Anthony Itopa Obaro, from Lokoja, says that the Babishai 2017 haiku shortlist is an array of breathtaking haiku that speaks volumes of the imaginative powers of its authors. He further says that he loves the oems just as much as he loves egusi soup. #Babishai2017
What drew you to enter for the competition?
I felt that by participating in the competition of this magnitude, my writing could stand a chance of enjoying wide readership, If I did well.
Do you have a particular personal story with haiku?
Yeah. I have been writing since my teens, but knew nothing about haiku until last year when I read the interview Agyei-Baah granted with Babishai Niwe on haiku. I developed interest in haiku since then, and have been writing haiku for roughly a year now.
What do you feel towards the shortlist in general?
The shortlist is an array of breathtaking haiku that speaks volumes of the imaginative powers of its authors.
What motivation do poets need to keep writing in this ridiculously competitive world that vies for their attention?
Writing isn’t likely to fetch all writers much money, for sure. But, I suppose, the writer’s passion to write, and the prospect of his writing enjoying a measure of readership are the two main factors that ensure his pen is busy every other day.
If your 2017 submission was food, what would it be?
Wow! Maybe pounded yam and egusi soup. I love this Nigerian delicacy as much as I love my poems on the shortlist.
Read his haikus here:
harmattan
unseen broom sweeping
everywhere
downpour
waterfalls from rooftops
pouring into buckets
We at Babishai, congratulate him again. The winners will be announced at the #Babishai2017 Poetry Festival dinner on Sunday 6 August at Humura Resort, Kitante Close. Cards are on sale at 40,000/- Call +256 703147862. The full festival programme is here.
The full winning haikus are here:
http://bnpoetryaward.blogspot.ug/2017/07/the-babishai-2017-haiku-shortlist.html