Celebrating Abubakar Adam Ibrahim

I am married to his young son and his wife is my mother-in-law. That clearly makes Abubakar Adam Ibrahim award winning author, literary journalist and entertainment editor, my father-in-law. Too young you might say but as Father-in-laws go, I am set to benefit from the $100,000 prize Adam Ibrahim just won for all of us in Abuja. His book Seasons of crimson blossom won the 2016 coveted NLNG prize for literature. Often times the Nigerian literati believe that successful and good Nigerian writers reside only in Lagos or Port Harcourt. Abuja has recently been shattering myths and misconceptions and leading the way are the pair of Abubakar Adam Ibrahim and El-Nathan John. The literary trajectory of Adam Ibrahim and his good friend El-Nathan shows hard work, focus and determination.

Abubakar and I go way back to 2007 when I started a two year literary tour of the nation with my first book In The Blink Of An Eye. Abubakar sought me out, followed the journey of the book and thrice over a period of two years interviewed me for his page. But more than anything else Abubakar sets the tone for the literati in a must read, literary pull out every Sunday in the Trust Newspapers where he is Art and Entertainment Editor and continues to raise the bar in literary journalism. The shortlist for this year’s prize was incredibly fierce and had both El Nathan John and Abubakar Ibrahim on it, but the prize went to Ibrahim. According to the Chairman of the Advisory board, Emeritus Professor Ayo Banjo, Ibrahim’s novel Season of Crimson Blossoms emerged winner from among 172 other entries. Professor Banjo surmised that “It was a strong field this year. The shortlisted entries were very strong and the board had no difficulty in accepting the recommendation of the panel of judges, considering the subject matter and competent manner in which Ibrahim demonstrated the execution of his work.” He added that the book had “a skilful and sympathetic narrative”.

Ibrahim who has been pushing the literary boundaries for a long time has won several awards.

In 2014 his short story collection The Whispering trees was long listed for the inaugural etisalat prize for literature with the title story shortlisted for the Caine prize for African writing. He has also won the BBC African performance prize and the ANA Plateau/Amatu Braide prize for prose. Ibrahim is a 2013 Gabriel Garcia Marquel fellow and a Gintella Ranieri fellow (2015). His literary ascendancy has earned him a position as mentor on the 2013 writivism programme and he also judged the Writivism short story prize in 2014. The award winning author was included in the Africa 36 anthology of the most promising Sub-Saharan African writers under the age of 40.

In 2017, Ibrahim would take up the 2016 Goethe- Institut and Sylt foundation African writers residency award. This is where it is fitting to wish Ibrahim many more literary caps to his already well plumed hat.

With a BA in Mass Communication from the University of Jos, this blazing literary star has assiduously combined journalism and literature in the most admirable way. In an interview with Sunday Trust, Ibrahim gives an inkling on the juxtaposition between journalism and writing fiction.

“Ever since I was a kid and when I turned eighteen, I had always known for certain I would be a writer. Being a journalist was a means to an end. So I always knew what I wanted to do and set out to do it and I am always clear about the boundaries and limitations imposed on both. So yes, I will like to think my writing style is different from my journalism style. But one influences the other inevitably because they are in a way compatible”.

Now to the real issues. While we celebrate you and add all manners of accolades to your bag of praises, its time as a family to discuss the $100,000 prize. How much is your daughter in law entitled Ibrahim?

Congratulations to a worthy Father-in-law. Everyone should go out there and get Seasons of crimson blossoms. It’s a great read.

Eugenia Abu