Etisalat Prize for Literature list

Winner of 2015 Etisalat Literature Prize, Fiston Mwanza Mujila

The 2016 Etisalat Prize for Literature shortlist:

Mr. and Mrs. Doctor by Julie Iromuanya (Coffee House Press, USA), The Yearning by Mohale Mashigo (PanMacmillan, South Africa), Piggy Boy’s Blues by Nakhane Toure (Blackbird Books imprint of Jacana Media, SA), The Peculiars by Jen Thorpe (Penguin Random House, USA), Born on a Tuesday by Elnathan John
(Cassava Republic, Nigeria), And After Many Days by Jowhor Ile (Farafina an imprint of Kachifo Limited, Nigeria), Dub Steps by Andrew Miller (Jacana Media, South Africa), The Seed Thief by Jacqui L’Ange (Umuzi Publishers, South Africa) and Nwezelenga: The Star Child by Unathi Magubeni (Black Bird Books Imprint of Jacana Media, South Africa).

  The list was announced by Helon Habila, chair of the judging panel of the 2016 Etisalat Prize for Literature. The list, it was stated, is strictly on entries from first-time authors published in the past two years.

   The Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat Nigeria, Matthew Willsher, assured that the list represents diligent and careful selection based on merit.  

“The novels in this year’s longlist represent a good number of African publishing companies. Each novel reflects a very interesting and dynamic perspective that will provoke intense conversations about different personal and societal issues.”

  The winner of the 2016 Etisalat Prize for Literature will be announced in March 2017. The prize includes £15,000, an engraved Montblanc Meisterstück pen, and an Etisalat-sponsored fellowship at the University of East Anglia, Mentorship for the fellowship will come from Prof Giles Foden, author of The Last King of Scotland.