By Rhoda Olorunfemi
Nine African Writers who have published book-length fiction have been named on the longlist for the 2016 Eitisalat Prize for Literature.
The listed books include; Mr. and Mrs. Doctor by Julie Iromuanya (Coffee House Press, USA), The Yearning by Mohale Mashigo (PanMacmillan, South Africa), Piggy Boy’s Blues by Nakhane Toure (Blackbird Books imprint of Jacana Media, SA), The Peculiars by Jen Thorpe (Penguin Random House, USA), Born on a Tuesday by Elnathan John (Cassava Republic, Nigeria), And After Many Days by Jowhor Ile (Farafina an imprint of Kachifo Limited, Nigeria), Dub Steps by Andrew Miller (Jacana Media, South Africa), The Seed Thief by Jacqui L’Ange (Umuzi Publishers, South Africa) and Nwezelenga: The Star Child by Unathi Magubeni (Black Bird Books Imprint of Jacana Media, South Africa).
The selection was announced in a statement issued by Chair of the Panel of Judges of the competition, Helon Habila, who revealed that the longlist was made up of entries from first-time authors whose books were published in the past 24 months.
Other members of the judging panel who will select the three authors for the shortlist to be unveiled in December are South African writer/activist Elinor Sisulu and Ivorian writer and Africa39 laureate Edwige Rene Dro.
Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat Nigeria, Matthew Willsher, who endorsed the judges’ moderated selection process, said, those who made the longlist were carefully selected.
“The novels in this year’s longlist represent a good number of African publishing companies. Each novel reflects a very interesting and dynamic perspective that will provoke intense conversations about different personal and societal issues.”
The winner of the Prize for Literature will be announced in March 2017 and will receive £15,000, an engraved Montblanc Meisterstück pen, and an Etisalat-sponsored fellowship at the University of East Anglia to be mentored by renowned Professor Giles Foden, author of The Last King of Scotland.
Etisalat Prize for Literature is a pan-African prize that celebrates debut African writers of published book-length fiction. Previous winners include Zimbabwe’s NoViolet Bulawayo in 2013 for her novel We Need New Names, South Africa’s Songeziwe Mahlangu in 2014 for Penumbra and Democratic Republic of Congo’s Fiston Mwanza Mujila, whose book Tram 83 won the Etisalat Prize in 2015.
The Etisalat Prize for Literature also incorporates an award for Flash Fiction; an online-based competition for non-published African writers of short stories.
