Writivism releases 2019 prize list
Brian Oduti
The Writivism Literary Initiative, a project of the Centre for African Cultural Excellence, has on Monday 25th April, released the long list for its 2019 fiction and Koffi Addo creative nonfiction prizes.
The Kampala based cultural organisation runs two contests for fiction and creative nonfiction annually, inviting entries from all over the African continent and the African Diaspora.
For the 2019 prizes, overall, just over 500 entries were received.
Chisanga Mukuka reads her winning creative non-fiction piece: 'Belonging’ at the 2018 Writivism Festival awards ceremony on August 19th in Kampala.
The fiction shortlist comprises 12 stories selected from 387 entries. The prize is judged by three judges, its chair is UK based award winning Ugandan writer, Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi, author of the novel Kintu.
Other judges are Zimbabwean writer and editor, Emmanuel Sigauke, and Ghanaian publisher, blogger, and activist Kinna Likimani.
This year, shortlisted fiction stories came from Nigeria, Kenya, Lesotho, Uganda, and South Africa.
The Koffi Addo creative nonfiction shortlist
The nonfiction prize is judged by South African novelist, poet, memoirist and short story writer, Karen Jennings, Kenyan academic Dr. Christopher Ouma, and chaired by Ghanaian novelist Ayesha Haruna Attah.
The 8 shortlisted writers in the nonfiction category are from Kenya, Liberia and Nigeria.
For the first time, for both prizes, there were submissions from Liberia and Lesotho.
Also, a writer, Frances Ogamba appeared on both longlists. From the longlist, a shortlist shall be selected.
Shortlisted writers will be facilitated to attend the Writivism festival in Kampala, where the winners will be announced and awarded.
Writivism’s managing editor, Esther Mirembe, said: “You receive 500 stories and all of this comes down to 20 that we can publish and mentor, there’ something bittersweet about that. Like, wow, there’s so much talent here. And I’m really proud of all the writers who decide to put their work out there. It’s important. I’m also grateful to the preliminary readers who make the judges work easier. The listed stories are all excellent in fresh exciting ways and I’m looking forward to the long-list.”
