THE ISAAC OLUWOLE DELANO BOOK PRIZE FOR YORUBA STUDIES

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Résumé:

With over 40 works that border on history, literature, linguistics, biography, religion and sociology, popular among which are Owe L’Esin Oro, Atumo Ede Yoruba, A Modern Yoruba Grammar, Iran Orun, Josiah Ransome Kuti: The Drummer Boy who Became a Canon, Aiye d’aiye Oyinbo, Isaac Delano committed his lifeworks to the proper documentation, preservation, presentation and teaching of the Yoruba language and culture as well as the essence of the existence of Nigeria in such works as The Soul of Nigeria and Notes and Comments from Nigeria.

It is on this premise that we have honored his lifetime efforts and achievements with the Isaac Delano Prize for Yoruba Studies to recognize outstanding works, including those of fiction, that continue to uphold and represent the legacy that icons like Isaac Delano lived for. It is our dream, like his, to promote and revive the socio-cultural, political and religious significance of Yoruba, and by so doing contribute to the stream of revivalist efforts geared towards the resuscitation of the African spirit, for it is in the language, culture and worldview that the spirit flourishes.

The peculiarity of Delano’s scholarship is the diversity it embraces, which is evident in his various contributions to the survival of the Yoruba language, culture and religion. In the same vein, the Delano Prize for Yoruba Studies encourages and welcomes diverse submissions that can (uniquely) contribute to the sustenance of the totality of the Yoruba people. This prestigious prize is especially aimed at scholars and young creatives whose endeavors contribute to the understanding and enhancement of (the) Yoruba. Also, it is our aim to highlight the underrepresented aspects and dimensions of Yoruba. Hence, the submissions are not only open to Yoruba people located in Africa, but also everyone with a shared Yoruba ancestry, as well as scholars of Yoruba Studies.

At the moment, the Delano Prize for Yoruba Studies is worth $1,000, which will make it one of the most robust prizes for Yoruba Studies and the most prestigious recognition in the world for Yoruba scholarship. It is our hope that, in so doing, the Delano Prize would be a solid and remarkable platform for the promotion and further development of Yoruba, in continuation of Isaac Delano’s legacy.

Key Selection Criteria:

Originality

Creativity & Innovativeness

Contribution to Yoruba or Yoruba Studies

Potential to continue to conduct groundbreaking research on the Yoruba

Timeline:

• Submission: February 15 – May 30, 2020
• Longlist Announcement: July, 2020
• Shortlist Announcement: September, 2020
• Announcement of Winner: December, 2020

Submission Guidelines:

• The book must be creatively inclined towards the people, culture, place, language and history of the Yoruba people. The book must have been published between 2015 and 2019. Edited books do not qualify.
• The narratives can be either factual or fictional, or a mixture of both; however, the genre must be clearly indicated by the participant, which does not in any way influence/constrain the chances of the submission, as originality, creativity, and delivery are the principal criteria.
• The submission is global, open to everyone irrespective of nationality or color.
• Four copies of the book must be submitted either by the author or publisher to: Toyin Falola, Department of History, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Tx,  78712, USA

Supervisory Board

Chair: Dr Bola Dauda

Chief Akinwande Delano

Professor Bola Sotunsa

Dr. Michael O. Afolayan

Dr. Olajumoke Jacob-Haliso

JURY, 2020-2022

Chair: Toyin Falola

Members: Professor Tunde Babawale, University of Lagos

Pamela Smith, Emeritus Professor, University of Nebraska, Omaha

Professor Akin Akinlabi, Rutgers University

Secretary: Damilola Osunlakin, Ahmadu Bello University

All correspondence to: Toyin Falola, toyinfalola@austin.utexas.edu