Priorities

Two years ago, I bought a phone I loved. It took lovely pictures and I did a great deal of work on it, but the disc space was small and it filled up quickly. Issues began when the charger got stolen. Due to my tight schedule, I kept moving the day I would transfer data through some other means forward, as I could not use the charging port, till the phone went off and never came back on. I lost data. Based on professional advice and my observation, I decided that the solution was to get a phone with sufficient space.

I used another phone I didn’t really like but got one I loved in December 2019. Pretty phone with all the space I needed - 32 GB ram and 16 GB memory card, perfect for me. All my platforms were up and I worked comfortably without my laptop, sure it would not fill up quickly. Guess what? It was stolen in the most horrible way and I was heartbroken, I cried like a baby. How could I get back works, proposals, photos from past events and the last road trip with my kids? I traveled a lot between December and March and went without my laptop because I knew my phone would suffice. I lost it all. I got my dream phone with ample space but my problem was not solved. I still lost it all. What a loss!

THE 2020 Redefiners Writing Challenge for Children: Lockdown Edition

The Redefiners Writing Challenge (RWC) is a creative opportunity aimed at encouraging young people to express themselves through writing. RWC will identify, harness and showcase the gift of writing in young Nigerians. This will boost their confidence, help them communicate better and appreciate other stories they read, while instilling in them the desire to do something worthwhile with their words. Children who write discover themselves early, they believe they have something to say; a good foundation for becoming powerful leaders for the future.

This year, it will be implemented in partnership with Chowilson, Pulchra Publishing and The Bookworm Cafe, giving preteens and teens an opportunity to share their views on the lockdown experience. The theme is ‘My Ideal Lockdown Experience’. It will provide them with an opportunity to express themselves while promoting their adherence to WHO’s precautionary measures.

Categories

Preteen Writers: Ages 9-12

Teen Writers: Ages 13-16

Prizes

• First, second and third place winners will receive cash prizes ( N50,000, N30,000 and N20,000 respectively).
• The top 20 stories will be included in the 2020 Redefiners Writing Challenge Anthology (Lockdown Edition).
• Twenty finalists will participate in an online writing masterclass/interactive session

Eligibility Criteria

• Authors must be within the specified age groups (above) as at 30th June, 2020.
  Submission of birth certificates is mandatory for this reason.
• Entries must be submitted on or before the deadline – 30th June, 2020. Late
  submissions will not be accepted.
• Participants must be Nigerian citizens
• Only entries submitted in line with the guidelines below will be considered.

Submission Guidelines

● All entries have to be original works of fiction, not previously published, 500 words minimum and 900 words maximum. Authors should ensure their stories interpret the theme correctly.

● Only one entry will be accepted per child

● Entries should be in PDF format, typed and double-spaced with a cover page that has the story title and word count. Entries should be saved with the title, not the author’s name (authors’ names will be filled on registration forms which also have story titles for easy tracking).

● At least one of WHO’s COVID-19 precautionary measures should be used in the story

● To participate, fill in your details here, pay your entry fee of N1,000 here and send attached copies of your story (as requested) and birth certificate to submissions@omonefe.com or redefinersph@gmail.com. Birth certificates should be sent in JPEG or GIF.

Announcement of Winners and Closing Events

The long list, comprising of top 20 authors and their stories, will be published by 31st July. 

An interactive session which includes a writing masterclass, will be held for the top 20 finalists on the 1st of August, 2020.

The top three winners, per category, will be named at the closing ceremony on the 8th of August 2020.

All 20 finalists will get a copy of the anthology after it is published.