ANA Celebrates Literary Journalist Sumaila Isah Umaisha on his Birthday

ANA CELEBRATES LITERARY JOURNALIST SUMAILA ISAH UMAISHA ON HIS BIRTHDAY

The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) has congratulated renowned writer, journalist and literary administrator, Sumaila Isah Umaisha, on the occasion of his birthday, describing him as a committed professional whose contributions have continued to strengthen Nigerian literature and literary journalism.

This congratulatory message was contained in a press statement jointly issued by the President and General Secretary of ANA, Dr. Usman Oladipo Akanbi and Dame Joan Oji, PhD, who praised Umaisha’s dedication to creative writing, mentorship and the promotion of literary discourse within and beyond Nigeria.

Sumaila Isah Umaisha is the Literary Editor of New Nigerian Newspapers, Kaduna, Nigeria. He began his journalism career in 1993 after a decade of teaching, joining the Kaduna-based Hotline magazine as Associate Editor and later rising to the position of Deputy Editor. He is also a co-editor of After the Curfew, an anthology of poems and short stories by members of the Kaduna State Chapter of ANA.

A prolific writer, Umaisha is the author of Hoodlums and Other Stories and the poetry collection hell@heavensgate. His short stories, poems, essays and interviews have appeared in several national and international anthologies, journals, magazines and literary platforms, including Drumvoices Revue (USA), The London Magazine (UK), Africa Resource, and his personal literary blog. He is currently working on a collection of interviews titled Nigerian Writers Talking, further documenting the voices shaping Nigeria’s literary landscape.

ANA also acknowledged Umaisha’s service to the association as a former Publicity Secretary and former Chairman of the Kaduna State Chapter, as well as his numerous awards, including the New Nigerian Reporter Award (2000), ANA Kano State Merit Award (2001), and two-time winner of ANA Literary Journalist of the Year Award (2004 and 2007). The association further commended his initiative, Writers Hub, a vibrant platform known for its impactful literary webinars, capacity-building sessions, mentorship programmes and conversations that connect writers, critics and scholars across generations and borders. ANA wished him good health, renewed strength and greater accomplishments in the years ahead.