… will a Nigerian break the jinx

By  JAPHET ALAKAM- LITERATURE

Since its debut in 2013,when the telecommunication giant, Etisalat Nigeria, instituted the Etisalat Prize for Literature to reward first time prose fiction (novel) works and its publisher, no Nigeria author has won the prize, but this time, the coast seems clear for the emergence of a Nigeria as the winner for the coveted prize. This is based on the fact that two Nigerians were among the three shortlisted authors announced for the 2016 edition of its pan-African flagship literary prize, the Etisalat Prize for Literature, the third is a South African.

The three shortlisted books are:  Jowhor Ile (Nigeria) And After Many Days (Kachifo Limited, Nigeria), Jacqui L’Ange (South Africa) The Seed Thief (Umuzi Publishers, South Africa);  and Julie Iromuanya (Nigeria) Mr & Mrs Doctor (Coffee House Press, USA).

From the look of things, if the winner will be decided on points, Nigeria’s two contenders might pull their points together and emerge as the winner, but that is not to be, rather it will be based according to this year’s Chair of Judges, Helon Habila assertion that “In addition to originality of voice and literary excellence, our purpose was to also select a work that portrays an “African sensibility”. But be that as it may, the two Nigerians are already lucky winners and if the South African did not bring up a surprise, Nigerians will for the first time celebrate their own as the 2016 winner of the coveted prize.

The winner for the 2016 Etisalat Prize for Literature will be unveiled at the Grand Finale in Lagos, scheduled to take place in March 2017.

The winner of the Prize receives £15,000, an engraved Montblanc Meisterstück pen, an Etisalat sponsored book tour to three African countries as well an Etisalat-sponsored fellowship at the University of East Anglia, mentored by Professor Giles Foden, author of The Last King of Scotland. In addition, all the shortlisted writers will also enjoy a sponsored multi-city book tour while Etisalat will also purchase 1,000 copies of their books for distribution to schools, libraries and book clubs across Africa with the objective of promoting the reading culture and the publishing industry at large.

The authors were shortlisted after a longlist of 9 names, six South African and three Nigerians by a three-member judging panel comprising Nigerian novelist and poet, Helon Habila (chair of judges and author of Measuring Time, Oil on Water and Chibok Girls), South African writer and activist, Elinor Sisulu, and Ivorian writer and ‘Africa39’ laureate, Edwige Renée Dro.

The winner of the prize will be announced in the coming weeks at an award ceremony to be held in Lagos.

Commenting on the success of the 2016 Etisalat Prize for Literature, Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Matthew Willsher, commended the judges for their diligence in selecting the top three books out of the tens of titles that were received following the call for entry.

He said, “This is by no means a simple task. The role of the judges is quite enormous and we want to thank them for the attention and dedication to the entire review process which birthed the top three finalists”.

Willsher reiterated Etisalat’s commitment to continuously having an impact on the lives of Nigerians and indeed Africans by offering them innovative products and services and more importantly a platform that enables them to express their passion and creativity. Adding that Sarah Ladipo Manyika will be joining other renowned literary personalities as a patron of the prize.

The Etisalat Prize for Literature is the first pan-African Prize that celebrates debut African writers of published book-length fiction. It is open solely to debut fiction writers from African countries resident anywhere in the world. Now in its fourth year, it is acknowledged as the most prestigious literary prize for African fiction. The Etisalat Prize for Literature also incorporates an award for Flash Fiction, which is an online-based competition for non-published African writers of short stories.

Fiston Mwanza Mujila from Democratic Republic of Congo won with Tram 83 in 2015, South African novelist Songeziwe Mahlangu won with Penumbra in 2014 and Zimbabwean writer NoViolet Bulawayo was first winner with We Need New Names in 2013.