Nnedi Okorafor, Hawa Jande Golakai, Tomi Adeyemi, Mohale Mashigo, Wayetu Moore Lead Longlists for 2019 Nommo Awards for African Speculative Fiction

The longlists for the 2019 Nommo Awards for Speculative Fiction by Africans have been announced. Among the nominated are the Nigerian superstar Nnedi Okorafor, the Ghanaian-Canadian novelist Esi Edugyan, the Liberian novelists Hawa Jande Golakai and Wayetu Moore, the Nigerian novelist Tomi Adeyemi, the South African writer Mohale Mashigo, and the Nigerian writers Wole Talabi and Mazi Nwonwu.

The Nommo Awards, founded in 2016 by the African Speculative Fiction Society (ASFS), recognise the finest fantasy or science fiction works by Africans published in the preceding year. The ASFS 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.

The longlisted writers “will be asked to confirm their eligibility and eligibility of their works in writing,” as well as “be asked to make complete texts or excerpts available to ASFS Members only for purposes of informed voting.” Over the next three months, ASFS members will vote for the winners in each category from the shortlists.

Here are the longlists.

NOVEL LONG LIST NOMINEES AFONJA THE RISE Tunde Leye CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE Tomi Adeyemi CROWN OF THUNDER Tochi Onyebuchi EMPTY MONSTERS Cat Hellisen FRESHWATER Akwaeke Emezi JAH HILLS Unathi Slasha KNUCKLEBONE Nechama Brodie NORTH Frank Owen SHE WOULD BE KING Wayétu Moore SHOUNA: LA GENESE Amelie Diack A SPY IN TIME Imraan Coovadia THE STRANGE Masha du Toit WASHINGTON BLACK Esi Edugyan NOVELLA LONG LIST NOMINEES BINTI: NIGHT MASQUERADE Nnedi Okorafor THE FIREBIRD Nerine Dorman FISTULAS Mame Bougouma Diene HARD MARY Sofia Samatar NEID-FIRE Caldron Mull NOCTURNAL Ishola Abdulwasiu Ayodele SHORT STORY LONG LIST NOMINEES AN AMERICAN REFUGEE Tiah Beautement BEING A GIANT IN MEN’S WORLD Walter Dinjos BLACK AND GOLD Mame Bougouma Diene BLOOD SLIPPER Ilse Rensburg BRAND NEW WAYS (to lose you over and over and over) Blaize Kaye A BRIDAL SHROUD Mirette Bhagat DRIFT FLUX Wole Talabi THE FAERIE TREE Kathleen Kayembe THE FAR SIDE Gabriella Muwanga FOR WHAT ARE DELUSIONS IF NOT DREAMS? Osahon Ize-Iyamu GHOST STRAIN N Mohale Moshigo THE GIRL WHO STARED AT MARS Cristy Zinn THE GREY MAN Vittorio Leonardi HAUNTED BY THE CITY Mandisi Nkomo THE HARMONIC RESONANCE OF EJIRO ANABORHI Wole Talabi HEKA AND THE COLOUR THIEF Dennis Dvornak IN HER BONES Lindiwe Rooney IN THE GARDEN WATCHING NIM NOMS Osahon Ize-Iyamu THE INTERPLANETARY WATER COMPANY  Masimba Musodza INTO THE DARK Kelan Gerriety JIDENNA T J Benson JOURNAL OF A DNA PIRATE Stephen Embleton KU’GBO Dare Segun Falowo LEE-AH (SISTER) H J Golakai THE LUMINAL FRONTIER Biram Mboob MEMENTO MORI Tiah Beautement MIDDLE OF NOWHERE Walter Dinjos MOTHER OF INVENTION Nnedi Okorafor MUTSHIDZI  Mohale Mashigo NNEAMAKA’S GHOST Walter Dinjos NJUZU T L Huchu ORIGAMI ANGELS Derek Lubangakene PARENTAL CONTROL Mazi Nwonwu REMAINS OF AN OLD WORLD Blaize Kaye RIVER DOLL Tariro Ndoro SAFARI NYOTA Dilman Dila SAY IT LOW, THEN LOUD Osahon Ize Iyamu SECRET LIFE OF THE UNCLAIMED Suyi Davies Okungbowa AND SONGS DON’T END Osahon Ize-Iyamu THE TAILORESS OF CRIMSON LANE Shaun van Rensburg THE THIRD SET OF STITCHES Ray Mwihaki TIE KIDI Awuor Onyango TOOTHSOME THINGS Chimedum Ohaegbu THE UNUSUAL CUSTOMER Innocent Chizaram Ilo VAIN KNIFE Dare Segun Falowo OF WARPS AND WELTS Innnocent Chizaram Ilo WHEN WE DREAM, WE ARE OUR GOD Wole Talabi WHERE RIVERS GO TO DIE Dilman Dila THE WITCHING HOUR Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki THE WOODS ARE LOVELY Jason Hess YARD DOG Tade Thompson GRAPHIC NOVEL LONG LIST NOMINEES AKISSI: TALES OF MISCHIEF Marguerite Abouet (writer),  Mathieu Sapin (Illustrator), Judith Taboy (Translator), Marie Bédrune (Translator) BLACK PANTHER, LONG LIVE THE KING Nnedi Okorafor, Andre Araujo, Mario Del Pennino, Tana Ford ERU Tobe Ezeogu , Oze Ezeogu KWEZI Loyiso Mkize,  Mohale Mashigo, Clyde Beech KARMZAH Farida Bedwei, and Ravi Allotey of Leti Arts MALIKA – WARRIOR QUEEN Roye Okupe  (Author), Ayodele Elegba (Editor), Chima Kalu (Illustrator), Raphael Kazeem (Illustrator) ROVIK Yvonne Wanyoike (writer), Kendi Mberia, Salim Busuru (Creator and Artist) SHAKA RISING Luke W. Molver (Author, Illustrator), Mbongeni Malaba (Foreword) (South African), Mason O’Connor SHURI Nnedi Okorafor (Writer), Leonardo Romero TATASHE Cassandra Mark (Creator, Colourist and Writer) , Tobe Max Ezeogu (Artist) UNDER THE SUN Austine Osas (writer & creator), Abiodun Awodele (writer), Yusuf Temitope (art), Nsia Ndidi (colours & cover art) and Peter Daniel (lettering) Queries can be directed to: E-mail: [email protected]