The shortlist for inaugural Island Prize for a Debut Novel from Africa was announced on April 16, 2022.
The Island Prize for a Debut Novel from Africa is a prize from Holland House Books (UK), Karavan Press (SA) as well as Booker Prize longlistee Karen Jennings. It is aimed at giving writers from Africa (or the diaspora) a chance to showcase their work to a wider audience, with the possibility of feedback, mentoring, meeting with a potential agent and publication (both in the UK and South Africa).
The judging panel for this first edition are Booker Prize longlisted writer Karen Jennings, writer, editor, and Femrite boss Hilda Twongyeirwe as well as award-winning writer Obinna Udenwe.
The prize received over 120 entries and from this, the reading teams selected the following ten stories to go on to the longlist stage of the competition on February 7. The shortlist was announced with following five writers in the running;
- A Darkness With Her Name On It, Doreen Anyango (Uganda)
- Single Minded, Marina Auer (South Africa)
- Sand Roses, Hamza Koudri (Algeria)
- Glass Towers, Sarah Isaacs (South Africa)
- Delightful Cage, Joyce Nwankwo (Nigeria)
The winner will be revealed later in the year with first place awarded £500, £300 for the second, and £200 for third place. These winning three manuscripts will all be considered for publication, in addition to their authors being introduced to an agent.
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