Lagos, Nigeria; 12:00, January 22, 2014: Innovative telecommunications company in Nigeria, Etisalat, today announced the 2013 shortlist for the Etisalat Prize for Literature. Bom Boy by Yewande Omotoso (Modjaji Publishers) Finding Soutbek by Karen Jennings (Holland Park Press) We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo (Little, Brown and Company/Chatto & Windus UK) In its inaugural year, the Etisalat Prize for Literature is the first Pan-African literary prize created to recognize and reward debut fiction writers in Africa. The winner will be presented with a cheque of £15,000, an engraved Montblanc Meisterstück and will attend The Etisalat Fellowship at the prestigious University of East Anglia, mentored by Professor Giles Foden, author of the Last King of Scotland. The shortlist was decided after a retreat in Morocco where the judges met to discuss at length the nine longlisted books. Pumla Gqola, Chair of the Judges said ‘We discussed each of the books on the long list in quite some detail, although considerably more time was dedicated to those books that were ranked differently by the judges. We are quite pleased to have reached yet another important milestone in the young life of the Prize’. Sarah Ladipo Manyika said “The diversity of these debut novels, both on the level of content and narrative style, makes this a very exciting shortlist. Whether it is Bulawayo’s coming of age story set in the context of contemporary global migration, or Omotoso’s cross-cultural tale with its slowly unfolding secrets and interconnected narratives of love and loneliness, or Jennings’ multilayered exploration of history and allegory, each story is uniquely compelling. These are African stories with universal resonance. All three novels traverse time and space and at their core, each addresses the basic human condition.” Billy Kahora added “The shortlist reflects what I had hoped for as a judge when I became involved with the Etisalat Prize for Literature – the recognition of the best, diverse and emerging voice(s) of contemporary African fiction today.” The winner will be announced at a grand award ceremony in Lagos on Sunday, the 23rd of February 2014 The winner of the Etisalat Prize for Literature Flash Fiction category will also be announced at the ceremony and will receive £1,000 in cash alongside the two runners up who will receive £500 each. =End= About the Etisalat Prize for Literature The Etisalat Prize for Literature is the first ever pan-African prize to applaud first time writers of published fiction. The Etisalat Prize was founded in June 2013 and has a board of patrons which include some of Africa’s finest intellectuals. Submitted works must be the writer’s first fiction book of over 30,000 words and published within the last twenty-four months. The winner of the prize receives £15,000 and will attend the Etisalat Fellowship at the prestigious University of East Anglia.
Posted on: Thu, 30 Jan 2014 17:37:52 +0000
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