Kwani? Manuscript Prize Unveils Shortlist

The Kwani? Manuscript Prize has released a list of seven finalists for the one-off literary prize for unpublished fiction. The competition which was exclusively for African writers initially had a strong cast of 30 which was then sifted to seven. A high caliber panel of judges which included Deputy Editor of Granta Magazine Ellah Wakatama Allfrey, Professor Simon Gikandi, and Chairman of Kenyatta University’s Literature Department Dr. Mbugua wa Mungai made the selection. Zimbabwe’s Weaver Press editor Irene Staunton and Nigerian writer Helon Habila were also part of the team.

Despite the competitive field, two Kenyan writers, Stanley Gazemba Ghettoboy and Timothy Kiprop Kimutai The Water Spirits, managed to squeeze into the final seven. Other finalists were: Ayobami Adebayo, Stay with Me (Nigeria), Ayesha Harruna Attah, Saturday’s People (Ghana / US), Toni Kan, The Carnivorous City (Nigeria) Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi, The Kintu Saga (Uganda / UK), and Saah Millimono, One Day I Will Write About This War (Liberia). The shortlist was made without the authors’ names being attached to the manuscripts.

“The five judges of the Kwani? Manuscript prize 2013 have carefully worked through a long list of 30. These showed a wide range of styles, subjects and regional concerns,” award-winning Sudanese novelist Jamal Mahjoub who chaired the judges’ panel, said. “The judges were primarily looking for works that show promise in terms of the writing itself as well as the breadth and depth of vision brought to bear by the authors. The final shortlist of seven entries reflects the overall consensus of the judges and summarizes their individual interests,” he added.

Initially, the prize got an overwhelming response of over 280 qualifying submissions from 19 African countries. From the current list of seven, a list of the best three manuscripts will be announced on Monday 1st July 2013 and will be awarded cash prizes totaling KES 525,000 (US $6000). Kwani Trust will also publish 3-5 of the shortlisted manuscripts by April 2014.

The Kwani? Manuscript Project was launched in April 2012 and called for the submission of unpublished novel manuscripts from African writers across the continent and in the diaspora. Pertinent themes covered by the manuscripts this year included class divisions, war and family conflicts.

Now that you know about this prestigious prize what will you be submitting for the 2014 submissions?

REPORT BY Mark Namaswa