1. Aunty’s Chicken – WINNER
2. White Memories – RUNNER UP
3. Mama Efon’s Last One – SECOND RUNNER UP
4. Cowards and Christmas Chickens
5. Christmas Ride Gone Gaga
Congrats to all these guys, you are really all winners. Your points will be credited to you, and you can redeem them according to payment guidelines by the end of the month. Cheers!
__________
The Winner of the Christmas Nostalgia Contest will be announced on Friday, the 20th of January. In the run up to that day, our final judge and guest reviewer, Ikhide Ikheloa has trimmed our shortlist of ten to the final 5. He also edited and made some comments on the stories in an MS Word document. These writers are encouraged to write to admin@naijastories.com for a copy of the reviewed stories. Below is the full text of his little note at this stage;
I reduced the long-list to five that made my shortlist… I took the liberty of editing all stories as I read them and including comments as I went. You and the writers may find them useful.
Enthusiastic writing on the whole. A lot of reflection on rice, chicken, relationships, family. Uplifting, touching and funny in many instances. I would say that editing is still a major problem with the writers. Many of the stories were not ready for prime time. People should start a buddy system to edit and critique each others’ works. Cliches were abundant like weeds. The reader always looks for fresh ways of arranging words.
The top five stories are…
Mama Efon’s Last One – Gboyega Otolorin
Christmas Ride Gone Gaga – Ife Watson
Cowards and Christmas Chickens – Seun-Odukoya
Aunty’s Chicken – Da Writing Engineer
Ikhide R. Ikheloa
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Admin @ogaoga
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Oh! Ok. It’s getting closer. So I made the last five?! This is getting interesting. Thanks (Grand)Pa Ikhide.
@admin, expect my mail sharp sharp.
Wow! Yipee! I made the last five. Feel so good!
These five posts deserve the rankings.
Really Interesting comments. Naija stories guys need to go beyond “nice”,”cool” and “interesting” comments.Needs to be more down to earth with comments on posts.
God will bless you for that, @rasheed
I totally agree…@kaycee and @biyicrown … I totally agree. We should start that movement – already on it.
These stories deserve this spot.Congratulations to you all.
Yippie! My favorite made the list. Too bad onireke had to be dropped. I guess you win some, you lose some…
abi…
My sentiments exactly. I was really rooting for that story(Onireke’s), bit who am I toquestion Pa Ikhide’s judgement? I’ll write to Admin requesting for the critique sha.
Yay! I’m almost scared to comment at this point… congrats to everybody.. Hmm, waiting for Friday now.
Can you feel the tension…????
Lol! I think I might even have to stop liking you and the others till Friday since we’re all competitors now… Bring on the beef……
Na wa o.
Why can’t we all just get along?!
Which kind get along? Na lie o. Till Friday, you are dead to me…..
Thank you.
It’s ‘past Friday’ and you are dead to me anyways.
NOTE: no smiley face.
I’m really nervous o…I won’t lie.
By the way – I noticed that my favorite three made it in here. I’m just so excited…and tense.
Oh Friday…where art though…?
Omo, no be you alone o. I guess i’ll just shut my mind off it till Friday afternoon. Whatever happens…
Hmm, see these ones shitting in their pants…@ikhide Many thanks for bringing the thrill in this way. I love the stories here but must agree that some clearing has to be done of the weeds. True tok. Well, may the best (wo)man – wait, only @petunia007 made it among the ladies…Wait, our ladies, where una dey na? You should come in here more na!
Whoever wins, I go dash you two points from my bounty! Part of my birthday present. Many congratulations, S’
Why dem just dey happy like this?
You guys would soon start making some of us regret not competing.
Lol
All the best to you guys! Friday is just a few days away.
Thank you so much Myne…waiting for Friday now reminds me of how we used to feel back then in high school, waiting for vacation day to see our report booklets.
cool.you guys deserve the rankings.oga Seun,go on and grab the crown.
Sorry to disappoint you…
Thanks for the vote of confidence though. It’s flattering.
Congratulations are in order for all that made the top 5, and good luck in the finals.
Make una no forget my share o……..lol.
Just before the winner is announced, let me quickly say Congratulations to y’all. You are all winners!
And the winner is…………..Akpakevwe Onoriode! Is he/she here?
Madam @babyada, who is Akpakevwe Onoriode???
Oooooohhhh. Aaaaaaarrrgggggggghhhh. Hard to mask or politely hide my disappointment. But let me be a good loser. Congratulations to the winner! @banky, you try!
And to the rest of us, was great being in the shortlist with excellent writers like you guys! Now I can delete the beef…lol!
And heave a sigh of relief from d tension. It’s over. Congrats to everybody!
@gboyega, honestly, you are not a loser. Everyone is a winner. And you try, too! God bless you man. Better days are ahead for all of us.
FOrget that consolation talk. You WON.
Congratulations.
Congrats @Da Writing Engineer! @Gboyega Otolorin lol, you aint a loser ‘cos you got a price… And for @Seun-Odukoya and me, we didn’t get a price but we got a position sha (*winks* comforting myself). It was fun all the way – frm writing the story, the polls, and getting to the top 5.
I appreciate everyone who read, enjoyed and voted for my story. Thanks a bunch!
Sowee! *prize lolz
Thanks @petunia007. I appreciate you and your abilities. I know we all shall get there, someday. Thanks baby.
Yeah. At least.
Hey…em…interested in a ‘loser’s dinner’…?
Heh.
Congratulations everyone. Congratulations @banky. This is just a stepping stone. I want to see us win international prizes, not just this.
Congratulations!
Thanks @elektrika. yep, na those ones be koko o! May all our honest wishes come true at the right time. God bless you.
Congratulations guys…nice going.
A big thank you to everyone that made this possible, @admin, Pa Ikhide Ikheloa, fellow contestants, all those who read and voted for “our” stories, the entire NS family. This is a great platform we have here and I am indeed happy with the opportunities it keeps presenting.
Participating in the contest was fun and I am content with the outcome, regards to the Overall Winner and all the other 27 winners that started this contest. God bless all our “hustle”, Amen!!!
@scopeman, you are wonderful. Thanks for the kind regards. You did well too. NS sure rocks. God bless you man.
CON-GRA-TU-LO-BIAAAAA to d only Engineer dt builds with words.da writing Engineer-congrats…@ scopeman,@ otolorin,@ife and @ Seun alongide everyone who submitted a story–CONGRATULATIONS!Naijatories is d best!
Thanks @sambright. hmmnnn.
That reminds me @ Admin is it just d last 5 stories dat pa Ikheloa commented on or on d last ten.Just asking to respond via email to get d edited copy.PLS RESPOND ASAP.THANKS
Congratulations are in order to everybody, especially my friend and brother Da Writing Engineer.Una do well.
Cheers!!!
@opeyemi, o ga o. No be small thing at all. Thanks for the support.
we dey, always.
Congratulations!!!
Good one o, where that mechanic? How far? Where the parry at?
@kaycee, i dey here o. lolllzzzz. The parry? erm , erm, lets talk behind camera. hehehehehehe. Thanks man.
Congrats to the winners and you all that participated did a good job!
hmmmnnn. I am almost scared to comment. But, lemme see if words would not choose this moment to fail me.
@seun odukoya, @scopeman, @petunia007, @gboyega otolorin; you guys are winners. I don’t feel like I had the best entry, I am still shocked to see ‘Aunty’s Chicken’ as the winner. Guys, I doff my imaginary hat!
To all those who submitted entries, time is all there is to every fulfilment. I believe in you guys and I know someday i’ll congratulate you all as winners. I sincerely look forward to seeing NS writers win prestigious contests out there. @jeff unaegbu has started it, we too can do it. that day will come; of that, I am sure.
@admin, you guys are the best thing that is happening to Naija literature. Without you guys, a lot of us would never have had the chance to express ourselves. Thanks for the platform, the honest dedication to this noble cause and the ceaseless striving to get better. God bless you real good.
@ikhide, sir, this means a lot to me. I read you in NEXT before it got rested and I know how unforgiving you could be when it comes to reviews and all. To have won a contest you judged is a big deal to me. I hope to build on this and get better at this wonderful craft. Thanks sir and may the elements always connive to give you the best of every season.
Winning this is the fulfilment of one of my lifelong dreams. As an engineering student, every time I sat in a lecture room listening to those usually boring lectures, all I wanted to do was write. Write professionally, get recognised for my ability, get paid for it and win something with it. After two longlists and two shortlists, this one came. hmmnnn. Na God. May His grace make this the beginning of greater glory. I trust the Heavens to make things happen.
Special thanks to all who voted for my story at the first stage; without you guys, I couldn’t have made it thus far. Thank you so much.
And finally. It is not of he that willeth, nor of he that runneth but of the Lord who showeth mercy. Bless Jehovah.
Thank you.
Banky
Congrats again man.Your last statement sums it all.It is God that shows mercy.
Keep writing man. We will always be here to support you. Congrats on the win.
I think the best part of this entire thing is that I made it into Ikhide’s top five – which is a compliment in itself…
Congratulations to all the winners. Thank God its over.
@Ife…
CONGRATS Y’ALL!
Hmm, I see some people are already practising on award speeches. If Writing Engineer gets a Nobel, I wonder…;)
A big congratulations to every one. Trust me, everyone in the top five deserves to have won… Your stories are really lovely and I am sure I would be reading them for a while still.
Well done! @Ikhide: well done on the job!
BY the way, all these people, where the party dey? @guywriterer, @banky @scopeman60
@Seun… @Petunia007 : Abi, una no hear say I tok say all of una na winners? Hmm…
Ok, so where the next comperition at?