Zimbabwean writer wins Guardian first book award

The Guardian’s literary editor, Claire Armitstead, who chaired the judging panel, said 2009 was the year of the short story and added that, “Petina Gappah’s humane and disarmingly funny mosaic of life in Zimbabwe is undoubtedly one of the very best.” Gappah, who is a trade lawyer based in Geneva, Switzerland was surprised by the […]

The Guardian’s literary editor, Claire Armitstead, who chaired the judging panel, said 2009 was the year of the short story and added that, “Petina Gappah’s humane and disarmingly funny mosaic of life in Zimbabwe is undoubtedly one of the very best.”

Gappah, who is a trade lawyer based in Geneva, Switzerland was surprised by the announcement saying, “When I was told, I think I laughed. It was the last thing I expected. Did you read the books on the shortlist? I mean, seriously good. If I’d been judging the prize I certainly would not have chosen me.”

The book, published by Faber, has been praised for using humour and compassion to convey how a crumbling economy and the  HIV/AIDS pandemic is ravaging lives in her native Zimbabwe.

Gappah, a single mother who holds a Cambridge law degree, has since collected the BPS 10,000 prize money and is currently working on her first novel.