BlankPaperz Short Piece Contest announced
Congratulations to the winners of the BlankPaperz Short Piece Contest. We shared the prompt: “In 100-200 words only, write a short piece on ‘the person I go love be‘,” and in just over 2 weeks we received 602 entries! The contest was open to any young person living in Nigeria, as we hoped to see how creative young people can be in coming up with provocative writing of 200 words or less, while also putting thoughts into their own lives and future aspirations. Following this, all participants are invited to an exclusive morning session on the 2nd of April, 10 AM GMT+1 with renowned author and changemaker, Hammed Kayode Alabi, who is featured in Z’axis Magazine and will be sharing the lessons life has taught him in 5 years. The session will be facilitated by the inspiring young changemaker, Jemimah Jones, and is supported by Teens Going for Gold Network. Meet…
Thelma Ideozu: How the Nigerian educational system doesn’t breed confident graduates
He had smiled at me, as one might smile at a toddler, and said quite frankly, “A is for God and B is for me” ⏤ which was his witty way of saying that I’d be lucky to even get a C in the exam.