Zambia’s Tell Your Own Story Literary Awards 2019 winners announced.

The winners for Zambia’s Tell Your Own Story Literary Awards 2019 were announced at the Mulungushi Conference Centre, Lusaka on May 31, 2019.

The Tell Your Own Story Literary Awards were founded in 2015 from the radio show “Tell Your Own Story” that runs on UNZA Radio that covers Zambian literary activity. The awards, an initiative of Concept Developers Initiatives through its partnership with Unza Radio, were meant to facilitate in the growth of the reading and writing culture in Zambia. Since then the awards have featured dozens of authors, publishers, book reviewers and also institutions promoting the reading and writing culture in Zambia. In 2018 writers like Ingrid Nayame, Joe Sakala and David Kashiki were crowned the best in Zambia.

The competition this year was organised by Concept Developers Initiative (CDI) and the Zambian Association of Literacy (ZALIT) with support from Butali House, Unza Radio, The WishBox Technologies Nomads Courtyard Hotels, and Resalu College.

From the shortlists announced on May 3, the winners in the various categories are;

1. Best Non-Fiction Category – Timothy Mulenga Sapato, Awake for Governance.
   2. Best Fantasy Category – Peter Roque Mbulo, Mother of Light.
   3. Best Fiction Category – Freeman Mwenge, Final Attempt.
   4. Best Short stories category – Uncel Sam, He is my Mother.
   5. Best Business Category – Chisanga Gabriel, Battles for Financial Health.
   6. Best Motivation Category – Pelekelo I. Mwiya, 7 Steps to Excellence.
   7. Best Upcoming Category – Perrykent Nkole, The Black Baloon.
   8. Best Romance Category – Augustine Katayi, The Pursuit of a Life Partner.
   9. Best Religious Category – Dr Lewis Shikapwasha, When Eagles Face Storms.
   10. Book of the year category – Mweo Kondolo, The Election.
   11. Best Creative writing – Nawonga Lungu, When a Man Loves a woman.
   12. Best Poetry Category Reuben Phiri-The Taste of Beauty

Apart from these winners the Minister of Tourism and Art Charles Banda, who was the guest of honor, presented a posthumous honours award to the families of the late Brenda Muntemba and Luka Mwango.