African Writers Awards 2023 longlists announced.

The longlists for the African Writers Awards, African Teen Writers Awards, and the Wakini Kuria Prize for Children’s Literature were announced on Wednesday, September 6, 2023.

The African Writers Awards were conceived by the African Writers Development Trust to celebrate the best-emerging writing talents on the continent. Some previous winners have been Manu Herbstein, Maryhilda Ibe, Chiamaka Onu-Okpara, and Benson Mugo in 2018; Eme Ogbu, Temani Nkalolang, Andrea B Matambo, and Priscillar Matara in 2019; Oladejo Oluyemisi, Asoloko Gloria Akayi, and Duru Nneka Joyce in 2020, and Adedoyin Adetutu, Gordon, B. Away, and Makhago Peter in 2021. The winners for 2022 were Britney Muoghalu, Gloria Akayi Asoloko, and Temwani Mgunda.

The awards this year are judged by Chief Judge Anthony Onugba alongside Nahida Esmail (Tanzania), Testimony Odey (Nigeria) Temwani Mgunda (Malawi) Corona Cermak (Tanzania) Patricia Ejang (Uganda) Comfort Nyati, SDB (Zimbabwe) Mildred Enoch (Nigeria) Ona Zozoni (Botswana), Halieo Motanyane (Lesotho) and Namse Peter Udosen (Nigeria).

The longlists announced on Wednesday are;

The African Writers Awards for Poetry 2023

• Coded Tongue, Mirriam Kalekye (Kenya)
• Dear AI, Dr Pat Ashinze (Nigeria)
• Nyachide, Emelda Gwitimah (Zimbabwe)
• Oracles of Zeros and Ones, Truth Ndubueze (Nigeria)
• Robo Fantasies, Mufumba Jonathan (Uganda)
• Samantha, Alex Lwanda (Kenya)
• Scorching, Uduogu Victor (Nigeria)
• The AI Dawn, Seyi Ojenike (Nigeria)
• The Nilotic Coddiwomple, Marial Awendit (South Sudan)
• Whispers of Codes, Isabel Nowemigisha (Uganda)

Wakini Kuria Prize for Children’s Literature 2023

• Meeme and the singing Calabash, Grace Tendo Katana (Uganda)
• Ngoni Makes a Difference, Kudzai Mhangwa (Zimbabwe)
• Omelet the Dreaming Flying Dodo, Winnie Maluli (Kenya)
• Secret Mission Man, Silindiwe Sibanda (South Africa)
• Tato, Chantelle Chiwetalu (Nigeria)
• Thandi and the Hair Whisperer, Lindsay Katchika-Jere (Malawi)
• The Girl with a Halo, Ayodele  Oyeku (Nigeria)
• The Red Boy of Zoe Street, Elizabeth Dwamena-Asare (Ghana)

African Teen Writers Awards (Poetry)

• A gulp from my porch, FATIMA ABDULWAHAB (Nigeria)
• Because Life Began on a Dreamers Lips, BELLA OGWUCHE (Nigeria)
• E-M(AI)L, Theresa Shukrani Mulindwa (Zambia)
• Grief garden- beautiful broken, Ehijokwu Onyinyechi Rita (Nigeria)
• Home is where blood meets water, Erinola Daranijo (Nigeria)
• Lost Identity, Amina Muhammad (Nigeria)
• Rhythm, Johanna Ataman (Nigeria)
• This poem leads back home, Adedokun Ibrahim (Nigeria)
• Unveiled Radiance: A Tribute to Black Women, Olamide Jamiu (Nigeria)
• Yet Again, Abimbola Akinyemi (Nigeria)

African Teen Writers Awards (Prose)

• A Flipped Coin, Divine Okpe (Nigeria)
• African heritage, Joshua Ojo (Nigeria)
• Alone, Oluwanifemi Fagbolagun (Nigeria)
• Family bond, Esther Oluwatuminimu Opayemi (Nigeria)
• Father, desolated body by Abioye Aisha (Nigeria)
• Just when we thought its dawn, Sa’ada Yahaya (Nigeria)
• Midnight is the carnival of a Dead Man, Ndakotsu Abubakar (Nigeria)
• My country my pride, Fayemi Oyinoluwa (Nigeria)
• Mysteries untold, Vyangel Aorabee (Nigeria)
• Treasure in detention, Fayemi Iyinoluwa (Nigeria)

The shortlists will be announced later in the year followed by winners at the African Writers Conference in Ghana.