Three Nigerians make Joint shortlist of 2016 Writivism Prizes

Three Nigerians, Aito Osemegbe Joseph, Okwudili Nebeolisa and Gbenga Adesina, have made the joint shortlist for the 2016 Writivism prizes. Joseph, set to publish a collection of short stories and currently working on his debut novel, made the shortlist for the annual short story category. Nebeolisa, a poet whose manuscript ‘Country’ was a finalist for […]

Three Nigerians, Aito Osemegbe Joseph, Okwudili Nebeolisa and Gbenga Adesina, have made the joint shortlist for the 2016 Writivism prizes.
Joseph, set to publish a collection of short stories and currently working on his debut novel, made the shortlist for the annual short story category. Nebeolisa, a poet whose manuscript ‘Country’ was a finalist for the 2016 Sillerman First Book Prize for African poets and Adesina, joint-winner of the 2015 Brunel University Prize for African Poetry,  were listed for Okot P’Bitek Prize for Poetry in Translation.
The list, which comprises a total of eleven people from Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria, was selected by the three different panels for the respective categories of this year’s prize. The Short Story Prize is judged by Tsitsi Dangarembga (chair), Sumayya Lee, Richard Ali A Mutu, Okwiri Oduor and Mamadou Diallo. The Non Fiction prize panel comprises NoViolet Bulawayo (chair), Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah and Yewande Omotoso. While the Poetry in Translation judging panel includes Duduzile Mabaso (chair), Juliane Bitek and Toni Stuart.
All the five short fiction shortlisters will attend the 2016 Writivism Festival in Kampala, from August 22-28, 2016.
The winners of the Short Story and the Poetry in Translation prizes will be announced at the 4th Writivism festival on Saturday August 27 and 28, 2016 respectively. The winner of the Non Fiction prize will be announced at a ceremony to be confirmed later in the month.
The winner of the Short Story Prize will take home a cash prize of $400 and take up a one month writing residency at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. Short Story prize shortlisters will attend the Writivism festival and win $100 each. Winners of the Poetry in Translation and Non Fiction prizes will take home a cash prize of $500 each.