Are you an African writer? Are you passionate about the literary arts? Have you written a poem or story or a drama sketch or even a book? If you have, how about entering your precious work for consideration for a prize/award? I understand you have doubts. Everyone does. But you never know what will happen unless you send out your work. It may win; it may not. Time will tell.
Read through that cherished child of your brain and polish it to its utmost luster; it should be ready to stand before the critical eyes of judges. Who knows? You might be the lucky one. You probably have heard about a random writer that won a literary prize in Africa, or elsewhere. But if your stories are still in your head and you haven’t gotten around to putting pen to paper, now’s a good time. Write your work and submit it. To whom? Here is a carefully selected list of literary competitions you should consider sending your masterpiece.
Check out 5 reputable African literary prizes you should consider…
#1. The Nigeria Prize for Literature
The Nigeria Prize for Literature, which is currently worth $100,000, is Africa’s richest literary award. Established in 2004 with an objective to spur creativity and improve the quality of writing, editing, and publishing in Nigeria, the Prize is sponsored by Nigeria LNG Ltd. and administered by an Advisory Board for Literature set up by NLNG Ltd. It is a prize that runs a four-year cycle revolving around four genres – Prose Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Children’s Literature.
It would be life-changing to win $100,000. But this is a prize for writers who have published a book in the four named genres. Only books published in the year of the competition or three years earlier are eligible for the prize. Previous winners include Gabriel Okara, Esiaba Irobi, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, and Romeo Oriogun.
#2. AKO Caine Prize for African Writing
Often dubbed the “African Booker,” the AKO Caine Prize for African Writing is a prize of £10,000 awarded each year for a published short story by an African writer. In addition, a flurry of literary activities is organized around the prize. Five shortlisted writers are invited to London for events including book readings and interviews with big media organizations; private events are held with literary agents; and there is the grand event, where the winner is announced.
Stories for the AKO Caine Prize must be entered or submitted by their publishers via the prize’s submissions portal. Past winners include Leila Aboulela, Binyavanga Wainaina, NoViolet Bulawayo, Makena Onjerika, and Idza Luhumyo.
#3. The Miles Morland Foundation Writing Scholarship, or Morland Writing Scholarships
After a career in investing in Africa, the British businessman Miles Morland established the Miles Morland Foundation (MMF) in 2013 to provide support and grants in areas of interest to him, among which are African writing and African literature. The Miles Morland Foundation Writing Scholarships are grants of £18,000 and £27,000 to African writers of fiction and non-fiction respectively to enable them to complete a book in the English language and to get their voices better heard.
To qualify for the scholarship, you must submit an excerpt of 2,000-5,000 words of work published or offered for sale and a proposal for a full-length novel or non-fiction book. Entries would be judged by a panel, a shortlist would be produced and announced. A list of four or five winners would be chosen for the writing scholarships. So, if you have a wonderful book idea, and you have a short piece of published work to submit, why don’t you give a shot at the MMF Writing Scholarship? Previous recipients of the writing scholarships include Akwaeke Emezi, Okwiri Oduor, Kola Tubosun, Eloghosa Osunde, Elnathan John, and Nnamdi Oguike.
#4. The Nommo Award
Presented by The African Speculative Fiction Society, the Nommo Award is a literary prize that celebrates speculative fiction by African writers. This kind of fiction is described as “science fiction, fantasy, stories of magic and traditional belief, alternative histories, horror and strange stuff that might not fit in anywhere else.” Four categories are awarded: Novel, Novella, Short Story, and Graphic Novel. Past winners of this award include Nnedi Okorafor, Chikodili Emelumadu, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, and T.L Huchu.
#5. The South Africa Literary Awards (SALA)
Founded by the wRite Associates and supported by South Africa’s Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture (formerly the Department of Arts and Culture), the South Africa Literary Awards (SALA) recognize South African writers who have distinguished themselves as groundbreaking producers and creators of literature in the categories of children’s literature, youth literature, literary journalism, novels, poetry, creative non-fiction, debut works, and literary translation.
Some of its notable prizes are the Nadine Gordimer Short Story Award, the K. Sello Duiker Memorial Award (for novelists under 40), and the Lifetime Achievement Literary Award (for authors over 60). The SALA has become South Africa’s most prestigious literary prize and has been won by the country’s best writers both old and young – Lewis Nkosi, Athol Fugard, Zakes Mda, Zukiswa Wanner, Karen Jennings, and Niq Mhlongo.
Featured image: Trnava University/Unsplash
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