The awards, along with the African Writers Award and the Wakini Awards, were established since 2018 by the Writers Space Africa Foundation in partnership with the African Writers Development Trust, which has since held the annual awards as a culmination of the Conference of African writers. This year’s long list was announced on August 31.
The call for writers’ entries opened from March 15 to July 1 this year. A cash prize of $200 will be awarded to each winner along with a certificate. All submissions were also in English.
Both awards considered plays by writers from various parts and regions of the continent and received hundreds of entries, although each entry offered a unique perspective.
Among the works considered for the award in the short story category are Beautiful Zawadi by Destine Barasa (Kenya), Gone are Souls by Muhammad Al-ameen Yusha’u (Nigeria), Happiness by Ronetta Ingabire Gasana (Rwanda), Mr Bean by Kosiso Chikezie (Nigeria), My Adventure by Ngu Cindy Azah (Cameroon)
Other shortlisted included My Juicy Life by Testimony Odey (Nigeria), My Luxury by Toluwanimi Oladapo (Nigeria), The Boy with his Eyes by Kanyamanza Esther (Rwanda), The House that Holds Her People by Abubakar Ndakotsu (Nigeria) and Adaugo Wardolls. Madubuike (Nigeria)
Works in the poetry category include A Flower that Blooms by David Halla (Tanzania), At the Age of 10 by Ilakiza Jackson (Tanzania), First Day of my Online Class by Fa’iza Yahaya (Nigeria), I promise not to go Astray by Kaaria Mugambi (Kenya), In Shaa Allah by Fadairo Nabeelah (Nigeria), It Gets Lonely by Nifemi Emmanuel (Nigeria), Mother Africa by Emmanuellela Abbey (Nigeria), The Fall of the Planets by Doreen Ngemera (Tanzania) , The River’s Ordeals by Fadairo Tesleem (Nigeria), Wings by Priscilla Arthur (Ghana).
The shortlist will be released on October 1.