The judges for the Kendeka Prize for African Literature, 2023, have been unveiled.
According to the prize, the chair of the panel is novelist Natasha Omokhodion-Kalulu, a Zambian based in Lusaka. Also Joining the panel is Richard Ali, a lawyer, novelist and poet based in Abuja, Nigeria and Pasomi Mucha, a novelist and a teacher based in Nairobi, Kenya
The organisers say that the call-out for the prize is still open and will come to a close on 15th May 2023. Winners shall be announced in the first week of October, this year.
The overall winner of the 2022 Prize was Scholastica Moraa, (Kenya) for her short story titled “Chained”. Adaoro Raji, (Nigeria) was the first runner-up for her story “Star Boy”, while Beverley Ann Abrahams, from Zimbabwe was the second runner-up for her short story, “Isithunzi”. The winning stories were chosen by a panel of three Judges chaired by Dr. Siphiwo Mahala, from South Africa. Also in the panel were Bisi Adjapon from Ghana and Faith Oneya from Kenya.
The winner of the 2021 Prize was Jenny Robson, from Botswana, for her story titled “Water for Wine”. Fatima Okhousami, from Nigeria, was the first runner-up for her story, “The Women of Atinga House”, while “Au Pair”, a story by Okpanachi Irene Ojochegbe from Nigeria, was the second runner-up.
The three stories on that inaugural list of winners were chosen from the five shortlisted stories by a panel of three Judges chaired by Lucas Wafula, a Kenyan, Edwige Renée Dro, from Côte d’Ivoire and Remy Ngamije, a Rwandan/Namibian.
For more details, visit www.kendekaprize.com .
The first Prize is Kshs 100,000, the second and the third prizes were Kshs 50,000 and 25,000, respectively.
Kendeka Prize for African Literature is an initiative by Andrew Maina, a Kenyan writer and it aims at encouraging Africans to write and read more. In participating in this contest, new talents have been discovered and when nurtured, can be great writers perhaps following in the footsteps of Ngugi Wa Thiongo, Chimamanda Ngozi Andichie among others.
The prize is run by an Advisory Board chaired by Prof Goro Kamau. Other members are, Andrew Maina, Dr. Tom Odhiambo, Muthoni wa Gichuru, Patrick Gatobu, William Mureithi and Lucas Wafula.
