Longlist Announced: The 2021 African Writers Awards and the Wakini Kuria Prize for Children’s Literature

August 19, 2021

The longlist for the 2021 African Writers Awards (AWA) and the Wakini Kuria Prize for Children’s Literature have been announced. Both awards are jointly administered by the African Writers Development Trust (AWDT), Writers Space Africa Foundation, and Writers Space Africa – Tanzania (WSA-Tz).

The African Writers Awards, in its third edition was open for submissions until May 31. It rewards writers with up to $100 in the category of poetry, creative non-fiction, and drama. The 2021 edition is themed “The Future of Africa.”

The Wakini Kuria Prize for Children’s Literature Trust, named in honor of Wakini Kuria who served on the Advisory board of the AWDT and as the Chief Editor of Writers Space Africa (WSA) magazine from 2017 until her death in 2019, awards varying cash prizes to submissions by African writers in the children literature genre.

Both awards will be presented at the 2021 African Writers Conference set to hold in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

See the longlist below.

African Writers Awards

Creative Non-Fiction

A Future Created by Africa for Africa by Ifem Chiemerie Bonaventure (Nigeria)
Adetutu by Adedoyin Adetutu (Nigeria)
Cultural Partnership for a Common African Future by Saliha Haddad (Algeria)
Is This Legacy by Oluchi B. Kolanisi (South Africa)
Long Live the Comrade by Peter Zowa (Zimbabwe)
Olugbon Lodge by Aanuoluwapo John Adesina (Nigeria)
The Capital of God’s Own State by Blessing O. Nwodo (Nigeria)
The Future Is Us by Oreoluwa Elujulo (Nigeria)
The Future of Africa by Jenrola David Anuoluwapo (Nigeria)
The Journey by Amatemeso Blessing Emmanuel (Nigeria)
The Shifting Horizon by Mukalo Lungile Musaluke (Zambia)
Today Can Be a Clean-up or Handover by Favour Iruoma Chukwuemeka (Nigeria)
What Makes Us African by Lee Ann Visagie (South Africa)
What Our Tales Entail by Jesse Bitrus Danjuma (Nigeria)
Whispers of the African Sun by Enoch Akinlabi (Nigeria)

Drama

A Country Called Africa by Dancan Ouma Obuya (Kenya)
Eating With Chopsticks by Gordon, B. Away (Kenya)
Fostered from a Thought by Irene Melissa Ojoro (Kenya)
Khandasi by Elizabeth Nafula (Kenya)
Right in the Middle by Akinkunle Johnson (Nigeria)
Stones on this Side by Chibuenyim Babalola (Nigeria)
The Dark Snake by Jonas Zaithwa Chisi (Malawi)
The Seventh Child by Omotayo Olaoye (Nigeria)
The Twist by Bernard Diesuk Lucas (Nigeria)
Zige by Ebinabo Fortune Robert (Nigeria)

Poetry

A Bright Morrow Looms by C. M. Okonkwo (Nigeria)
All You See, All You Don’t See Poem by Joseph Olamide Babalola (Nigeria)
In the grave of the brave by Clara Wanjira Kariuki (Kenya)
Mother Africa is like a Highway in a Metropolitan City by Basethile Ngcubo (South Africa)
No Other Miracle by Abigail-Tydale Bassey (Nigeria)
Ode To Our Birth by Esther Diepiriye (Nigeria)
On The Mountain Top by Faniyi Oluwatomiwa Elijah (Nigeria)
Pen Pain African by Mthobisi M. Ntjangase (Eswatini)
Tell The Child by Orji Peter Oluebube (Nigeria)
The Dining Table by Overcomer Ibiaduradara Ibiteye (Nigeria)
The Doomed House by Jamin Clement Manyasa (Kenya)
Not in the Tears of Yesteryear by Raphael Edookue Bariweremeloo (Nigeria)
The Stump Shall Grow Again by Olusola Adeboye (Nigeria)
Today, A Star Radiates Hope by Oduogu Victor Nkwachukwu (Nigeria)
Ubuntu by Ejang Patricia Peace (Uganda)