Season of Crimson Blossoms is an adult fiction debut novel by Nigerian writer and journalist Abubakar Adam Ibrahim. The novel, set largely in the outskirts of Abuja, Nigeria, depicts an unusual salacious affair between the 55-year old widow Hajiya Binta and the 26-year old drug dealer and local gang leader Reza.
It was first published in Nigeria in 2015 by Parrésia Publishers. Later Cassava Republic acquired the rights for international publication and released it in Germany, Kenya, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. It was released in the United States in 2017.[1] The book won the 2016 Nigeria Prize for Literature, generally considered the biggest literary award in Africa, for best prose fiction.[2][3][4] It is one of the few internationally released Nigerian fiction novels that features Nigerian Hausa people and the Hausa language.
The story is set in predominantly Northern Nigeria against the backdrop of violence in the author's home city of Jos, Plateau State.[5] The plot also spills into other parts of northern Nigeria, including the capital, Abuja; the story takes place roughly between 2009 and 2015.[6] The story focuses on Binta Zubairu, a Muslim widow in her mid-50s who falls for Reza, a local political thug and drug lord in his early 20s. Binta, a survivor of violence that tore her family apart in her former home in Jos, sees in Reza not her murdered husband but her slain son Yaro. In turn, Reza, with an ailing father and a mother he last saw as a child, feels the undertow of parental warmth in his budding liaison with Binta. When they meet again and have sex, the dynamic feels incestuous to them, as Binta reminds Reza of his mother who abandoned him and he reminds her of her slain son, whom she could not address by his given name due to social norms.[7]
Charactersedit
Hajiya Binta (Binta Zubairu) is the lead protagonist and a 55-year-old Muslim widow. She is known by the local community for her adherence to the Islamic faith. She lives in the suburbs of Jos with her teenage niece, Fa'iza, and her young granddaughter, Ummi. Her husband was killed by a mob of religious zealots in Jos, and her first son Yaro was killed by the police. The book opens after their death and finds Binta extremely unhappy because she was not able to show affection to her firstborn son during his life due to tradition forbidding it.[8] Binta has now aged, but has an unfulfilled inner desire of love and a sexual relationship she never had in all her life, but she is confronted with a cultural dilemma by the conservative society she lives in.[7]
Reza (Hassan Babale) is the supporting protagonist and a notorious thug. He is also a drug dealer and the chief thug at the San Siro, a local hideaway for petty thieves involved in mugging and drug dealing. They are also hired as political thugs for a dishonest politician, Senator Buba Maikudi, who uses them at political rallies and to intimidate opposition candidates.[9]
Senator Buba Maikudi is a selfish, rogue politician.
Critical reviewsedit
"[This] intense, compelling novel navigates violence and taboo sexuality, tenderness and longing, family and the individual. It reminds us, masterfully, about the irrevocable force of love and physical passion even in the face of brutality." –Indian novelist Namita Gokhale[10]
The novel received many critical reviews[10] and is seen by many as a departure from northern Nigeria's norm, with German broadcaster Deutsche Welle describing the author as a northern Nigerian "literary provocateur"[11] for daring to speak openly about female sexuality, breaking a taboo in the deeply conservative northern Nigeria.
As the theme of the novel centers around the sexual emancipation of Hajiya Binta, who lives in a society where women are denied the right to sexual desire and certain activities, the book has drawn interest and reviews from many women writers and feminist activists, including Indian writer Namita Gokhale, Sudanese author Leila Aboulela,[10] Ivorian novelist Veronique Tadjo, and United Kingdom-based writer Zoë Wicomb, the inaugural winner of the Windham–Campbell Literature Prize.[12]
Ibrahim has been asked many times whether the story reflects details from his own life, given the circumstances of the characters and the setting, but he has always maintained that although he was at one time compelled to relocate from Jos due to the violence, similar to Hajiya Binta, he was "conscious not to write him[self] into the story".[13] However, he did think a fatwa would be issued against it after the book's release,[1] alluding to the binding opinion issued by Islamic scholars on something deemed to be sacrilegious to Islam or popular norms.
Awardsedit
In September 2016 the book was shortlisted for the Nigeria Prize for Literature, Africa's biggest literary prize.[14] On 12 October 2016, Ibrahim was announced as the winner for Season of Crimson Blossoms, beating Elnathan John's Born on a Tuesday and past winner Chika Unigwe's Night Dancer, the two other finalists from the initial 173 nominated books.[9]
Referencesedit
^ abAlexandra Alter (23 November 2017). "A Wave of New Fiction From Nigeria, as Young Writers Experiment With New Genre". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
^NLNG Nigeria Prize for Literature (18 November 2017). "Shortlist of three for NLNG sponsored US$100,000 literature prize emerges (press release)". Nigeria Prize for Literature.
^Odeh, Nehru (18 November 2017). "2016 Winner of $100,000 NLNG Nigeria Prize for Literature announced". Premium Times. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
^"Abubakar Ibrahim wins Nigeria Prize for Literature". The Guardian. 13 October 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
^Olotuon Williams. "Season of Crimson Blossoms: Review". Borders Literature. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
^Salamatu Sule (20 December 2015). "'Sason of Crimson Blossoms': The effect of society on the human personality In Abubakar Adam Ibrahim's debut novel". Words Rhymes & Rhythm Publishers. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
^ abJames Murua (11 February 2016). "Season of Crimson Blossoms: Religion, politics and sex in Nigeria". The Star, Kenya. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
^Gloria Mwaniga (9 April 2016). "Season of Crimson Blossoms breaking barriers". The East African. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
^ abJennifer Nagu (6 November 2016). "Season of Crimson Blossom: A literary criticism". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
^ abc"Season of Crimson Blossoms". November 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
^Gwendolin Hilse (6 February 2017). "Nigeria's Literary Provocateur". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
^Pan Macmillan. "Season of Crimson Blossoms By Abubakar Adam Ibrahim Wins $100,000 NLNG Nigeria Prize For Literature 2016". Retrieved 15 January 2018.
^Chiedu Ezeanah (6 October 2016). "Exploring the Human Condition, Beyond the 'Local', Is Art's Great Purpose – Abubakar Adam Ibrahim". Premium Times. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
^Eresia-Eke, Kudo (31 October 2016). "Shortlist of three for NLNG sponsored US$100,000 literature prize emerges". Nigeria LNG. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
Bibliographyedit
Onyebuchi, James; Susan, Dauda (December 2016). "The Cultural Realms and Their Implications for Development: A study of Abubakar Adam Ibrahim's Season of Crimson Blossoms". Nile Journal of English Studies. 2 (3): 11–14. doi:10.20321/nilejes.v2i3.96. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
External linksedit
Season of Crimson Blossom: A Literary Criticism on The Guardian
The Writer, Morality and Cultural Issues in Season of Crimson Blossoms extensive review at Praxis Magazine.
May 04, 2024
season, crimson, blossoms, adult, fiction, debut, novel, nigerian, writer, journalist, abubakar, adam, ibrahim, novel, largely, outskirts, abuja, nigeria, depicts, unusual, salacious, affair, between, year, widow, hajiya, binta, year, drug, dealer, local, gang. Season of Crimson Blossoms is an adult fiction debut novel by Nigerian writer and journalist Abubakar Adam Ibrahim The novel set largely in the outskirts of Abuja Nigeria depicts an unusual salacious affair between the 55 year old widow Hajiya Binta and the 26 year old drug dealer and local gang leader Reza Season of Crimson BlossomsCover imageAuthorAbubakar Adam IbrahimCountryNigeriaLanguageEnglishGenreRomantic fantasy adult fiction family saga literary fictionSet inJos NigeriaPublisherParresia Publishers Nigeria 2015 Cassava Republic Press United Kingdom 2016 Publication date2015Media typePrint Paperback Pages346AwardsNigeria Prize for Literature 2016 ISBN9781911115007Preceded byPainted Love in Valentine s Day Anthology It was first published in Nigeria in 2015 by Parresia Publishers Later Cassava Republic acquired the rights for international publication and released it in Germany Kenya South Africa and the United Kingdom It was released in the United States in 2017 1 The book won the 2016 Nigeria Prize for Literature generally considered the biggest literary award in Africa for best prose fiction 2 3 4 It is one of the few internationally released Nigerian fiction novels that features Nigerian Hausa people and the Hausa language Contents 1 Synopsis 1 1 Characters 2 Critical reviews 3 Development and publication 3 1 Awards 4 References 5 Bibliography 6 External linksSynopsis editThe story is set in predominantly Northern Nigeria against the backdrop of violence in the author s home city of Jos Plateau State 5 The plot also spills into other parts of northern Nigeria including the capital Abuja the story takes place roughly between 2009 and 2015 6 The story focuses on Binta Zubairu a Muslim widow in her mid 50s who falls for Reza a local political thug and drug lord in his early 20s Binta a survivor of violence that tore her family apart in her former home in Jos sees in Reza not her murdered husband but her slain son Yaro In turn Reza with an ailing father and a mother he last saw as a child feels the undertow of parental warmth in his budding liaison with Binta When they meet again and have sex the dynamic feels incestuous to them as Binta reminds Reza of his mother who abandoned him and he reminds her of her slain son whom she could not address by his given name due to social norms 7 Characters edit Hajiya Binta Binta Zubairu is the lead protagonist and a 55 year old Muslim widow She is known by the local community for her adherence to the Islamic faith She lives in the suburbs of Jos with her teenage niece Fa iza and her young granddaughter Ummi Her husband was killed by a mob of religious zealots in Jos and her first son Yaro was killed by the police The book opens after their death and finds Binta extremely unhappy because she was not able to show affection to her firstborn son during his life due to tradition forbidding it 8 Binta has now aged but has an unfulfilled inner desire of love and a sexual relationship she never had in all her life but she is confronted with a cultural dilemma by the conservative society she lives in 7 Reza Hassan Babale is the supporting protagonist and a notorious thug He is also a drug dealer and the chief thug at the San Siro a local hideaway for petty thieves involved in mugging and drug dealing They are also hired as political thugs for a dishonest politician Senator Buba Maikudi who uses them at political rallies and to intimidate opposition candidates 9 Senator Buba Maikudi is a selfish rogue politician Critical reviews edit This intense compelling novel navigates violence and taboo sexuality tenderness and longing family and the individual It reminds us masterfully about the irrevocable force of love and physical passion even in the face of brutality Indian novelist Namita Gokhale 10 The novel received many critical reviews 10 and is seen by many as a departure from northern Nigeria s norm with German broadcaster Deutsche Welle describing the author as a northern Nigerian literary provocateur 11 for daring to speak openly about female sexuality breaking a taboo in the deeply conservative northern Nigeria As the theme of the novel centers around the sexual emancipation of Hajiya Binta who lives in a society where women are denied the right to sexual desire and certain activities the book has drawn interest and reviews from many women writers and feminist activists including Indian writer Namita Gokhale Sudanese author Leila Aboulela 10 Ivorian novelist Veronique Tadjo and United Kingdom based writer Zoe Wicomb the inaugural winner of the Windham Campbell Literature Prize 12 Development and publication editSee also Abubakar Adam Ibrahim and Nigerian literature Ibrahim has been asked many times whether the story reflects details from his own life given the circumstances of the characters and the setting but he has always maintained that although he was at one time compelled to relocate from Jos due to the violence similar to Hajiya Binta he was conscious not to write him self into the story 13 However he did think a fatwa would be issued against it after the book s release 1 alluding to the binding opinion issued by Islamic scholars on something deemed to be sacrilegious to Islam or popular norms Awards edit In September 2016 the book was shortlisted for the Nigeria Prize for Literature Africa s biggest literary prize 14 On 12 October 2016 Ibrahim was announced as the winner for Season of Crimson Blossoms beating Elnathan John s Born on a Tuesday and past winner Chika Unigwe s Night Dancer the two other finalists from the initial 173 nominated books 9 References edit a b Alexandra Alter 23 November 2017 A Wave of New Fiction From Nigeria as Young Writers Experiment With New Genre The New York Times Retrieved 13 January 2018 NLNG Nigeria Prize for Literature 18 November 2017 Shortlist of three for NLNG sponsored US 100 000 literature prize emerges press release Nigeria Prize for Literature Odeh Nehru 18 November 2017 2016 Winner of 100 000 NLNG Nigeria Prize for Literature announced Premium Times Retrieved 11 January 2018 Abubakar Ibrahim wins Nigeria Prize for Literature The Guardian 13 October 2016 Retrieved 11 January 2018 Olotuon Williams Season of Crimson Blossoms Review Borders Literature Retrieved 14 January 2018 Salamatu Sule 20 December 2015 Sason of Crimson Blossoms The effect of society on the human personality In Abubakar Adam Ibrahim s debut novel Words Rhymes amp Rhythm Publishers Retrieved 15 January 2018 a b James Murua 11 February 2016 Season of Crimson Blossoms Religion politics and sex in Nigeria The Star Kenya Retrieved 15 January 2018 Gloria Mwaniga 9 April 2016 Season of Crimson Blossoms breaking barriers The East African Retrieved 15 January 2018 a b Jennifer Nagu 6 November 2016 Season of Crimson Blossom A literary criticism The Guardian Retrieved 14 January 2018 a b c Season of Crimson Blossoms November 2016 Retrieved 13 January 2018 Gwendolin Hilse 6 February 2017 Nigeria s Literary Provocateur Deutsche Welle Retrieved 13 January 2018 Pan Macmillan Season of Crimson Blossoms By Abubakar Adam Ibrahim Wins 100 000 NLNG Nigeria Prize For Literature 2016 Retrieved 15 January 2018 Chiedu Ezeanah 6 October 2016 Exploring the Human Condition Beyond the Local Is Art s Great Purpose Abubakar Adam Ibrahim Premium Times Retrieved 16 January 2018 Eresia Eke Kudo 31 October 2016 Shortlist of three for NLNG sponsored US 100 000 literature prize emerges Nigeria LNG Retrieved 13 January 2018 Bibliography editOnyebuchi James Susan Dauda December 2016 The Cultural Realms and Their Implications for Development A study of Abubakar Adam Ibrahim s Season of Crimson Blossoms Nile Journal of English Studies 2 3 11 14 doi 10 20321 nilejes v2i3 96 Retrieved 13 January 2018 External links editSeason of Crimson Blossom A Literary Criticism on The Guardian The Writer Morality and Cultural Issues in Season of Crimson Blossoms extensive review at Praxis Magazine Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Season of Crimson Blossoms amp oldid 1143881890, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
