Mak Associate Professor of Literature Susan Nalugwa Kiguli was on August 18, 2022 appointed as the international consultant/ Judge for the Nigeria Prize for Literature 2022 Edition of Africa's most prestigious prize for literary.
Kiguli was approved and appointed on the directives of the Advisory Board for The Nigeria Prize for Literature, a three-person panel, chaired by Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo.
Kiguli described her appointment as an honor and expressed excitement looking forward to identifying poetic talents in Nigeria.
“I am deeply honoured and privileged to have been appointed the international Judge for the Nigeria Prize for Literature 2022 whose focus is the genre of poetry. Besides this prize being an outstanding one in Africa, this year's focus is on poetry which is one of my life's passions.
I am extremely excited to be part of the process of recognizing current poetic talent in Nigeria given that recognition for poets within Africa is not a frequent activity.
This is even more significant for me that I have been recognized as capable of selecting worthy talent deserving of such a prestigious prize within Africa in a year when my alma mater and work place Makerere University is celebrating a 100 years of existence and so recognition of our skills and work is part of the endorsement that even at a 100 , we are still building for the future”
She commented.
The Nigeria Prize for Literature sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited was established in 2004 to bring authors to public attention and celebrate literary accomplishments in Nigeria. Since its inception, Nigerian writers at home and in the diaspora have competed passionately for the prize,
Over the years, the list of laureates has grown to include names such as Gabriel Okara and Professor Ezenwa Ohaeto (joint winners, 2005); Ahmed Yerima (2006); Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo (current Chairman of Advisory Board) and Mabel Segun (joint winners, 2007); Kaine Agary (2008); Esiaba Irobi (2010); Adeleke Adeyemi with the pen name Mai Nasara (2011); Chika Unigwe (2012); Tade Ipadeola (2013), Sam Ukala (2014), Abubakar Ibrahim (2016) and Ikeogu Oke (2017) and Soji Cole (2018) and Jude Idada (2019).
Due to COVID-19, entries for 2020, which was on Prose Fiction, were moved over to 2021.
This year, the genre in focus is Poetry.
“The Advisory Board is confident that your contribution will impact this year's competition positively and help produce a worthy winner. You are by this letter, appointed to work independently to classify the final shortlist of three books which would be selected by the panel of three eminent judges, including Professor Sule Egya Emmanuel (Chairman), Dike Chukwumerije, and Mrs Toyin AdewaleGabriel”, Part of the appointment letter reads.
Terms of Reference
Subject to her acceptance of this appointment, the following will constitute Prof. Kigulis terms of reference:
• The Panel of Judges (2022) would read through and produce a shortlist of 20, 11 and 3 books, respectively.
• Receive the three final entries from the Advisory Board, a month to the last
• meeting - where the panel of judges chooses the winning entry.
• Expected to read through and objectively assess them and select a winning entry
• at least two weeks to the last meeting of the Advisory Board (i.e. on/before September 15, 2022).
• Evaluate the scope, maturity and integrity of writing, depth of vision, thematic engagement, and general contribution of the works to the field of literature.
• Where her choice does not agree with the adjudged winning entry, she will be invited
• to further deliberate with the Panel of Judges.
• A detailed report expected, clearly indicating the winning entry with justification and include general observations on submissions and anything else that may help promote reading, writing, and publishing.
• Together with the Panel of Judges are not bound to announce a winner if they do not find any of the submissions worthy of the award.
• The award should not be awarded for any other reason but excellence.
• An honorarium will be paid at the the end of the exercise.
• The judging shall be demonstrably fair, open, and transparent. Nigeria LNG Limited places accent on the highest ethics and expects that this will guide adjudication.
• The prize sponsors, Nigeria LNG Limited, shall serve as the secretariat and facilitate the prize's administration.
Makerere staff applaud Kiguli
A section of Makerere staff on reading the news congratulated Assoc. Prof. Sarah Kiguli describing the win as deserving one.
Oh Great! Said CHUSS Principal, Prof. Josephine Ahikire
The Director, Directorate of Graduate Research and Training Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza wrote,
“I have always known that literary excellence is all about you at MAK. Congrats Prof Susan Kiguli, you are and remain a star Professor in this field. You and your Literature work have always been beyond our expectations and have contributed significantly to our journey of success as an elite African University. Your fresh perspectives, your objectivity, and your superior literary skills that helps us to stay ahead of our competitors (Ibadan, SA cluster of elite Universities etc). Your dedication towards delivering high-quality output in every international assignment is truly commendable. Thank you for the effort and diligence that you put into your work every single day. May you continue to inspire us for many years to come!” Mukadsi Buyinza
Dr. Faridah Katushemererwe said, “Congratulations Dr. Susan Kiguli for the international recognition. Your prowess in poetry is in the skies. The seeds you have sown are spouting and growing in all corners of my vicinity, to the extent that even at wedding functions, we are "treated" with poems! Thank you our Wordsmith, congs once again”,
Hi Susan, At times I call you Your Excellency, (you know those circles) and now I take this opportunity to heartly congratulate you on this great achievement and pray that God lifts you to even higher grounds in His mighty name. Amen”, Joan Kakongoro wrote
“Congratulations to Dr Kiguli, as We Build for the Future”Said David Bakibinga
“Congratulations Assoc. Prof. Susan Kiguli, This is a well-deserved one! Keep flying”
Florence Ebila wrote.
“Dear Sue,Congratulations!!!!! I wish you all the best my sister.,” Grace Kibanja
“Congratulations to our very own Associate Prof Kiguli. May God bless you and use you. Esezah Kakudidi
“Hearty congratulations Susan. May God be praised for this appointment?” Saul Nsubuga posted.
About Susan Kiguli
Susan Nalugwa Kiguli is an academic and poet. She is an Associate Professor and served as Head of the Department of Literature, Makerere University (March 2012- July 2016). She holds a PhD in English from The University of Leeds (UK) sponsored by the Commonwealth Scholarship Scheme. She also has a Masters of Letters in Literary Linguistics from the University of Strathclyde, (UK), Masters of Arts (Literature) and a B.A. Education degree both from Makerere University, Uganda. She is the African Studies Association Presidential Fellow, 2011 and this presented her with an opportunity to read her poetry at the Library of Congress, Washington DC in November, 2011. She has also held the American Council of Learned Societies/ African Humanities Fellowship, 2010-2011 sponsored by Carnegie Corporation of New York, and as part of the fellowship, she was a researcher in Residence at the Centre for Humanities Research at the University of Western Cape, South Africa. Her research interests fall mainly in the area of Oral and Written African Poetry, Popular Song and Performance Theory. She has served as the chairperson of FEMRITE, Uganda Women Writers’ Association.
She currently serves on the Advisory Board for the African Writers Trust (AWT) and on the board of the Eastern African Literary and Cultural Studies Conference Series.
Her first volume of poetry, THE AFRICAN SAGA (1998) situated her among the most exciting poets from Eastern and Southern Africa. The volume won the National Book Trust of Uganda Poetry Award (1999) and made literary history in Uganda by selling out in less than a year. Her poetry has appeared widely in journals and anthologies both nationally and internationally. Her second collection of poetry HOME FLOATS IN A DISTANCE/ZUHAUSE TREIBT IN DER FERNE( GEDICHTE) is a bilingual edition in English and German (2012). A critic of poetry herself, she has written on Ugandan poetry, oral performance and the position of women writers in African literature.
She has also served on the panel of judges for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize (African Region, 1999). She also served as one of the regional coordinators for the Women Writing Africa Project (Eastern region, 1999-2000) She was on the Board of Advisors for Beyond Borders: A Festival of Contemporary African Writing (Interaction Event) British Council, Uganda), 2005. She was a special participant in the Yorkshire Professional Development for Writers of African and Asian Descent-INSCRIBE (2005-2006) Project initiated by Arts Council England, Yorkshire in partnership with Peepal Tree Press in Leeds. She was a Commonwealth Researcher in residence at the University of Natal from Sept 2001-February 2002. She attended the Summer Institute on Contemporary American Literature, 2008 at the University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA. She was a Poet in Residence at the Siftung Kunst: Raum Sylt Quelle, Germany between October- November, 2008.
She has appeared twice as guest poet at the Poetry Africa Festival in Kwazulu –Natal among other literature festivals. She was also among three African Poets who not only performed before the former President of Germany, His Excellency Horst Kohler in 2008 at the International Literature Festival Berlin but was also honoured as one of the poets to appear in his book on Africa entitled SCHISKAL AFRIKA, 2010. She was the chief convener for both “Celebrating Ugandan Writing: Okot p’Bitek’s Song of Lawino at 50 Symposium” 18th March, 2016 and “The 2nd Eastern African Literary and Cultural Studies Conference”, 20th-22nd August, 2015, held at Makerere University.
She was also part of the organising committee for the Professor David Rubadiri Memorial Symposium at Makerere University on 12th October, 2018 and was the Co-Chair for the Celebrating Wangusa@80 event, Makerere University, 8th July, 2022 as part of the Makerere @100 celebrations.
She participated in the Afrowomen Poetry Project founded by the Italian journalist Antonella Sinopoli. She has recently been interviewed by Dr. Gilbert Ndi Shang for the Columbian National Library African Literature Programme. She has also been appointed as a member on the Peer Review Panel for the Department of English under the policy for Quality Assurance and Enhancement at Stellenbosch University, 2022.