Kearoma Mosata was announced the winner of the Poetavango Award for Short Fiction 2019 in Maun, Botswana on December 30, 2019.
The Poetavango Award for Short Fiction is an annual literary contest organised and run by the Poetavango Collective in Maun, Botswana. It is part of the Maun International Arts Festival 2019 sponsored by, among others, The Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development, and the U.S. Embassy Botswana. The contest hopes to support and encourage writers of any nationality living in Botswana, both emerging and established.
For the 2019 contest, the fourth installment of the prize, there was a relatively small number of submissions in comparison to previous years. Judging the award were Tendai Huchu best known for his novels The Hairdresser of Harare (2010) and The Maestro, The Magistrate & The Mathematician (2014). Also judging were Ukamaka Olisakwe who wrote Eyes of a Goddess (2012) and is one of the Africa39 project writers and Alice Yousef a Palestinian translator, blogger, and emerging poet, who has published short stories and translations.
From the shortlist that was announced on December 16, the winner, first runner up and second runner up in the prize are;
- Winner:
Kearoma Mosata for her story When A Woman Bends. She wins this year’s trophy and 3000 Pula. - First Runner Up:
Wame Molefhe for her story Dawn Came Early to Gaborone. Wame walks away with 2000 Pula. - Second Runner Up;
Olorato Jessica Jackson for her story What He Doesn’t Know. For her prize, she gets 1000 Pula.
Kearoma Mosata, a writer, activist and peer educator who contributes for Arts and Africa, simply stated on her Twitter,” I WON 😭😭😭😭😭🎉🎊🎊🎊🎊 Ohmyghaaaaaaaaad!!!!!!.”
I WON 😭😭😭😭😭🎉🎊🎊🎊🎊
Ohmyghaaaaaaaaad!!!!!! https://t.co/0xlVeaAkla
— Mido Reads (@mido_mosata) December 30, 2019
The Maun International Arts Festival 2020 which is the home of this prize will be hosted in Botswana from November 21 – 28, 2020
Leave a Reply