Davis Tamba wins Yours2read Short Story Competition.

Davis Tamba won the Yours2read Short Story Competition at the Alliance Française Nairobi on Thursday, November 16, 2023.

The Yours2read Short Story Competition is a collaboration of the Writers Guild-Kenya, Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA), and Yours2read (UK). It aims to provide writers with a platform to share their genuine African narratives, propelling them to a global audience.

For 2023, the competition was sponsored by the Kenya Tea Development Agency, a government parastatal which is why the theme “Stories Over Tea” made perfect sense. It allowed writers to explore their imagination and write stories with a tea element in them which is the core business of the sponsor.

There were two aspects to this competition where a writer could showcase their skill. In one, they submitted their stories through the Yours2read platform where readers then read and downloaded the stories.  Yours2read awarded $100 to the writers with the highest downloads who were Oyamo Richard (1st), Valentine Mokua (2nd), and Gloria Juma (3rd). The second part involved a professional judging process with a jury from KTDA, Writers Guild-Kenya, and Yours2read from the 67 entries.

The winner of the latter process was unveiled at a ceremony at the Alliance Française on Thursday. They were: Davis Tamba, 91%, for Pamplona (the winner), 1st Runners Up, Anene Anne, 85%, for Freed, and Nicholas Mokua for The World Fell Silent, Abu Gee for Meeting the Parents, and Cynthia Dadia for Fast Talker as 2nd Runners Up, tying at 84%. The winner was awarded Ksh.30,000, with the 1st Runner’s Up, Ksh. 20,000 and 2nd Runner’s Up, Ksh. 10,000. Each winner also received a special tea package from KTDA.

In awarding the winners, the CEO and Chief Guest, Mr. Wilson Muthaura, described the competition as a “step towards growing the reading culture in Kenya and increasing the love for impactful stories that are part of our heritage, like the story of tea.” Other staff members of KTDA present were, Mr. Simeon Rugutt (Group Finance and Strategy Director) and Mr. Tom Mwiraria (Office of the Group CEO)