Clout of Africa

James Gibbons sees a flowering of the African mind in the most recent novels and collections of short stories. He has great words for Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Helon Habila, Laila Lalami and many more, and hopes that this truly initiates the long awaited emergence of African writing. I love that.
ENJOY!

Commonwealth Writers’ Prize 2009 – winners announced.

Courtesy of Beattie's Book Blog, the winners of 2009 Commonwealth Writer's Prize have been announced. The winners were from Australia and Pakistan.
Our African contingent, sorry to say, lost out. Okay, friends, let's keep our fingers crossed for our next year's contingent. There'll be many African women, friends. That's good news.
See the details here. ENJOY!

Three African Women Writers on Frank O'Connor Prize Longlist

Courtesy of Wealth of Ideas, three African Women writers, two Nigerians, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Sefi Atta and one Zimbabwean, Petina Gappah, are on Frank O'Connor Longlist. Good Luck, sistas! Only God knows what would become of Africa without her women. Ah, Mama Africa.

Check our Emmanuel Sigauke's Post. ENJOY

Caine Prize Shortlist 2009

From BOOK SA

Alert! The 2009 Caine Prize for African Writing shortlist has been announced, and SA’s Alistair Morgan features in the mix for the short story that has had everyone breathless, “Iceberg” (see link below to read it). Without further ado, the shortlistees are:

* Mamle Kabu (Ghana) “The End of Skill” from Dreams, Miracles and Jazz, published by Picador Africa, Johannesburg 2008
* Parselelo Kantai (Kenya) “You Wreck Her” from the St Petersburg Review, NY 2008
* Alistair Morgan (South Africa) “Iceberg” from The Paris Review no. 183, NY 2008
* EC Osondu (Nigeria) “Waiting” from Guernicamag.com, October 2008
* Mukoma wa Ngugi (Kenya) “How Kamau wa Mwangi Escaped into Exile” from Wasafiri No54, Summer 2008, London

Courtesy of BOOK SA

Rising Star: Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani, author

Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani's novel, I Do Not Come To You By Chance, has been published. It's already making noise. Sounds good.
See a kind of blurb, or perhaps pre-review noise. ENJOY!

Comic Elegies and Dead Dancers

Petina Gappah gave a great interview to African Writing Online. Good read and a beautiful window to her soul. It does appear that she wants to be known as a humorous writer. ENJOY!