Kukogho Iruesiri Samson was announced as the GT Bank Dusty Manuscript Prize 2018 winner on June 13. Kukogho won the prize for his manuscript titled Devil‘s Pawn.
The Dusty Manuscript prize, organised in conjunction with Okadabooks and Farafina, is part of GTBank’s YouRead initiative aimed at promoting reading and inspiring the next generation of award winning and globally recognized writers. The prize open only to Nigeria nationals is a call out for manuscripts from writers which would earn the winners money and publishing deals.
Earlier in the month, the longlist of the twenty writers eligible for the money and publishing goodies on offer was announced. After a boot camp for these writers, the judges Eghosa Imasuen, Yejide Kilanko, Toni Kan, and Ainehi Edoro-Glines settled on one winner; Kukogho Iruesiri Samson. Kukogho goes home with the first prize of one million Naira and a publishing contract with Kachifo Ltd under their Breeze imprint for his manuscript Devil’s Pawn.
Commenting on the choice of Kukogho Iruesiri Samson as winner, they praised the novel in their citation stating, “The winning entry was a unanimous choice…The story is the best example of the possibilities inherent in genre fiction switching from crime to adventure, thriller to horror. Told in a fast paced narrative style that keeps you glued to the pages, our winning entry is a gift that keeps on giving.”
Second in the competition was The Orchid Protocol by Onochie Emeka Onyekwena earning the writer gets 500,000 Naira and third was The Other Side of Truth by Nneoma Anieto for Naira 250,000. The two also get a publishing contract with Kachifo Ltd under their Breeze imprint.
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