Mujila emerges new African writing star

Fiston Mwanza Mujila is the first francophone writer to win the prestigious Etisalat Prize, the first ever pan-African prize that celebrates debut fiction books by African authors. A new literary star was born last weekend in Lagos when Congolese writer Fiston Mwanza Mujila was announced as the winner of the 3rd Etisalat Prize for literature. […]

Fiston Mwanza Mujila is the first francophone writer to win the prestigious Etisalat Prize, the first ever pan-African prize that celebrates debut fiction books by African authors.

A new literary star was born last weekend in Lagos when Congolese writer Fiston Mwanza Mujila was announced as the winner of the 3rd Etisalat Prize for literature.
In an event celebrated with the fervour of the Oscars, writers, lovers and patrons of writing gathered at the Lagos Intercontinental Hotel to witness Mujila emerge winner ahead of a pair of South African finalists Penny Busetto for her novel ‘The Story of Anna P, as Told by Herself’ (Jacana Media) and Rehana Rossouw for ‘What Will People Say’ (Jacana Media). Mujila’s Tram 83 (Deep Vellum) is the first francophone novel to win the prize dedicated to debut works of fiction.
Many readers have praised the translations by Roland Glasser. Fiston Mujila was announced winner by the Chair of judges, Ato Quayson, at the award ceremony which was broadcast live on Hip TV and viewed by over 30 million people across Africa. The event was also live-streamed on the internet. Mujila, 35, was presented with a £15,000 cheque, an engraved Montblanc Meisterstück and an Iphone 6S.
He will also have the opportunity to attend the Etisalat Fellowship, worth £13,000, at the prestigious University of East Anglia, United Kingdom, under the mentorship of Professor Giles Foden. Born in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo, in 1981, Mujila studied Literature and Human Sciences at Lubumbashi University.
He now lives in Graz, Austria and is pursuing a PhD in Romance Languages. He has won many accolades for his writing, including the Gold Medal at the 6th Jeux de la Francophone in Beirut as well as the Best Text for Theatre (State Theatre, Mainz) in 2010. His writings are a response to the socio-political turbulence of post-independence Congo. Tram 83 is the first novel by a DR Congo writer to be translated into English in over two decades.
The novel centres around Lucien, an idealistic writer sucked into the dystopian world of his friend, Requiem, a gangster who reigns supreme in the outrageous, extravagant and glamorously debauched nightlife of a secessionist City-State. The Tram 83 of the title is a nightclub that forms the heart of the crumbling city, in which Requiem and a cast of colourful characters feast.
Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat Nigeria Matthew Willsher, said, “We are delighted again to celebrate the richness and strength of African literature. Etisalat Prize for Literature bears out this year’s theme, ‘Representing the Diversity of African Voices’. Diversity is somehow wonderful in its own right, but its importance is not for its intangible beauty, it is that diversity is a huge source of innovation. Africa’s diversity is increasingly recognised as it brings new approaches to world literature while innovation is very important in the literary world.” Etisalat will sponsor a book tour to three African cities.
The Etisalat Prize also aims to promote the publishing industry at large and will therefore purchase 1000 copies of shortlisted books for donation to schools, book clubs and libraries across Africa. The judging panel for the 2015 Etisalat Prize for Literature was chaired by Ato Quayson, Professor of English and inaugural Director of the Centre for Diaspora Studies at the University of Toronto.
The panel also comprised writer and editor, Molara Wood; and Zukiswa Wanner, author of Men of the South and London Cape Town Joburg.