2020 Commonwealth Writers Short Story Prize Award Ceremony
Celebrate the winners and the power of storytelling, hear extracts from the winning stories read by our special guests, and be the first to find out who is the overall winner of the 2020 Commonwealth Short Story Prize.
The ceremony is open to all.
Watch the live stream
Tuesday 30 June 1pm WAT
Jamaica 7am / UK 1pm BST / Nigeria 1pm / India 5.30pm / Australia AWST 8pm / ACST 9.30pm / AEST 10pm
Here are the 2020 prize regional winners.
*Africa
Innocent Chizaram Ilo
‘When a Woman Renounces Motherhood’
*Asia
Kritika Pandey
‘The Great Indian Tee and Snakes’
*Canada and Europe
Reyah Martin
‘Wherever Mister Jensen Went’
*Caribbean
Brian S Heap
‘Mafootoo’
*Pacific
Andrea E Macleod
‘The Art of Waving
Special guest readers at the event:
Bernardine Evaristo
Booker Prizewinning Author.
Swara Bhasker
Actor, ‘Nii Bhattey Sannata’ and ‘Raanjhanaa’
Elizabeth McGovern
Actor, ‘Downton Abbey’ and ‘Once Upon a Time in America’
Leila Bertrand
Actor, ‘Meantime’ and ‘Kidulthood’
Kerry Fox
Actor, ‘An Angel at My Table’ and ‘Shallow Grave’
Hosted by actor Shelley King
‘Coronation Street’ and ‘Tandoori Nights’
Register to watch the online ceremony on 30 June and receive exclusive content in the lead-up and beyond.
Morland African Writing Scholarship Announces 2020 judges.
Muthoni Garland, Chuma Nwokolo, and Bibi Bakare-Yusuf were announced as judges for the Morland African Writing Scholarships 2020 on June 15, 2020. The award is open for entries from July 1, 2020.
The Morland Writing Scholarships for African Writers, universally known as the Morland Writing Scholarship, gives writers a grant of £18,000, paid monthly over the course of twelve months. At the discretion of the foundation, Scholars writing non-fiction may receive a grant of up to £27,000, paid over a period of up to eighteen months.
Since it was founded, scholars have been awarded in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. Some of these writers have been Kola Tubosun, Edwige Renee Dro, Yewande Omotoso, Noo Saro-Wiwa, Akwaeke Emezi, Karen Jennings, and Ayesha Harruna Attah.
The foundation has today announced the judges for this year’s edition starting with writer, publisher, and Storymoja Festival founder Muthoni Garland who will be reprising her role as chair. Academic and co-founder of Cassava Republic Press Bibi Bakare-Yusuf remains on the panel while the new face is writer and lawyer Chuma Nwokolo.
Those who wish to enter for the scholarship can put forward their entries from July 1, 2020. For more information about the scholarship and entering for it please click here.
Text excluding title courtesy: JamesMurua
Reni Eddo-Lodge Becomes First Black British Author to Top The UK Book Charts
Congratulations are in order as Reni Eddo-Lodge becomes the first black British author to take the overall No 1 spot in the UK’s official book charts.
Eddo-Lodge’s “Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race” topped Nielsen BookScan’s UK top 50 in the week to 13 June, making her the first black British author to take the top slot since Nielsen began recording book sales in 2001.
The only black author to have taken the No 1 spot on the overall charts is the former US first lady Michelle Obama in 2018, with her memoir “Becoming“.
The book which was first published in 2017, has become extremely popular in the wake of the recent Black Lives Matter protests. “Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race” details why the author would not be having conversations about race with most white people because they “refuse to accept the legitimacy of structural racism and its symptoms”.
Last week, Reni Eddo-Lodge, became the first black British author to be number 1 on the on the non-fiction paperback charts, and she reacted to the news on Twitter stating that she was “dismayed by the tragic circumstances in which this achievement came about” she also described the fact that it took so long for a black British author to top the charts as “a horrible indictment of the publishing industry”.
Veteran Radio Presenter, Dan Foster is Dead.
News has reached us that Nigerian veteran On-Air personality, Dan Foster is dead. Details as regards the cause of death is still unconfirmed.
Until his death, the father of four worked with Lagos-based City FM radio station as a presenter.
Dan Foster was known for his ecclectic and game-changing approach to radio presenting with his move to Nigeria and a succesful stint with Coolfm radio station in the early 2000.
May his soul rest in peace.
