“The $500 African Writers Prize for poetry went to The Nilotic Coddiwomple by Marial Awendit from South Sudan.”
Winners have emerged in the 2023 African Writers Awards. Writers were awarded prizes in prose, poetry, and children’s literature during this year’s African Writers Conference at UNIMAC-GIJ, North Dzorwulu Campus, Accra, Ghana. The event was held from November 1-5.
The $500 African Writers Prize for poetry went to The Nilotic Coddiwomple by Marial Awendit from South Sudan.
There were three winners for the 5th edition of the Wakini Kuria Prize for Children’s Literature. A total of $450 was awarded for this prize. Tato by Nigeria’s Chantelle Chiwetalu clinched the first position, while Thandi and the Hair Whisperer by Lindsay Katchika-Jere from Malawi came second. The third position went to Uganda’s Grace Tendo for her entry, Meeme and the Singing Calabash.
Nigeria’s Adedokun Ibrahim won the second edition of the $100 African Teen Writers Awards for poetry with This Poem Leads Back Home. Rhythm by Johanna Ataman from Nigeria placed second, while E-M(AI)L by Zambia’s Theresa Shukrani Mulindwa was in third position. Runner-ups received no cash rewards.
It was an all-Nigerian affair in the second edition of the African Teen Writers Award for prose. Divine Okpe was awarded $100 for A Flipped Coin, while Alone by Oluwanifemi Fagbolagun and Treasure by Fayemi Iyinoluwa placed second and third, respectively. There were no cash awards for the next best winners.
Anthony Onugba, founder of Writers Space Africa and Chief Judge of the awards, expressed appreciation to the panel of judges chosen from across Africa. “Once again, we appreciate the judges who dedicated their time to the awards,” he said. The 2024 African Writers Conference will be held in Rwanda, he also announced.
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