AKO Caine Prize gets 2020 judges

The AKO Caine Prize for African Writing has announced its panel of judges for 2020. They include director of the Africa Centre Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp CBE (as chair), South African journalist Audrey Brown, poet and playwright Gabriel Gbadamosi, blogger and journalist James Murua, and Dutch-Ethiopian editor Ebissé Wakjira-Rouw. Commenting on the 2020 panel, Ellah Wakatama […]

The AKO Caine Prize for African Writing has announced its panel of judges for 2020. They include director of the Africa Centre Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp CBE (as chair), South African journalist Audrey Brown, poet and playwright Gabriel Gbadamosi, blogger and journalist James Murua, and Dutch-Ethiopian editor Ebissé Wakjira-Rouw.

Commenting on the 2020 panel, Ellah Wakatama OBE, Chair of the AKO Caine Prize, said: “We are honoured to announce such remarkable cultural figures as our 2020 AKO Caine Prize judges. I’m sure that, with his wealth of experience across art forms, Kenneth Tharp will make an excellent Chair, and I wish all the judges great success in deciding our 2020 shortlist and, ultimately, in judicating this year’s winning story.”

The judging panel will meet to determine which entries will make the 2020 shortlist, with an announcement on their selection to be published in May this year.

The AKO Caine Prize for African Writing, awarded annually for African creative writing, is named after the late Sir Michael Caine, former Chairman of Booker plc and Chairman of the Booker Prize management committee for nearly 25 years. Its main sponsor is the AKO Foundation, whose primary focus is the making of grants to projects which promote the arts and improve education.

Nigeria’s Lesley Nneka Arimah was last year’s winner of the prize.