African Speculative Society’s Nommo Awards 2019 shortlist announced.

The African Speculative Society’s Nommo Awards 2019 shortlist was announced today May 14, 2019.

The Nommo Awards were introduced in 2016 to showcase writing that couldn’t be categorised in the “standard spaces” in the African literary scene. The writing in question is known in other markets by terms like magical realism, Sci-Fi, horror, and graphic novel. Previous winners have been Tade Thompson, Nnedi Okorafor, Tendai Huchu and Lesley Nneka Arimah in 2017; and Tade Thompson, Kwabena Ofei, Setor Fiadzigbey, Wole Talabi, and Tochi Onyebuchi in 2018.

The road to the 2019 awards kicked off with the announcement of the longlist for the now coveted award scheme on May 2. The longlistees were in the categories of “Novel” (The Ilube Nommo Award for Best Speculative Fiction Novel by an African), “Novella,” “Short Story,” and “Graphic Novel.” The winners of the Ilube Nommo Award and the Comic/Graphic Novel award would receive US$ 1000.00 while the novella and short story award winners get US$ 500.00.

The Nommo Awards 2019 shortlist has been announced today with several names that are becoming the mainstays in this prize like Nnedi Okorafor and T. L. Huchu. Some of the newer names featuring are Tomi Adeyemi and Akwaeke Emezi. The full list of those in the running for the awards are;

The Ilube Nommo Awards for Best Speculative Novel

• Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi.
• Empty Monsters by Cat Hellisen.
• Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi.
• Knucklebone by Nehama Brodie.
• A Spy in Time by Imraan Coovadia.
• The Strange by Masha du Toit.

The Nommo Award for Best Speculative Novella

• Binti: The Night Masquerade by Nnedi Okorafor.
• The Firebird by Nerine Dorman.
• Hard Mary by Sofia Samatar.
• Neid-Fire by Caldon Mull.

The Nommo Award for Best Speculative Short Story

• Brand New Ways (to lose you over and over and over again) by Blaize Kaye.
• The Girl who Stared at Mars by Cristy Zinn.
• The Luminal Frontier by Biram Mboob.
• Memento Mori by Tiah Marie Beautement.
• Njuzu by T. L. Huchu.
• Origami Angels by Derek Lubangakene.
• The Witching Hour by Ekpeki Oghenechovwe Donald.

The Nommo Award for Best Comic/Graphic Novel

• Akissi: Tales of Mischief by Marguerite Abouet and Mathieu Sapin.
• Black Panther: Long Live the King by Nnedi Okorafor, Andre Araujo, Mario Del Pennino, Tana Ford.
• Eru by Tobe Max Ezeogu, Oze Ezeogu.
• Kwezi by Loyiso Mkize, Clyde Beech and Mohale Mashigo.
• Karmzah by Farida Bedwei and Ravi Allotey.
• Malika Warrior Queen Part Two by Roye Okupe, Chima Kalu
• Rovik by Yvonne Wanyoike, Kendi Mberia, Salim Busuru.
• Shaka Rising by Luke Molver.
• Shuri by Nnedi Okorafor, Leonardo Romero.
• Tatashe by Cassandra Mark, Tobe Max Ezeogu.
• Under the Sun by Austine Osas, Abiodun Awodele, Yusuf Temitope.

The roughly 170 members of the African Speculative Fiction Society who nominated the work for the Awards long list and shortlists now have a three-month period to read the shortlists and vote for the winners. The winners will be announced at the Ake Festival in Lagos Nigeria in November.