Kola Tubosun: on the NT LitMag

Oh well, here you are. I am going to tell you about the LitMag anyway, whether you want it or not.

The project began as an email from one editor to another. But that's not what you want to know. You want to know what we do, why we do it, how often we do it, and what the relevance of all of this is. So here it is: the LitMag is our baby from Nigerianstalk.org. I am the editor, which means that I get entries from all over the continent, read them, and prepare them for publication, and then publish them. The LitMag is published every two weeks.

You asked about reception? It has been fantastic, in fact. To reach more people, we got a twitter account at @NTLitMag through which we post newly published articles, as well as other literature related information. We have also been receiving entries from all over. 

My aim for the magazine is that we one day produce another Caine Prize winner. As an editor, I am biased for contributions that challenge expectations and form. You see, one of my favourite times as an undergraduate was sneaking into creative writing classes taught then by Professor Niyi Osundare. I wasn't registered for the class, but I was interested in getting an idea of what guys were writing during those times. The class was about poetry, and I learnt a lot. More importantly, I gained a better appreciation for variation in form and style. When I publish poem or prose on the LitMag, I am looking for work that give me that level of literary satisfaction.

So far we've published Kolade Ajayi, Richard Ali, Efe Okogu, Benson Eluma, Rotimi Babatunde, Dami Ajayi, Emanuel Iduma, Temitayo Olofinlua, Anja Choon, Olumide Abimbola, Peter Akinlabi, Temie Giwa, Ikhide Ikheloa, Teju Cole, and a number of authors some of whose names you haven't even heard before. It's true. Check out our back issues here. Again, it's important to note that the magazine is aimed at showing new work by new writers, or old writers writing in new ways. I seek poetry by authors known for prose. I seek prose from authors known for drama, etc. Something new, something fresh, something different.

So far, we've also published one tribute issue to Ify Agwu who died a couple of months ago. The next tribute issue will be for Rotimi Babatunde, the winner of this year's Caine Prize. Depending on the literary environment of the weekend when the issue is published, each edition will feature new work by new writers. Those work will include photography, poetry, prose, and plays.

There you have it. I hope this helps. You know how we do it, why we do it, and how many times we do it. You didn't ask if I think it's worth it, but the answer is yes. I like this new chance to add my voice to the literary environment of the continent.

Kola Tubosun is a linguist and fulbright scholar, editor-in-chief of the NTLitMag, online. Contributions should be sent to litmag@nigerianstalk.org