ETISALAT PRIZE TURNS ALL EYES ON NIGERIA
Twice, Nigeria has failed to clinch the coveted Etisalat Prize for Literature. As the literary contest enters its third year, expectations are high that a Nigerian will win the prize. In its first year, 2013, Yewande Omotoso’s Bom Boy lost the crown to the Zimbabwean Noviolet Bulawayo’s “We Need New Names.” In the same vein, Chinelo Okparanta failed to steal the spotlight from south African Songeziwe Mahlangu.
At the press conference to announce the call to entry for the 2015 contest, one of the patrons Kole Omotoso, argued that there are great writers in other parts of Africa that have failed to hit the spotlight with their works. He cited Ghana as an example and commended Etisalat for doing their best to find these ones and make them shine with their works.
Also adding to this assertion are judges Zukiswa Wanner from Kenya and Molara Wood from Nigeria. They opined that the contest calls for others to sit up and contest to win the prize.
Ghanaian Ato Quayson will be chairing the judge in this year’s competition.
CEO of Etisalat Nigeria Matthew Wilsher who was also in the company of his wife Debra, stated that “The Etisalat Prize for Literature serves as a platform for the discovery of new creative writing talents out of the African continent.”
The CEO highlighted that following the success of the second year which was concluded early this year, the literary community is eagerly awaiting the third year. NoViolet Bulawayo won the maiden
edition of the Etisalat Prize for Literature with her highly celebrated debut novel, We Need New Names, while Songeziwe Mahlangu emerged winner of the second year of the prize with his novel, Penumbra.
The Etisalat prize is designed to foster writing in Africa, bring exciting new African writers to the attention of a wider audience, and promote the reading culture. The winner receives a cash prize of £ 15,000 in addition to a fellowship at the prestigious University of East Anglia under the mentorship of the award- winning author, Professor Giles Foden. The winner will also receive a sponsored three- city book tour while the two other shortlisted writers will receive a sponsored two- city book tour to promote their books. The Etisalat Prize for Literature also supports publishers by purchasing 1000 copies of the shortlisted books for distribution within the continent.
This prize accepts submitted works which must be a writer’s first work of fiction over 30,000 words, and published within the last 24 months. The Etisalat Prize will also launch the online based flash fiction prize later in the year to engage the rising stars of fiction.
Entries closes in August.