NommoNominations_2017
The Nommo Awards logo. Image from the ASFS Website.

The shortlist for the inaugural Nommo Awards for Speculative Fiction by Africans has been released, and among the familiar names on the 19-strong list are: Hugo and World Fantasy Awards winner and 2015 Brittle Paper Literary Person of the Year Nnedi Okorafor, Cameroun’s Ntone Edjabe who is the founding editor of Chimurenga, Nigeria’s Africa 39 author A. Igoni Barrett, Zimbabwe’s Caine Prize shortlistee Tendai Huchu, Nigeria’s Commonwealth Prize winner Lesley Arimah Nneka, Malawi’s Africa 39 author Shadreck Chikoti, Uganda’s AMAA-nominated filmmaker and author Dilman Dila, and Nigeria’s Writivism Prize winner Innocent Immaculate Acan who we recently published.

The Nommo Awards, founded in 2016 by the African Speculative Fiction Society (ASFS), recognise the finest fantasy or science fiction works by Africans. The African Speculative Fiction Society is a body of African writers, editors, publishers and graphic artists who nominate shortlisted works and vote for the winners. The awards are given in four categories: the US$1000 Best Novel named after the awards benefactor Tom Ilube, the US$500 Best Novella, the US$500 Best Short Story, and the US$1000 Best Comic or Graphic Novel.

ASFS members nominated their favourite works in the four categories and the works with the most nominations made the shortlist. The members will now vote over the next three months for the winner in each category. We are happy with what the ASFS team is doing: creating a necessary space for writing that usually goes overlooked.

Here are the shortlist categories.

The Ilube Award for Best Novel ($1,000)
● Azanian Bridges by Nick Wood.
● Azotus, the Kingdom by Shadreck Chikoti.
● Blackass by A Igoni Barrett.
● Rosewater by Tade Thompson.
● Taty Went West by Nikhil Singh.
Best Novella ($500)
● Binti by Nnedi Okorafor.
● The Flying Man of Stone by Dilman Dila.
● Hell Freezes Over by Mame Bougouma Diene.
● The Last Pantheon by Tade Thompson and Nick Wood.
● Ta O’reva by Muthi Nhlema.
Best Short Story ($500)
● “The Marriage Plot” by Tendai Huchu.
● “Ndakusuwa” by Blaize Kaye.
● “Sundown” by Innocent Immaculate Acan.
● “Wednesday’s Story” by Wole Talabi.
● “Who Will Greet You at Home?” by Lesley Nneka Arimah.
Best Comic or Graphic Novel ($1000)
● Avonome by Xavier Ighorodje (writer) and Stanley Obende (artist). Published by the Comic Republic.
● The Corpse Exhibition by Chronic no. 3. Various writers and artists. Edited by Ntone Edjabe.
● June 12 by Ibrahim Ganiyu, Chike Newman Nwankwo and Akinwade Ayodeji Akinola. Published by Vortex.
● Might of Guardian Prime: Issue 1 by Ozo Ezeogu (writer) and Jide Martin (artist); Issues 2-6 by Toheeb Deen Ipaye (writer) and Jide Martin (artist); and Issues 7-8 by Wale
Awelenje (writer) and Stanely Obende (artist). Published by the Comic Republic.

The winners will be announced in November 2017, at the Ake Festival in Abeokuta, Nigeria.

The ASFS publicity team includes Nigeria’s Chinelo Onwualu and Chiagozie Fred Nwonwu, Kenya’s Moses Kilolo, South Africa’s Nerine Dorman, Zimbabwe’s Masimba Musodza, the UK’s Tade Thompson, and the US’ Mame Bougouma Diene. The team can be reached via email: [email protected].

Congratulations to the authors, and best of luck in the final round.

Find out more on the ASFS Website.