Bank Windhoek Doek Literary Awards longlist revealed.

The longlists for the first ever Bank Windhoek Doek Literary Awards were made public on Monday, August 2, 2021.

In the tail end of May, the Bank Windhoek Doek Literary Awards was revealed to the African literary community. It is an attempt to foster a robust literary community in the Southern African country while bringing a wider Namibian and international audience to the selected works and literary artists.

On Monday, the organising committee of the prize announced the concept and logo for the first for the Namibian literary community. The Awards’ chosen symbol is “the windmill” a common sight across Namibia’s vast landscapes. The windmill is also ametaphorical representation of Doek’s motto and the wisdom which makes great storytelling possible: hope and optimism in spite of present difficulties.

On July 1, the judges for the newest literary awards in the continent were announced as Beauty Boois, Dr Coletta Kandemiri, Bruni Lubbe, and Shawn Van Eeden. The longlists in the categories of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry are;

Fiction

• “Subterwhere” by Ange Mucyo (Issue 1: August 2019)

• “December” by Filemon Iiyambo (Issue 4: November, 2020)

• “The Letter” by Dalene Kooper (Issue 4: November, 2020)

• “Silhouette” by Ndawedwa Denga Hanghuwo (Issue 5: March, 2021)

• “A Cure For Loneliness” by Tessa Harris (Issue 6: July, 2021)

Nonfiction

• “The Trip North” by Kavena Hambira (Issue 1: August, 2019)

• “Is There A Doctorate In The House?” by Frowin Becker (Issue 5: March, 2021)

• “Auralgraph: Spice In The Wind” by Ndakolute Ndilula (Issue 5: March, 2021)

• “Ouma Sofie’s Gold” by Natasha Uys (Issue 6: July, 2021)

Poetry

• “Slaves To Alcohol” by Verushchka Garises (Issue 2: February, 2020)

• “Drag” by Esperance Luvindao (Issue 2: February, 2020)

• “Embalming The Past” by Pedro Vorster (Issue 2: February, 2020)

• “Queens In Your Bloodline” by Ros Limbo (Issue 3: July, 2020)

• “What I Am” by Undjizuva Kaputjaza (Issue 4: November, 2020)

• “A Goddess” by Jayson Museta (Issue 4: November, 2020)

• “Green And Greening” by Pauline Buhle Ndhlovu (Issue 4: November, 2020)

• “Her Yearning Soul” by Beata Namene (Issue 4: November, 2020)

• “From The Fury Of A Dying Sun” by Alacia Armstrong (Issue 5: March, 2021)

• “Yoga Practice” by Hugh Ellis (Issue 5: March, 2021)

• “Church Of The Informally Settled” by Ndaundika Shefeni (Issue 6: July, 2021)

The award shortlists will be announced on September 1 before the winners are unveiled to the public at a gala dinner in November.