The Writivism prizes for fiction and nonfiction for 2017 announced

The shortlists for the Writivism Short Story Prize 2017 and the Koffi Addo Prize for Creative Nonfiction 2017 have been announced today.

A large part of the African writing community was today distracted by the beginning of the new season of The Game of Thrones. With many eyes elsewhere, our friends from Writivism decided that there could be no better day to announce the shortlists for two of their writing prizes the Writivism Short Story Prize 2017 and the Koffi Addo Prize for Creative Nonfiction.

The Writivism Short Story Prize has become a good gauge of the African writing scene since it was announced in 2012. Previous winners of the prize include Ugandan Acan Innocent in 2016, NIgerian Pemi Aguda in 2015 (Nigeria), 2014: South African Saaleha Idrees Bamjee in 2014, and Ugandan Anthea Paelo in 2013.

This year the prize is judged by Helon Habila (chair), Sumayya Lee, Ayesha Harruna Attah, Emmanuel Sigauke and Edwige-Renée Dro. The panel has chosen the following writers for the shortlist;

1. Fairies by Saaleha Bhamjee (South Africa)
2. Mobache by Régine Gwladys Lebouda (Cameroon)
3. Stolen Pieces by Munachim Amah (Nigeria)
4. The (Un)Lucky Ones by Andrew C. Dakalira (Malawi)
5. This Story Has No End by Blessing J. Christopher (Nigeria)

The five shortlisted short stories will be published on Munyori Literary Journal as in previous years.

The Non Fiction prize known as the Koffi Addo Writivism Prize for Creative Non Fiction and worth US$500 was won by Accra, Ghana based yoga instructor S.Y Tetteh. The panel choosing the winners in this category this year is E. C. Osondu (chair), Panashe Chigumadzi and Angela Kintu Rwabose. The names that make the shortlist are;

1. A Long Way From Home by Vivian Uchechi Ogbonna (Nigeria)
2. Finding Binyavanga by Sada Malumfashi (Nigeria)
3. Meat Bomb by Charles King (South Africa)

The three shortlisted nonfiction stories will be published on Enkare Review.

All the eight shortlisted writers will attend the 2017 Writivism Festival in Kampala from August 17-20 where the winner(s) will be announced.The winner of the Short Story Prize will take home a cash prize of 400 US$ and take up a one month writing residency at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. Short Story prize shortlisters will attend the Writivism festival and win 100 US $ each. The winner of the Koffi Addo Prize for Creative Non Fiction will take home a cash prize of 500 US $.

Alrighty then. Back to your Jon Snow watching.