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press releases and articles 2003-04

PRESS RELEASE
Winners announced 15th January 2004

First time writers from Nigeria and Zambia and a university lecturer from Ghana have today been announced as winners of the 2004 Macmillan Writer’s Prize for Africa.

Selecting the winning manuscripts from over 500 entries and a shortlist of seven was no easy task. The judges found that a number of the entries had strong qualities in terms of originality, but they were mindful too of the young readership focus of the Prize. As Beverley Naidoo, Chair of the 2004 judging panel observes:

‘Once again we were struck by the enthusiasm and talent of writers across the continent, in particular the originality of so many entries in searching out characters and stories that touch us. The winning stories demonstrate both vitality of writing and contain intriguing insights into contemporary Africa. They spark the imagination and never lose sight of their intended young audience.’

The three winners are:

 Praise from the judges for Bamboo Girl: 

‘… a modern tale of Cinderella brought to the streets of Ghana, sometimes dark and at other times uplifting. It is a pacey, well constructed story that will engage young readers with the reality of child exploitation and the power of children to help each other. The appeal of Bamboo Girl lies in its simplicity, characters and attention to detail. The story, simply told, is of a world many will recognise but few can claim to understand.’

Praise from the judges for Begotten of the Gods:

‘The character of the ‘strange’ Cinema and the story of his existence is a celebration of the human spirit’s ability to assert itself in the face of bewildering odds. The author has woven both the traditional and modern elements in African story telling and come up with this incredibly satisfying tale. It is a real page turner and demonstrates the power of an extraordinary imagination combined with all the techniques of a skilled storyteller.’

Praise from the judges for Wandi’s Little Voice:

‘In Wandi’s Little Voice we see a teenage chronicler of the daily events about self and the family. The musings of the lead character offer insights into society and the process of ‘discovery’ and ‘growing up’. The author’s style reveals a rare gift for revealing the truths and contradictions at the core of human relationships.’

The Macmillan Writer’s Prize for Africa, a biennial event, is currently the only literary prize awarded to writers of unpublished African children’s literature. The junior and senior winners will each receive US$5,000 and the best newcomer, US$3,000.

There will be award ceremonies in Ghana, Nigeria and Zambia to celebrate the publication of each of the winning stories in September 2004.

The third Macmillan Writer’s Prize for Africa will be launched in January 2005.

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PRESS RELEASE
Official Shortlist announced 14th November 2003

Writer's from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda and Zambia have been shortlisted for the 2004 Macmillan Writer's Prize for Africa, the only prize to recognise the very best in unpublished African fiction for children and young people.

The shortlist of seven has been chosen from an impressive number of entries totalling just over 500 manuscripts.  Entries were submitted by both new and experienced writers from 18 different countries across the continent: Egypt, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  There were also a number of entries from writers living overseas.

This year's Chair of the judges Beverley Naidoo comments:
'The Macmillan Writer's Prize for Africa has once again revealed enthusiasm and talent in writers across the continent exploring a variety of themes.  Reaching our shortlist wasn't easy.  We actively debated individual merits in widely different scripts, assessing them in terms of originality, quality of writing and appeal to intended audience.  While our shortlist was unanimous, each of us was affected by yet other stories that touched us while not quite meeting all of our criteria.'

The shortlist which includes four new writers is:

* Authors eligible for the most promising New Children's Writer Award

The judging panel for the Macmillan Writer's Prize for Africa is:
Award-winning children's author Beverley Naidoo (Chair) and Meshack Asare; writer and broadcaster Aminatta Forna; and newspaper columnist and winner of the 2002 Best New Children's Writer Award Susan Kajura.

The winners will be announced on 15 January 2004 along with presentation and publication details.

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PRESS RELEASE
Launch Of Second Competition

Following the successful launch of the newly-published prizewinners in the first ever Macmillan Writer’s Prize for Africa, the second competition for this biennial event is now open to entrants from all countries in Africa. Established publishers Macmillan Education are sponsoring the prize with the following three awards and offer publication for the winning entries:

The closing date for all entries is 30th June 2003. Manuscripts will be evaluated by an independent panel of judges which includes prominent writers and critics, and the shortlist will be announced in November 2003. The prizewinners will be announced in January 2004 and there will be a special awards ceremony later in the year to celebrate the publication of the winning stories.

If you would like to receive a free leaflet containing details of the winning entries to the 2002 Prize, please contact your nearest Macmillan office or e-mail writersprize@macmillan.co.uk

For press coverage of the 2002 Prize, please click here.