TOP YOUNG WRITERS IN KADUNA

Kaduna is not called “The citadel of learning” for joke sake. The state is also popularly referred to as”Garin Yan Boko” in Hausa. Meaning the city of the learned. It is a cosmopolitan City with a large concentration of book and knowledge loving people.

 

Kaduna is gradually rising as a hub of literary events and activities with the likes of AbuFest, Kabafest, Purplesilver Community, Yasmin El Rufai Foundation Literary evening, Ilimi house, Creative Writers Club Kongo etc. You find a great number of young writers and literary enthusiasts in these literary enclaves.

This article will highlight top ten (10) young writers in Kaduna state. These young writers are known to be a force to reckoned with, both in real life and on social media platforms. Their works go against all odds to advocate for different causes, changing the narratives, and or stereotypes present in the society.

These writers are very brave and well skilled in the art of putting words on paper that will completely move you off your feet. Their works range from poetry, essays, articles, fiction and non fiction and other genres of literature.

#10 Nabilah Alexis Usman

Twitter: @nabeelahusman

She is a good writer. She was the Yasmin El Rufai Foundation artist for the month of May, 2019. She has appeared on the cover of the Writers Space Africa Magazine for the month of July and she is also part of the writers space Africa team.

#9 Abubakar Evuti

Twitter: @ngugievuti

He is a contributor to Northern life magazine and other publications. His compelling narrations have gained him hundreds of followers. If you have not read any of his stories now is the time to do so.

#8 Angela Umoru

Twitter: @angelaumoru

She is a good story teller and doubles as a fine poet. She is also a contributor to Penprofile. She has own podcast “TwoKobos” where she addresses sociopolitical issues as they unravel.

#7 Hafsat Sule Dauda aka “escribbler”

She is a very good writer. She has dozens of stories on her Instagram account and also Wattpad. You can find her work here.

#6 Hassana Maina

Twitter: @hassan_maina

She is the president of the creative Writers Club Kongo. She is a staunch feminist and her writings clearly depicts that. She’s also a queen when it comes to spoken word poetry. You might like to take a peek at her YouTube channel.

#5 Saddiq Dzukogi

Saddiq has appeared in several foreign anthologies as well as some of the local ones here in Nigeria. Saddiq has a poetry collection he titled Inside the flower room.

#4 Okudili Nebeolisa

His works have previously appeared in The Threepenny Review, Catapult, The Cincinnati Review, Ambit Magazine, Word Riot, Saraba magazine, Red Leaf Poetry’s African Diaspora Poetry Folio, Yuan Yang Journal, Kalahari Review, and in national dailies. He won the inaugural Jalada Prize in the poetry and also won 3rd place in the 2011 ASiS international Writing Competition in the poetry category. He was also shortlisted for the 2014 Red leaf Poetry Competition in the international category.

#3 Maryam Bukar Maina

She goes with the alias Alhanil Islam. Maryam is a poet. She was a guest at the 2017 Ake festival in Abeokuta. She has performed at the Kaduna Book and Arts Festival, Kadinvest 1.0, Ake festival and many more other events. Maryam has a recorded compilation of her poems.

#2 Hauwa Saleh Abubakar alias “Ibreathmagic”

Twitter: @ibreathemagic1

She is a magical creature that escaped the magical world of J.K Rowlings into real life. She writes poetry and short stories. She writes for Northern life magazine, Penprofile and other online magazines. Her works of poetry have been published in “She Said so” and other anthologies. She has performed on several spoken word events. She had been shortlisted several times in the Nigerian Student Poetry Prize. She was the Yasmin El Rufai Foundation artist for the month of June, 2018. Hauwa is soon to be a Lawyer. She is an advocate for mental health, and women’s rights. Her works blaringly resonate that. Even though she is not properly celebrated by awards or prizes, I strongly believe she’s one of the best female writers emerging from the North.

#1 Sada Malumfashi

Twitter: @sadaoveral

Sada is the Program Officer, Creative Writing Program at Yasmin El Rufai Foundation Kaduna. He has written several works majorly, non fictions which have appeared in different journals, online magazines and websites. Sada has been invited to two editions of the Kaduna Book and Arts Festival as a panelist. He has also been a panelist at the Ake Book Festival. In 2017, he was part of the Goethe institute writers exchange program in Berlin, Germany. Sada is also a contributor Northern life magazine, African… and Saraba magazine. As far as writing is concerned in Kaduna state, the name of the first young person to be mentioned has to be Sada Malumfashi.

EXTRAs

These are excellent writers in their own right. For the sake of brevity, they’ll only be mentioned. They are;

I. Shittu Fowora

II. Uthman Shamaki

III. Ma’aroof Ahmad

IV. Sumayya Jae

V. Anselm Sesugh Ngutsav

VI. Saleem Haruna

VII. Abdulbasit Adamu

VIII. Pascal Eric etc

Remember, this is the first attempt to place these writers in any form of ranking or order, and it will be nice to have your feedback in the comment box.