Africa
MARITIME Writes Project, a not-for-profit initiative, has trained 26 people on writing maritime fiction, an official said on Thursday.
The Founder and Coordinator, Maritime Writes Project, Mrs Ezinne Azunna, said in a statement that the training was an annual creative project aimed at training members of the public, especially women, on writing maritime fiction.
Azunna said that the 26 people, who came from various parts of Lagos State, would focus on writing children’s storybooks with maritime themes.
According to her, the 2022 creative writing project was fashioned to increase public awareness of environmental issues in the maritime industry through writing of children’s storybooks.
“The three-day creative writing training workshop developed participants’ capacities on the rudiments of creative writing.
“Critical stakeholders, who also accepted to be industry mentors at the Maritime Writes Project, presented the true picture of things, urging the budding writers to focus on the themes.
“The maritime literature theme was ”Climate Change, Marine Plastics Pollution, and the Rising Sea Level,” she said.
Dr Taiwo Nolas-Alausa, a member of the organisation, urged the participants to be dedicated to establishing a new order in marine literature.
He noted that the 2022 edition addressed environmental causes critical to the maritime industry and human life.
“Nigeria ranked ninth globally in plastic waste generation and sixth least-ready country to adapt to climate change.
“The writing clinic will produce fiction that will educate children on the subjects of environmental degradation,” he said.
He said that the best entries from Maritime Writes Projects 2022 would be published alongside nine outstanding works selected from the 2021 edition.
Dr Adegbite Tobalase, an Associate Professor and Dean of Languages and Literary Studies at Adeleke University, Ede, commended the quality of lectures and the enthusiasm of participants at the training.
Tobalase, also Head, Creative Writing Review and Editing Panel, Maritime Writes Project, said that the participants would write and submit children stories of a minimum of 10,000 words bordering on the theme while depicting the maritime sector
Some maritime industry mentors at the event are Abia Commissioner for Transport, Chief Godswill Nwanoruo; Manager, Lagos Port Complex, Mrs Olufunmilayo Olotu; Deputy Director, Pollution Control and Environmental Health at the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Mrs Olabimpe Adenaike; and the Director, International Ocean Institute Nigeria, Dr Bamikole Williams. (NAN)
A.I
Tags: Chief Godswill Nwanoruo Dr Adegbite Tobalase Dr Taiwo Nolas-Alausa Mrs Ezinne Azunna Mrs Olabimpe Adenaike Mrs Olufunmilayo Olotu
