Literary prizes may not be the most objective gauges of literary merit, but one thing is sure about them: they promote literature and reward writers. In the prequel to this article, we introduced the first batch of literary awards for African writers: the Nigeria Prize for Literature, the Caine Prize for African Writing, the Miles Morland Foundation Writing Scholarships, the Nommo Award, and the South Africa Literary Awards (SALA). To conclude the series, here is a list of five more literary prizes and awards for African writers to consider.
Check out 5 prominent African literary awards you should give a thought to…
#1. The Safal-Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature (kiswahiliprize.cornell.edu)
The Safal-Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature was founded in 2014 by Mukoma wa Ngugi and Lizzy Attrey to promote reading and writing in African languages and encourage translation from, between, and into African languages. It was formerly known as the Mabati-Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature. The prize is awarded to unpublished manuscripts written in Kiswahili in the categories of Fiction (not less than 50,000 words), Poetry (not less than 60 pages), and Short Story Collection & Memoir (not less than 40,000 words).
Winners in each of the categories will be awarded $5,000 each; two runner-up prizes of $2,500 each will be awarded in any of the genres. The winning manuscripts will be considered for publication in Kiswahili by Mkuki na Nyota Publishers, Tanzania while the winning poetry will be translated into English and published by the Africa Poetry Book Fund. The Safal-Cornell Kiswahili Prize is the only pan-African literary prize for African literature in an African language. The prize is sponsored by the conglomerate, Safal Group. The Africana Studies Department of the University of Cornell offers some support to the Prize and its website.
#2. The Gerald Kraak Prize for Writing and Photography of African Perspectives on Gender, Social Justice, and Sexuality (www.theotherfoundation.org)
The Gerald Kraak Prize is an annual prize created to honor the legacy of the anti-apartheid activist and champion of social justice, and head of the Atlantic Philanthropies’ Reconciliation and Human Rights Programme in South Africa, Gerald Kraak (1956-2014). The prize is awarded to African writers and photographers whose work engages with gender and sexuality in ways that promote new insights into human rights on the African continent.
Finalists for the Gerald Kraak Prize are awarded $200 each; the runner-up receives $500 while the winner is awarded $2,000. The prize is awarded in partnership with The Other Foundation and Jacana Literary Foundation and is the only prize in Africa that covers all forms of writing and printable art. Past winning writers include Farah Ahamed, Sarah Waiswa, and Pwaangulongii Daoud.
#3. Aidoo-Snyder Book Prize (www.asawomenscaucus.com)
The Aidoo-Snyder Book Prize is a $500 prize awarded by the Women’s Caucus of the African Studies Association for books that prioritize African women’s experiences. It is named in honor of the celebrated Ghanaian writer, Ama Ata Aidoo, and the founding Director of UNIFEM, Margaret Snyder. Books eligible for the prize must be written by a woman, or women, and shall have been published in English and English translation in the two years preceding the award year.
The books must also significantly deal with Africa (including Cape Verde, and the Islands off the West Coast of Africa; Madagascar; and the Indian Ocean Islands of the East African Coast.). The Aidoo-Snyder Book Prize alternates each year between the best creative work and the best scholarly work. Past winners of this esteemed prize include Yaa Gyasi, Nneka Leslie Arimah, Aminatta Forna, and Fabienne Kanor.
#4. The Kendeka Prize for African Literature (kendekaprize.com)
The Kendeka Prize for African Literature is awarded for the best unpublished short writing either in fiction (short story) or creative nonfiction by citizens of any African country. Established in 2020 by the Kenyan author, Andrew Maina Kariuki, and named after his mother, Kendeka Nyambura, the Prize is administered by Solano Publications Ltd.
The Prize aims to nurture new and existing writers from the African continent and the Diaspora by providing a platform for these writers to tell their stories to audiences in Africa and across the world. Long-listed stories are usually published in the Prize’s anthology later in the year. The winning story is awarded Ksh100,000 in prize money while the second and third-place winners receive Ksh 50,000 and Ksh25,000 respectively.
#5. The Island Prize (www.hhousebooks.com)
The Island Prize is a manuscript prize established by the South African writer Karen Jennings to help African writers break into the UK publishing scene. Named in honor of her Booker-longlisted novel, An Island, the Prize is open to unpublished debut novelists from Africa, or the diaspora. Shortlisted writers will receive editorial feedback and guidance from literary agents and publishers as soon as the winner is announced.
The Prize is worth £500 in prize money in addition to the editorial feedback and mentorship by industry professionals in the UK and the US. Two runners-up will receive £200 each. The Maghreb Region Prize worth £200, initiated by a past runner-up, Hamza Koudri, is awarded alongside the Island Prize awards to support the best writer from the Maghreb region.
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