Dear Fellow,
Three weeks ago, an anthology The Twelfth Despatch Journal: On Writing and Becoming was released. It contains writings from 42 writers across Nigeria. Guided by the theme “On Writing and Becoming,” which is eventually the book’s subtitle, each writer shares in a letter what writing is from an individual perspective, and of course, given what experienced writers have said about the craft. I am also a contributor to the anthology.
On Monday, 11th March 2024 (a day after the anthology’s release), a subscriber to this newsletter replied to a broadcast message I sent on WhatsApp. The message was sent to writers and anyone else I know on my contact list who will have an interest in the anthology. He wrote, “Thanks for sharing. You didn’t blog about the overview of the book.” He was referring to this newsletter. Somehow, this newsletter has become his go-to place to get reliable information from me—maybe of my projects only. (A lot has happened since January that I have not shared here.)
I show up in your email inbox every Saturday based on my calendar. Today is the day to talk about the anthology. Let me take you on the journey to when, how, and where the anthology came from. Permit me to turn you to the Introduction of the anthology, as it contains everything you should know about this whim of an idea.
Dear Fellow,
Facebook played a part in this project; it began with a seed of remembrance. A notification from Facebook read thus: “Wungakha and Iveh, friends for 5 years!” That update was on Saturday, 21st October 2023. I shared the anniversary post with this caption:
@IvehBright, how shall we mark this anniversary? Do you still remember our first meeting? At Badaska Chills, Rukuba Road. For a Punchline Poetry Society event. I just found a community that will remain. That year 2018 was just a year after secondary school for me. It still is a delight that our paths crossed. I saw your passionate commitment to poetry since 2018. I am delighted to say with zero doubt that you are still passionately committed, if not better. Cheers to more, brother. I celebrate your ascent, becoming, and winnings![i]
The post evolved. The seed grew. By Monday, I was already thinking of how best to significantly celebrate five years of intentionality about the craft of writing.
The first idea in mind was to call my writer friends whom I met on my journey since 2018 to do a publication together. But the idea would evolve to become something like this: a writing fellowship should precede the publication as a way of ensuring that the contributors agree before writing. So, I sent out a letter of invitation via Facebook and WhatsApp to writers I deem fit to be part of the fellowship, The Twelfth Despatch Fellowship (TTD Fellowship). The criteria for selection are spelled out in Appendix 8; it was left for each recipient to decide if they met the criteria, to be part of the fellowship. The idea behind this project is to appreciate, celebrate, and promote writers whom I know have shown commitment to the craft of writing as a tool for personal and social development.
On Saturday, 18th November 2023, the fellowship was declared open. (See the schedule for the fellowship in Appendix 6.) From 8 p.m. that day, I welcomed the fellows and shared the vision, dream, and aspiration of the fellowship. The ultimate goal, I shared with them, is to get this book published. Interestingly, the entire project was not planned completely—it was largely a work in progress, at the time. For instance, letters of invitation were sent to our facilitators a week before each of their sessions. They were so gracious to accept such short notice and yet deliver excellently. Also, consider that they were not paid a penny; all in a bid to make their contribution to the mission.
Despite it all, we crossed the finish line. At the time of this writing, there are 97 fellows in the WhatsApp group. The group’s description reads thus: “Celebrating writers and their craft as a tool for personal and social development.” This book is a way of telling you to look out for excellence in the craft of writing and the publishing industry in Nigeria. I am asking you to watch out for the contributors to this book as they go on to make the change we require in our printing sphere.
. . . .
The ebook is going up in sales gradually. You can purchase a copy here:
Our next move is to produce the book in print. We have secured a publishing deal to that end with ACTi Publishing, my publisher for my debut book The University Library. God willing, the print version should be ready in April. This is what it will look like:
If you have read this anthology, kindly leave a short review in the comments section. It will go a long way to help others decide whether to read the book or not. The price remains a thousand naira until the print copies are ready. Thank you.
I hope this despatch made a little sense at least. I hope so. But you can let me know in the comments section if you don’t mind. Thank you.
Have a great weekend, good Fellow.
Your LetterMan,
Tongjal, Wu. N.
I remember vividly how we talked about this project even before it started. This whim has materialized into a beauty to behold. I wish all fanciful impulses could always be real and beautiful. Well done Letterman.
Echoing the first commenters sentiment, this whim materialized into a beauty indeed!! Well done☺️