The Caine Prize for African Writing renamed

The Caine Prize for African Writing has been renamed AKO Caine Prize for African Writing. This change comes as the AKO Foundation is set to provide financial support to the Prize for the next three years. The Ako Foundation is a London based charity supporting projects which promote the arts, improve education or mitigate climate […]

The Caine Prize for African Writing has been renamed AKO Caine Prize for African Writing.

This change comes as the AKO Foundation is set to provide financial support to the Prize for the next three years.

The Ako Foundation is a London based charity supporting projects which promote the arts, improve education or mitigate climate problems. As part of the agreement, the Prize becomes the AKO Caine Prize for African Writing, and will receive a grant to cover its core costs.

The AKO Caine Prize for African Writing aims to bring the work of African writers to an international audience. It recognises, promotes and celebrates exceptional literary works of the continent. The Foundation’s funding will enable the Prize to continue supporting writers in Africa through literary workshops, the publication of the annual anthology, and the annual award.

Commenting, Nicolai Tangen, Founder of the AKO Foundation, said: “We are delighted and proud to sponsor the AKO Caine Prize, and look forward to seeing the literary landscape flourish and prosper with further excellent contributions from African authors. In supporting the Prize we are making clear our desire to encourage and celebrate the exceptional work of African writers.”

The AKO Caine Prize for African Writing has expressed its gratitude to the Foundation for its “invaluable support,” and to all other dedicated supporters of the Prize for their commitment to celebrating outstanding African writing.

“Counting the AKO Foundation as our ally not only promises more stability for the Prize, but allows us to plan for the future with additional confidence and ambition,” said the AKO Caine Prize Chair Ellah Wakatama OBE. “We are so grateful to the Foundation, as well as to all our existing donors, who have provided generous and consistent support throughout the years, and we look forward to championing literature from Africa and her diaspora in this new chapter for the Prize.”

The AKO Caine Prize is awarded for a short story by an African writer published in English (indicative length 3,000 to 10,000 words).

The African winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Wole Soyinka and J M Coetzee, are Patrons of the AKO Caine Prize. Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne is President of the Council, Ben Okri OBE is Vice President, Ellah Wakatama OBE is the Chair, and Dele Fatunla is the Administrator.

Previous Nigerian winners include Nigerian Helon Habila  (2001), Segun Afolabi (2005), EC Osondu (2009), Rotimi Babatunde (2012), Tope Folarin (2013), and Lesley Nneka Arimah (2019).