Thursday, March 19, 2009

Man Booker International Shortlist

Worth £60,000 to the winner, the prize is awarded every two years to a living author who has published fiction either originally in English or whose work is generally available in translation in the English language.

The winner is chosen solely at the discretion of the judging panel; there are no submissions from publishers. Nigerian writer, Chinua Achebe won the 2007 prize and Albanian writer, Ismail Kadare won the inaugural prize in 2005 and went on to gain worldwide recognition for his work. The 2009 panel of judges will be announced on 19 March 2008. In addition, there is a separate prize for translation and, if applicable, the winner can choose a translator of his or her work into English to receive a prize of £15,000.
Ngugi wa Thiongo has made the 2009 Man Booker Shortlist


The Man Booker International Prize echos and reinforces the annual Man Booker Prize for Fiction in that literary excellence will be its sole focus. The Man Booker International Prize is significantly different from the annual Man Booker Prize for Fiction in that it highlights one writer's overall contribution to fiction on the world stage. In seeking out literary excellence the judges consider a writer's body of work rather than a single novel.

Here is the list of other contenders
* Peter Carey (Australia)
* Evan S. Connell (USA)
* Mahasweta Devi (Bangladesh)
* E.L. Doctorow (USA)
* James Kelman (UK)
* Mario Vargas Llosa (Peru)
* Arnošt Lustig (Czechoslovakia)
* Alice Munro (Canada)
* V.S. Naipaul (Trinidad/India)
* Joyce Carol Oates (USA)
* Antonio Tabucchi (Italy)
* Dubravka Ugresic (Croatia)
* Ludmila Ulitskaya (Russia)

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

WINNERS THE BAOBAB PRIZE 2008

THE BAOBAB PRIZE ...an African literary award announces the winners of last year's competition.

The Baobab Prize for a work of fiction aimed at readers aged 8-11 years : Lauri Kubuitsile, Botswana. Story: Lorato and her Wire Car.

The Baobab Prize for a work of fiction aimed at readers aged 12-15 years: Ivor Hartman, Zimbabwe. Story: Mr. Goop.

The Baobab Prize for a rising writer aged 18 years or younger: Aisha Kibwana, Kenya. Story: Strange Visitors that took her life away.

Congratulations to the winners.

See their Website for next year's competition.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Emmanuel Sigauke Interviews Petina Gappah

An interesting interview by one of the newest, and strongest voices in Zimbabwean literature, Petina Gappa. I found the interview deep, intelligent and enriching.
Her collection of short stories, Elegy for the Easterly, will be published in April in the US.
ENJOY

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Commonwealth Writers Prize Fallout: Helon Habila Asks, “Is Nigeria’s Publishing Industry Dead?”

Helon Habila raises an important question that has been disturbing me and prodding my fingers to caress my keyboard ever since I read the news of this year's Commonwealth Writers' Prize shortlist. Only one Nigerian is present. All the rest are South Africans. But please don't rejoice yet. That Nigerian doesn't reside in Nigeria and the book was not produced in Nigeria either. So, it is only right that Habila raises this all important question: Is Nigerian Publishing Industry Dead? Thank God the question is not whether writing talent is lacking in Nigeria. This is a question that must be answered by all those responsible for the largely phony literary prizes that are awarded in Nigeria. Phony, I say. And one of them is supposed to weight as much as $50.000 dollars. Good Gracious!

by the way please read Habila's original words HERE