University of Nebraska Press To Publish Saddiq Dzukogi’s Anthology "Your Crib, My Qibla"
Uchenna Emelife reports,
Nigerian award-winning poet: Saddiq Dzukogi has recently signed a book deal with the University of Nebraska Press to publish his poetry collection titled "Your Crib, My Qibla" under the African Poetry Book Series in Spring of 2021.
The poet announced this himself via his social media on Wednesday, the 13th of May, 2020.
"World, I have a really big big news!
I just signed a book deal with the @UnivNebPress under the African Poetry Book series..." He tweeted.
According to the poet, "Your Crib, My Qibla" is a tribute to his daughter, Bahra whom he lost to the cold hands of death on the 12th of December, 2017.
His words: "This is a book about Bahra, about losing a child, about grief.
"I remember when I received the call that she has died, I had a pen in my hand, and tears pooled into my opened notebook on my office desk, in kaduna.
"Baha was gone, and I was miles away from the site of her dying. I didn’t even get to attend her funeral or burial because she was buried 30 minutes before I arrived in Minna.
"I still cry most nights, because of this. For seven months, every day I wrote poems, footnotes of a language I hope could find her and tell her how much I love and miss her.
“This is a weird feeling. I am scared and grateful that the world will experience a minuscule of the illuminating light that she was and still is.
Dear sweet sweet child, Your Crib is my Qibla." He continued.
The African Poetry Series, University of Nebraska Press "seeks to discover and highlight works of African poetry with a wide-ranging scope; from classic works to modern and contemporary voices."
Its Editorial Board is led by Ghanian Poet Kwame Dawes.
Notable poets previously published in the series include Ghanian poets Kofi Awoonor and Ama Ata Aidoo, Nigerian poets Gabriel Okara and Romeo Oriogun (Sacrament of Bodies), Kenyan poet Mukoma Wa Ngugi and many more.
Publication date is set for Spring, 2021. Congrats Saddiq Dzukogi!
