A few weeks ago, the AKO Caine Prize organizers announced that the award dinner held at the British Library will not hold this year due to pandemic conditions.

As an alternative, they commissioned British-Nigerian filmmaker Joseph Adesunloye to make a film celebrating the five shortlisted writers and highlighting the impact of the prize on African literature and culture.

The film was released on July 27th in a streaming session hosted on Youtube. Apart from announcing the winner of this year’s prize, which is British-Nigerian author Irenosen Okojie, the film features readings and short reflections by each of the shortlisted authors.

Chair of the judging panel Kenneth Tharp also talks about what the judges loved about the shortlisted stories. AKO Caine Prize chair Ellah P. Wakatama commented on the impact of the prize in creating a global space for 21st century African literature.

Watch!