The Margaret Busby New Daughters of Africa Award will be presented at the launch of the new anthology.
New Daughters of Africa edited by Margaret Busby showcases the work of more than 200 women writers of African descent from across the globe. The anthology includes memoir, short stories, speeches, novel extracts, poetry, and journalism to demonstrate the diversity and remarkable literary achievements of black women who remain under-represented, and whose works continue to be under-rated, in world culture today. Among the contributors are Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Zadie Smith, Warsan Shire, Malorie Blackman, Patience Agbabi, Roxanne Gay, Bernardine Evaristo and a host of literary stars of the future.
The release of the writer and broadcaster Margaret Busby’s landmark new anthology, New Daughters of Africa, published by Myriad, will be celebrated by offering an award worth £20,000 for black, female students ordinarily resident in Africa to study at SOAS University of London.
The Margaret Busby New Daughters of Africa Award will make possible a course of study free of the worry of fees and accommodation costs. Margaret Busby, alongside the publisher, will be donating a proportion of her royalties from the anthology to the fund.
Candida Lacey, Publishing Director of Myriad, said: “We are so proud to be publishing Margaret Busby’s new landmark anthology. In addition to celebrating the literary excellence, diversity and shared heritage of women of African descent, Margaret always wanted New Daughters of Africa to make a real difference to women’s lives. Thanks to the generosity of the 200-plus contributors, every one of whom has waived their usual fees, we were able to explore many worthy causes. SOAS, with its unrivalled reputation for championing international understanding, recognition and awareness of African literature, shared our vision and leads the movement among universities to decolonise the curriculum. We couldn’t have hoped for a better partner. The additional support of International Students House hugely increases the value of the award with the inclusion of accommodation and food.”

Margaret Busby who will be donating a proportion of her royalties to the fund alongside the publisher’s investment said: “It is a thrill and a pleasure to be able to shine a light on the remarkable creativity of each and every writer gathered in the pages of New Daughters of Africa. They must all take credit for their part in enabling the very special legacy that is this SOAS award. This is a truly empowering moment that I hope we can build on it in a way that will be a lasting inspiration and a pointer towards what becomes possible through imaginative collaboration.”
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