WIPO China: Nigerian Author Sparks Creativity Among Young Creators
本文原载于2024年第1期《WIPO杂志》。
The article was originally published in the issue 1/2024 of WIPO Magazine.
律师兼作家Chidera Okolie的使命是激励尼日利亚年轻人充分发挥自己的创作才能。
Lawyer and writer, Chidera Okolie, is on a mission to inspire young Nigerians to make the most of their creative talents.
图：Philip Kisaka Wasilwa提供
Photo: Courtesy of Philip Kisaka Wasilwa
从沉浸于文学世界到撰写自己的故事，奇德拉·奥科利自孩童时期起就一直培养自己的创作兴趣。这位尼日利亚律师兼作家著有两部小说，《当沉默震耳欲聋》（When Silence Becomes Too Loud）（2014年）和《不可饶恕》（Not Forgiven）（2017年）。除了对写作的热情外，奥科利还在2018年发起“个人的创作”（Idios Creatives）举措，积极鼓励尼日利亚的年轻作家实现自己的写作梦想。这就是她的故事。
From immersing herself in the world of literature to crafting her own stories, Chidera Okolie has been nurturing her creative interests since she was a child. The Nigerian lawyer and writer is the author of two novels, When Silence Becomes Too Loud (2014) and Not Forgiven (2017). Beyond her passion for writing, Okolie is actively encouraging young writers in Nigeria to fulfil their writing dreams through her Idios Creatives initiative, which she launched in 2018. This is her story.
奥科利成立了“个人的创作”，一个供年轻人探索和表达自己创造力的平台。“通过‘个人的创作’项目，我希望为新一代的作家提供平台，释放自己的创造力。这是我促进年轻人发展写作和其他创作技能的方式。”奥科利解释道。
Chidera Okolie set up Idios Creatives, a platform for young people to explore and express their creativity. “Through the Idios Creatives project, I wanted to provide a platform for a new generation of writers to embrace their creative power. It is my way of contributing to the development of young peopleʼs writing and other creative skills,” Okolie explains.
为了吸引尼日利亚各地年轻人的注意，2018年，奥科利设立了“个人（Idios）微小说和诗歌奖”。超过300名学生参加竞赛。奥科利说：“我们走访了尼日利亚各地的学校，收集年轻作者的短篇小说。最终，我们收集到约300篇小故事，从中筛选出100篇最佳作品发表。这有助于展示尼日利亚的创作人才辈出。”在成立“个人的创作”时，奥科利最强烈的愿望是“鼓励年轻人多读书，并探索自己的创造力”。
To capture the attention of young people across Nigeria, in 2018, Okolie created the Idios Prize for Flash Fiction and Poetry. Over 300 schoolchildren took part in the competition. “We visited schools across Nigeria, collecting short stories from young writers. Eventually, we had about 300 stories, which we narrowed down to the best 100 for publication. This has helped showcase the abundance of creative talent in Nigeria,” Okolie notes. In setting up Idios Creatives, her strongest hope is that “young people are encouraged to read more and to explore their own creativity.”
推动尼日利亚的知识产权和创造力
Advancing IP and creativity in Nigeria
这位作家还是知识产权的倡导者，强调知识产权对于认可、回报和支持创作者的工作至关重要。
The author is also a champion of intellectual property rights, highlighting their crucial importance in recognizing, rewarding and supporting creators for their work.
“知识产权使你能够保护自己的创意作品免遭利用、非法复制和滥用。它还能确保维护你的经济权利，换言之，从作品中赚取收入的能力，以及精神权利，包括被认可为创作者的权利和保护作品完整性的权利，”奥科利解释道。
“IP allows you to protect your creative work from exploitation, illegal reproduction and misuse. It also ensures the preservation of your economic rights, in other words, your ability to earn income from your work, and your moral rights, including the right to be credited as the creator, and the right to protect the integrity of your work,” Okolie explains.
虽然，尼日利亚在此方面已取得进展，但奥科利认为，要加强国家的版权状况仍有很多工作要做。她说：“尼日利亚长期遭受盗版之害，不过版权状况正在逐步改善。我坚信，知识产权发挥着关键作用，鼓励艺术家保护自己的作品并加以利用以获取经济利益。这对于基于自身创造力发展事业尤为重要。”
While Nigeria has made progress in this regard, Okolie believes there is still more to be done to enhance the countryʼs copyright landscape. “Nigeria has long suffered from piracy, but the landscape is gradually improving. I strongly believe that IP rights play a critical role in emboldening artists to safeguard their work and use it for economic benefits. This becomes particularly significant when building a career based on oneʼs creativity,” she says.
2014年，奥科利开始创作第一部小说《当沉默震耳欲聋》，那时她没有打算在个人圈子之外进行分享。她表示：“那纯粹是个人尝试。”但是，她的父亲坚持让她出版这本书。“我很犹豫是否要如此袒露自己的隐秘，让其他人深入了解我内心最深处的创作想法，”她说道。
Okolie started writing her first novel, When Silence Becomes Too Loud, in 2014, without any intention of sharing it outside her personal sphere. “It was purely a personal endeavor,” she notes. But her father insisted that she have her book published. “I was hesitant to reveal myself so intimately and to allow others to delve into my innermost creative thoughts," she says.
尽管最初有所顾虑，奥科利还是开始寻找出版商，该书于2014年发行，超出了她的所有预期。“这本书在国内广受赞誉，并获得了很多关注。还引起了我国前总统的注意，他表示很高兴支持努力使国家保持创造力的年轻人，”奥科利解释说。
Despite her initial fears, Okolie started looking for a publisher and the bookʼs release, in 2014, exceeded all her expectations. “The book was widely acclaimed in my country and gained a lot of attention. It caught the eye of my countryʼs former president, who expressed his pride in associating with young people who strive to keep creativity alive in the country,” Okolie explains.
“我希望鼓励年轻人多读书，并探索自己的创造力。”尼日利亚支持年轻创作者的平台“个人的创作”创始人奇德拉·奥科利说道。
“My hope is that young people are encouraged to readmore and explore their creativity,” says Chidera Okolie, founder of Idios Creatives, a platform that supports young creatives in Nigeria.
图：Chidera Okolie提供
Photo: Courtesy of Chidera Okolie
她这本优秀的小说赢得了三个奖项，包括2016年尼日利亚作家奖的年度最佳小说作家奖项和非洲成就奖的提名。
Her outstanding novel earned her three awards, including the 2016 Nigerian Writers Award for Best Fiction Writer of the Year and a nomination for the African Achieverʼs award.
基于这一成功，奥科利的第二部作品《不可饶恕》也是一部心理惊悚短篇集，同样备受赞誉，并使她一路畅通，获得2017年年度最杰出小说作家奖。2019年1月，Avance Media将奥科利列入“100位最具影响力的尼日利亚年轻人”名单。
Building on her success, Okolieʼs second publication, Not Forgiven, is a collection of short psychological thrillers and also won accolades, paving the way for her to receive Most Outstanding Fiction Writer of the Year in 2017. In January 2019, Okolie was listed among the 100 Most Influential Young Nigerians by Avance Media.
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