5 African literary awards to look out for in 2018

There are quite a number of literary contests in  Africa. Bookshelf gives you a list of some of those to watch out for this year. The Caine Prize for African Writing Since its inception in 2000, five Nigerians have, so far, won The Caine Prize for African Writing. They include Helon Habila in 2001 (for […]

There are quite a number of literary contests in  Africa. Bookshelf gives you a list of some of those to watch out for this year.

The Caine Prize for African Writing

Since its inception in 2000, five Nigerians have, so far, won The Caine Prize for African Writing. They include Helon Habila in 2001 (for his short story, ‘Love Poems’), Segun Afolabi in 2005 (‘Monday Morning’), EC Osondu in 2009 (‘Waiting’), Rotimi Babatunde in 2012 (‘Bombay’s Republic’) and Tope Folarin in 2013 (‘Miracle’). 

It is an annual literature prize awarded to the writer of an African short story published in English. Nigeria’s Lola Shoneyin, author of the award-winning novel, ‘The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives’, and Director of Ake Arts and Book Festival, an annual literary and cultural event in Abeokuta, Ogun State, is one of five judges for the 2018 prize. The deadline for submission of entries this year is January 31, 2018.

There is a cash prize of £10,000 (over N4.9m) for the winning author and a travel award for all five short-listed candidates. The other four short-listed candidates will also receive a Prize of £500. The winner is also invited to go to three literature festivals in Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria.

The 2017 winner of The Caine Prize was Sudan’s Bushra al-Fadil, for his story ‘The Story of the Girl Whose Birds Flew Away’.

The Nigerian Prize for Literature

This prize, one of Nigeria’s most competitive literary awards, is given each year in four different categories of Prose Fiction, Children’s Literature, Poetry, and Drama. 

At its inception in 2004, there was no winner for the literature prize (Prose Fiction). However, three authors, Bina Nengi-Ilagha, Omo Uwaifo and Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, received honourable mention for their efforts. In 2005, Ezenwa Ohaeto and Gabriel Okara were rewarded for their books ‘Chants of a Minstrel’ and ‘The Dreamer: His Vision’ respectively (Poetry category). In 2006, Professor Micheal Adikwu won for his book ‘Hard Ground’ (drama).

In 2007, Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo and Mabel Segun emerged joint winners in the Children’s Literature category with their books, ‘My Cousin Sammy’ and ‘Readers’ Theatre: Twelve Plays for Young People’ respectively. Kaine Agary won in the Prose Fiction category in 2008 with her book, ‘Yellow Yellow’.

In 2017 and several more winners later, Ikeogu Oke, a poet, writer and journalist won the prize for his book, ‘The Heresiad’, just after Abubakar Adam Ibrahim clinched same award in the Prose Fiction category in 2016.

Presently worth $100, 000 (over N36m), The Nigerian Prize for Literature is sponsored by Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited. It is aimed at bringing Nigerian authors to public attention and celebrating literary accomplishments in the nation.

This year’s prize is going to be awarded in the Children’s Literature category.

Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa

This prize, Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa, set up by The Lumina Foundation is described by the latter as Nobel prize in Africa. It’s aimed at unifying Africans and celebrating Africa’s great minds.  

The Soyinka prize for literature in Africa, worth $20,000 (over N7.2m), is awarded every other year to the best book written by an African in any of the literary genres. 

Winners of the prize include Akin Bello for his book, ‘The Egbon of Lagos’ in 2014, Sifiso Mzobe (2012, ‘Young Blood’), and Kopano Matiwa (‘Coconut’) and Wale Okediran (‘Tenants of the House’) as co-winners in 2010. 

In 2008, Nnedi Okorafor clinched the prize for her novel, ‘Zahrah the Windseeker’, and Sefi Atta, in 2006 for her book, ‘Everything Good Will Come’.

9 mobile Prize for Literature 

The 9 mobile Prize for Literature, worth £15, 000 (over N7.4m), celebrates new writers of African citizenship whose first fiction book of over N30, 000 words was published in the last 24 months. 

Aside prize money, the winner of the 9mobile Prize for Literature receives a high end device. Sponsored by 9mobile, a telecommunications company, the award also sponsors book readings in Lagos as well as the winner’s home country. In the event that the winner is a Nigerian citizen, a second location for the reading is selected from any African country. The winning writer will also embark on the 9mobile Fellowship at the University of East Anglia mentored by Professor Giles Foden (author of The Last King of Scotland) which includes opportunities to meet other writers, publishers and also to enable the winner work on a second book. 

Also, 500 copies of all shortlisted books are purchased by 9mobile, which will be donated to various schools, book clubs and libraries across the African continent.

Past winners of the 9 mobile Prize for Literature includes Nigeria’s Jowhor Ile in 2016 for his debut novel, ‘And After Many Days’, making him the first Nigerian to win the prize. Launched in 2013, the prize’s first winner was Zimbabwe’s NoViolet Bulawayo, for her book, ‘We Need New Names’, after which there was South Africa’s Songeziwe Mahlangu in 2014, awarded for his work, ‘PenUmbra’, and Congo’s Fiston Mwanza Mujila in 2015 for his novel, ‘Tram 83. 

Commonwealth Short Story Prize

The Commonwealth Short Story Prize prize, funded by the Commonwealth Foundation, is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction in English. Regional winners from Commonwealth countries receive £2, 500 each and the overall winner, £5, 000. 

In 2017, Nigeria’s Akwaeke Emezi was Africa’s regional winner for her story, ‘Who is Like God’. Also, another Nigeria, Lesley Nneka Arimah was regional winner in 2015 for her story, ‘Light’.

 

Application for Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2018 closed on November 1, 2017. Shortlisted entries are to be announced in May 2018. Regional winners and the overall winner will be announced later in the year.