APRIL 22, 2021

VILLAGE BOY, the new book written by Anietie Usen has won the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, (UN SDG Book, African Chapter) award and has been selected as the best of five books nominated for the 2021 World Book and Copyright Day.  VILLAGE BOY came out tops in the SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 2 ( Zero Hunger) categories.

According to a statement  by the United Nations Information Centre in Namibia signed by Anna Kharuchas and a congratulatory letter signed by Dr. Wale Okediran, Chairman of the Management Committee of the SDG Book Club African Chapter, VILLAGE BOY will be officially unveiled on April 23, 2021, to “mark UNESCO World Book and Copyright Day. Okediran added that information about the book will be showcased on the SDG Book Club website hosted by the United Nations Information Centre, UNIC, Namibia.

“It is our pleasure to notify you also that reading clubs and schools (in Africa) have begun to sign up to buy and read your book”,

Dr. Okediran said in his congratulatory message to Mr. Usen, urging that “a strong digital presence of VILLAGE BOY is critical to becoming a competitive part of the global conversation…”

The award qualifies VILLAGE BOY for translation into French, Arabic and Kiswahili languages. “Thrilling, funny, irresistible and full of suspense, VILLAGE BOY is not just a real life saga of a poverty-stricken boy who overcame incredible obstacles and prevailed against all odds. It is the inimitable and absorbing adventure into village life in southern Nigeria. For adults, it is a nostalgia to relish. For the younger generation, the book is not just a breezy window to the 60s and 70s, but the veritable binoculars to trace the footsteps of their parents and grandparents, in the proverbial good old days. And for teachers and students in secondary and tertiary institutions, this is a study in creative writing. It is unputdownable”.

The Publishers of VILLAGE BOY, Parresia Publishing Limited, are also rewarded by the UN SDG Book Club, and will be provided with stickers “that can be used for the e-book and reprinted copies” of VILLAGE BOY.

The UN SDG Book, African Chapter is the umbrella organization for African Publishers Network (APNET), Pan-African Writers Association (PAWA), African Library & Information Association  (ALILIA), Literature For All Nations (LAN), etc. It promotes books, reading culture as well as authors, illustrators and publishers across the continent. Similarly, it fosters collaboration within the book industry, just as it enhances opportunities for Intra-African book trade.