In a remarkable conclusion to its fourth year, the Island Prize, administered by Holland House Books, has announced not one, but two winners for 2025, reflecting the extraordinary talent showcased in this year’s entries. Ugandan author Zabu Wamara and South African author Kristien Potgieter have been jointly awarded the prestigious prize for their debut novels, Night Dancer and In the Valley of Bones, respectively.

“This year’s competition has once more attracted nearly 200 entries from across the continent, and the range of subjects, styles, and genres has been greater than ever before,” organizers shared in a press release. The judges noted the difficulty in narrowing the selection down to just nine longlisted titles, with five ultimately making the shortlist—exceeding the usual three.

Faced with two exceptional manuscripts, the judges made the unprecedented decision to name both Wamara and Potgieter as winners. “These are two very different novels, each with an original story and important themes, told in distinctive voices, and both more than worthy of publication and recognition,” the organizers said.

Set in contemporary Kampala, Night Dancer by Zabu Wamara follows Amani, a trainee therapist recovering from the trauma of her best friend’s death. Her return to work brings her into contact with Kay, a mysterious patient whose pain mirrors her own. As Amani digs deeper into Kay’s situation, she encounters Cosmas, a colleague from a remote village whose traditional beliefs stand in stark contrast to Amani’s clinical approach. As tensions rise and her judgment begins to fray, Amani finds herself at the crossroads of faith, identity, and the ethics of care.

Wamara, a writer and therapist based in Kampala, draws heavily on her professional experience to explore how mental health intersects with community and belief in modern African society. She holds an MA in Creative Writing (Prose Fiction) from the University of East Anglia, where she graduated with distinction as a Global Voices Scholar. Her work has appeared in The Weganda Review and the Ugandan cohort anthology for the International Chair of Creative Writing project. She is currently working on her second novel.

Set in the rural South African countryside in the 1940s, In the Valley of Bones by Kristin Potgieter is a gothic tale of forbidden love and creeping dread. After her romantic relationship with another nursing student is discovered, Mina Kruger is exiled to a remote town to work under the employ of Dr Nieuwoudt and his ailing mother. But all is not as it seems. Each morning, Mina wakes to find dead animals in her room; the town is haunted by a predatory leopard; and she begins to suspect her hosts harbor a sinister plan for her. Told through letters to her lost love, Becky, Mina’s growing sense of fear is revealed in chilling detail.

Potgieter, based in Johannesburg, is an author and editor with a PhD in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University and an MA from the University of East Anglia, where she was a Booker Scholar. She is the author of children’s books Bongi Ballerina and Bongi Ballerina Takes a Bow, and her short fiction and academic work have appeared in multiple publications.

The Island Prize, now in its fourth year, continues to gain prominence as a platform for new African fiction. Previous winners include Simbarashe Steyn Kundizeza (2024) and Reem Gaafar (2023).

Congratulations to Zabu Wamara and Kristien Potgieter!