Tanzania’s Ebrahim Hussein Poetry Prize (Swahili only)

Prof Ebrahim Hussein is the best-known Swahili playwright and Tanzania’s most complex literary personality. Kenyans and other Swahili speakers will remember him as the dude who wrote the play Kinjeketile (1969) as well as Mashetani (1971), an overtly political play, and Jogoo Kijijini (1976), an experiment in dramatic performance. In his play Arusi (1980) he expresses disillusionment with the Tanzanian political theory Ujamaa.

In honour of the great man, The Ebrahim Hussein Poetry Prize was founded by Canadian filmmaker and lover of Swahili the late Gerald Belkin. The prize in Swahili awards a deserving writer in Swahili a cash prize of Tanzania Shillings 2 Million (about 1000 USD).

Last year’s prize was won by Tanzania-based Esther-Karin Mngodo.

For those who want to enter the prize, you may go to the official terms and conditions page which is in Swahili. The deadline for entry this year is April 30.

Good luck my Swahili-speaking brethren.

Update: The prize is now closed.