Island Prize for a Debut Novel 2022 longlist announced.

The longlist for inaugural Island Prize for a Debut Novel from Africa was announced on Monday, February 7, 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 comprises 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 next stage of the competition;

• A Darkness With Her Name on It, Doreen Anyango (Uganda)
• Single Minded, Marina Auer (South Africa)
• Our Honourable Minister’s Service, Dominic Muchiri Nderi Gacharia (Kenya)
• Glass Towers, Susan Isaacs (South Africa)
• The Dead Should Never Die, Mali Kambandu (Zambia)
• Sand Roses, Hamza Koudri (Algeria)
• Bread And Butter Pudding, Tšepang Molisana (South Africa)
• Delightful Cage, Joyce Nwankwo (Cameroon)
• Deportee, Ikenna Okeh (Nigeria)
• She Elephant, Lucille Sambo (Zimbabwe)

The shortlist of five will be announced in April before the winner is revealed later in the year. First place will be 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.