Osofisan installed as 2016 Thalia laureate

Professor Femi Osofisan being given the award

Nigerian’s foremost playwright, scholar and literary giant, Professor Femi Osofisan has been formally inducted as the winner of the prestigious Thalia Award by the UNESCO global partner in the performing Arts- the International Association of Theatre Critics.

The event, which was attended by over 150 world authorities in theatre criticism from 66 countries took place on Tuesday 27th September, 2016 at about 3:00pm Nigeria time, in the German Embassy to Serbia.

The Nigeria Ambassador to Serbia and the German Ambassador to Serbia led the cream of the international community who witnessed the glamorous event.

Osofisan has by the feat become the first African to be so recognized by the respected Thalia Award committee. The Thalia Award is a unique professional honour next only to the Nobel Prize for literature, which Nigeria also won in 1986

A cross section of audience at the award presentation

Unlike the situation where a prophet is not recognized in his home, enroute Belgrade to be installed as a Thalia laureate, the African continent had her opportunity to showcase Femi Osofisan as its leading dramatist through an impressive ceremony in Egypt.

On the 20 September, he was honored as one of the icons of African Theatre at the 2016 edition of the Cairo International Festival for Contemporary and Experimental Theatre.

Osofisan’s award in Cairo, Egypt

This also came few months after the Pan African Writers Association honored Osofisan for his contributions to literary development of the African continent.

Osofisan in his acceptance speech as Thalia laureate thanked the organizers for the life changing honour that has shifted global attention to African Theatre and literature, which he believed has a lot more to offer humanity and the emerging global knowledge economy.

Comments

Pope not involved in Colombian peace deal- Vatican

Pope Francis Pope Francis has turned down a request to play a role in the peace deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group. The Vatican in a statement issued on Wednesday in in Vatican City said that an invitation was sent to his Holiness in early August to appoint a representative to participate in the committee that selected the judges for the talks. The statement said that though Pope Francis supported the peace process, he, however, reiterated that he would not get involved in Colombian peace deal. It said that Pope was praying for the enlightenment of the hearts and minds of those who were called to promote the common good of the Colombian nation. A deal was announced last week, putting an end to five decades of internal conflict between government forces and the FARC rebels. The agreement, which needed to be ratified through a referendum in Oct. 2, would entail setting up a special court to grant amnesties or pu...

Houthis Claim Attack on Central Israel in Response to Gaza ‘Massacres’

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has taken a concerning regional turn as the Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for an attack on central Israel. The group announced this as part of their escalating response to what they describe as "massacres" in Gaza amid the Israeli military’s operations in the strip. Details of the Attack The Houthis, a Shiite militant group with ties to Iran, declared that they launched missile and drone strikes targeting Israel. While the exact impact of these attacks remains unclear, reports suggest that Israel’s defense systems intercepted several threats over its airspace. This marks a significant escalation as the Houthis widen their involvement in the conflict beyond their typical operations within Yemen and neighboring Saudi Arabia. The Houthis’ Justification In their statement, the Houthis framed the attack as retaliation for Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which they characterized as indiscriminate bombings resultin...

Fall of Assad is a Blow to Russia's Prestige

The potential fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a long-standing ally of Russia, would mark a turning point in Moscow’s global influence, particularly in the Middle East. Steve Rosenberg’s analysis underscores the profound implications for Russia, which has invested heavily—both militarily and politically—in ensuring Assad’s survival over the past decade. This article delves into why Assad’s downfall would strike at the core of Russian prestige and what it could mean for the broader geopolitical landscape. Russia's Strategic Commitment to Syria Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Russia has been a staunch supporter of Assad's regime. In 2015, Moscow launched a military intervention that proved decisive in stabilizing Assad’s hold on power. This intervention solidified Russia's role as a key power broker in the Middle East and demonstrated its willingness to project military power far beyond its borders. Syria is not just an ally for Russia; it is a...

Global Naija Info

Search This Blog