Category: South Africa
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Unathi Slasha wins Iskanchi Book Prize 2025
Unathi Slasha’s manuscript The Hollow Sound of Lightweight Bodies was announced the Iskanchi Book Prize 2025 winner on Monday, June 30, 2025. Iskanchi Press, which has produced several literary magazine editions and numerous books, was founded in 2020. In 2024, they announced the Iskanchi Book Prize to bring to light the best new writing from…
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Darlo Can Themba Merit Award 2025 Finalists announced
The Darlo Can Themba Merit Award Finalists 2025 were announced in Durban, South Africa, on May 7, 2025. The Darlo Can Themba Merit Award for Short Story Writing was introduced to inspire and support new voices in South African literature in March 2025. The new initiative is driven by Darlo in partnership with Wits University…
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Book Digest: Sabata-Mpho Mokae, Euphrase Kezilahabi, André Alexis, Rochelle Dowden-Lord
Our regular Book Digest segment spotlights new books by Sabata-Mpho Mokae, Euphrase Kezilahabi, André Alexis, and Rochelle Dowden-Lord. Letastshe Ke La Badimo by Sabata-Mpho Mokae Publisher: Xarra BooksDate: June 20, 2025Genre: FictionLanguage: SetswanaWhere to find it: Xarra Books Sabata-Mpho Mokae Sabata-Mpho Mokae is an academic, award-winning novelist and translator from South Africa who writes in…
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Book Digest: Foday Mannah, Tochi Onyebuchi, King Kufulula, Olayinka Adekola
Our regular Book Digest segment spotlights new books by Foday Mannah, Tochi Onyebuchi, Olayinka Adekola, and King Kufulula. The Search for Othella Savage by Foday Mannah Publisher: Quercus BooksDate: May 22, 2025Genre: Fiction, mysteryLanguage: EnglishWhere to find it: Quercus Books Foday Mannah Born in London, Foday Mannah spent his formative years in Sierra Leone before…
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Iskanchi Book Prize 2025 shortlist announced
The Iskanchi Book Prize 2025 shortlist, the second edition in the project, was announced on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. Iskanchi Press, which has produced several literary magazine editions and numerous books, was founded in 2020. In 2024, they announced the Iskanchi Book Prize to bring to light the best new writing from the continent. Open…
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Jacana’s From Pitch to Publication winners announced
Philisiwe Twijnstra, Kirsten Clark, and Greta Nangammbi won at the Jacana Literary Foundation’s From Pitch to Publication competition in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. From Pitch to Publication is an initiative from South African publisher Jacana Literary Foundation (JLF) designed to give southern African writers a stage to present their writing to…
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BCA African Business Book of the Year 2025 shortlist announced
The Business Council for Africa Business Book of the Year Awards 2025 shortlist was announced in London, UK on Thursday, May 15, 2025. The Business Council for Africa (BCA) is a not-for-profit organisation connecting Africa to the international business community and investing in Africa’s next generation of business leaders, based in London, UK, founded in…
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Zabu Wamara, Kristien Potgieter win Island Prize 2025
Zabu Wamara and Kristien Potgieter jointly won the Island Prize for a Debut Novel from Africa 2025 on Monday, May 19, 2025. The Island Prize for a Debut Novel from Africa is from Holland House Books (UK), Karavan Press (SA), and Booker Prize longlistee Karen Jennings. It aims to give writers from Africa (or the…
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Sisonke Msimang withdraws from Sydney Writer’s Festival over Palestine
Sisonke Msimang has withdrawn from the Sydney Writers’ Festival 2025 over its sponsorship by Airbnb, which actively operates in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. South African-Australian Sisonke Msimang is an award-winning writer, activist, and political analyst with a focus on race, gender, and politics. The South African who was born in Zambia and…
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Island Prize 2025 shortlist announced
The Island Prize for a Debut Novel from Africa 2025 shortlist was made public on Monday, May 5, 2025. The Island Prize for a Debut Novel from Africa is from Holland House Books (UK), Karavan Press (SA), and Booker Prize longlistee Karen Jennings. It aims to give writers from Africa (or the diaspora) a chance…
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Book Digest: Mubanga Kalimamukwento, Michelle Kekana, Iryn Tushabe, Jesudubami Jemima Aganaba
Our regular Book Digest segment spotlights new books by Mubanga Kalimamukwento, Michelle Myeko Kekana, Iryn Tushabe, and Jesudubami Jemima Aganaba. The Fragile Mental Health of Strong Women by Michelle Myeko Kekana Publisher: Jacana MediaDate: April 2025Genre: FictionLanguage: EnglishWhere to find it: Jacana Media Michelle Kekana Michelle Myeko Kekana was a 2021 JIAS writing fellow. She…
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Pfumo Collective announces Citizen Anthology cohort
The Pfumo Collective announced the writers to participate in the Citizen Anthology project, the first from the UK-based organisation, on Monday, April 21, 2025. The Pfumo Collective was unveiled in January to spearhead access to the mentorship and editorial support that more established literary economies afford nonfiction space in Africa. Legendary publisher Ellah Wakatama leads it…
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Book Digest: Kacen Callender, Akwaeke Emezi, Andile Cele, Marcia Douglas
Our regular Book Digest segment spotlights new books from Kacen Callender, Akwaeke Emezi, Andile Cele, and Marcia Douglas. Chaos King by Kacen Callender Publisher: Tor TeenDate: April 15, 2025Genre: FictionLanguage: EnglishWhere to find it: Bookshop.org, Macmillan Kacen Callender Kacen Callender is the bestselling and award-winning author of multiple novels for children, teens, and adults, including…
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Afritondo Short Story Prize 2025 shortlist announced
The Afritondo Short Story Prize 2025 shortlist was announced on Friday, April 18, 2025. Afritondo, a platform that aims to connect with and tell the stories of African and black minority populations worldwide, is the organisation behind the Afritondo Short Story Prize. Previous award winners, which celebrate the best short story writing by writers of…
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Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2025 shortlists announced
The Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2025 shortlists were announced in London, UK, on Tuesday, April 15, 2025. Here are the writers of African descent who made the shortlist. The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction in English in the regions of Africa, Asia, Canada, Europe, the Caribbean,…