NAN-H-80
Award
By Kingsley Okoye
Abuja, Jan. 4, 2016(NAN) Helon Habila chair of the judging panel of the Etisalat Prize for Literature on Wednesday announced the nomination of nine authors for its 2016 Longlist Literature Award.
A statement from Etisalat Multimedia content obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja said the nine books were made up of entries from first-time authors whose books were published in the past 24 months.
It said that the judging panel would select three authors for the shortlisted, adding the final list of winners was unveiled in December 2016.
The statement added that the winner would be announced in March 2017 and would receive 15,000 pounds sterling with an engraved Montblanc Meisterstück pen.
Other benefits for the winner, according to the statement include an Etisalat-sponsored fellowship at the University of East Anglia.
It said that the winner of the prize would also be mentored by the renowned Prof. Giles Foden, author of “The Last King of Scotland’’.
According to the statement, the Etisalat prize for literature is a pan-African prize that celebrates debut African writers of published book-length fiction.
According to the statement, the nominated books for the award include “Mr and Mrs Doctor’’ by Julie Iromuanya published by Coffee House Press, U.S., “The Yearning’’ by Mohale Mashigo published by PanMacmillan, South Africa.
Other books include “Piggy Boy’s Blues’’ written by Nakhane Toure and published by Blackbird Books imprint of Jacana Media in South Africa; “The Peculiars’’ by Jen Thorpe and published by Penguin Random House in the U.S. and “Born on a Tuesday’’ by Elnathan John published by Cassava Republic, Nigeria.
Others, according to the statement are “And After Many Days’’ by Jowhor Ile, “Dub Steps’’ by Andrew Miller, “The Seed Thief’’ by Jacqui L’Ange and “The Star Child’’ by Unathi Magubeni.
The statement quoted the Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat Nigeria, Mr Matthew Willsher, who endorsed the judges as saying:
“The novels in this year’s Longlist represent a good number of African publishing companies. Each novel reflects a very interesting and dynamic perspective that will provoke intense conversations about different personal and societal issues.” (NAN)
KC/EAL/GY
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Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi/Grace Yussuf