By Prisca Sam-Duru & Princewill Ekwujuru

The Etisalat Prize For Literature which was initiated in 2013, is about to canonise yet another laureate as the 2nd winner of the Pan African Prize which honours début fiction writers across Africa.

The Prize which holds unique qualities that make it stand tall among major prizes in Nigeria as well as all over Africa, has the objective of discovering new creative talent from Africa and promoting the burgeoning publishing industry on the continent.

Founded by Etisalat Nigeria, a telecommunications company which has become a major industry player,  the literature prize is the first ever pan-African prize that applauds debut writers of published fiction and flaunts a board of patrons comprising some of Africa’s finest intellectuals.

Africa’s finest intellectuals

Amongst other merits of having the prize is that it has created a space in major Publishing companies for first time writers who were hitherto, discarded like pieces of rags in the industry.

It was therefore in a bid to discover the next début fiction laureate in Africa that Etisalat Nigeria, on December 10, 2014, announced a shortlist of three writers for 2014  Etisalat Prize For Literature. Nadia Davids’, An Imperfect Blessing published by Random House Struik-Umuzi; Chinelo Okparanta’s, Happiness Like Water published by Granta Publication and Songeziwe Mahlangu’s, Penumbra published by Kwela Books, Imprint of NB Publishers, are the shortlisted writers and their works.

As Africa awaits the emergence of new winner, Etisalat’s search for Africa’s best debut fiction writer for 2014 will come to a climax on Sunday, the 15th of March 2015 at Intercontinental Hotel, Lagos when it will be announcing the winner of the second edition of the Etisalat Prize for Literature.

It would be recalled that  the maiden edition of the Prize was won by Zimbabwe’s  NoViolet Bulawayo with her winning entry, “We Need New Names” She was announced winner at  a befitting celebration held on  Sunday February 25, 2014, at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island Lagos.

Bulawayo  defeated two other writers, Yewande Omotosho with “Bom Boy”, and Karen Jenning with “Finding Soutbek” she went home with the coveted prize of £15,000, an engraved Montblanc Meisterstück pen, a Samsung Galaxy Note in addition to other privileges.

Also, in the flash fiction competition which had 20 finalists, Uche Okonkwo emerged tops with her entry “Neverland”, taking home the cash prize of £1000 and a Samsung galaxy note. Runners up in this category were Bonaventure Chukwu for “Fear” and Nzere Jeremiah for “Silent Screams”, each winning £500 and Samsung Galaxy notes.

Interestingly, the Award ceremony of the maiden edition of the prize, turned out to be an all women affairs as the three final contenders as well as winner of the flash fiction were all women, leaving the men, trailing behind. The men would be glad to know that , in this edition, the three final shortlist have two females and a male.

The judges are delighted at the quality of entries that have brought to the fore a strong shortlist of three contenders. Writer, academic, and chairperson on the panel of judges for the Etisalat Prize for Literature, Sarah Ladipo Manyika described the Etisalat Prize as a major intervention in the struggle for writing in African languages, for their place and visibility in the global sun of literary imagination adding that the 2014 shortlist showcases hitherto untold stories from across the continent and beyond.”

“This is a shortlist that delights in the newness of the topics being explored and in the diversity of narrative form. From short stories, to the short novel, to the epic novel – each is a gem in its own right” Manyika concluded.

Chief Executive Officer at Etisalat Nigeria, Matthew Willsher also expressed delight at the quality of writers the competition has attracted to the Etisalat Prize for Literature competition. The entries  he noted, are a “Fulfillment of Etisalat’s goal of encouraging talents and improving literacy in the African continent.

We commend the judges for the work they have done so far on this year’s competition and we are delighted with the strong shortlist which will ensure that a worthy winner will emerge. We will continue to encourage and recognize upcoming talents” said Willsher.

The winner of the Etisalat Prize for Literature 2014 will be presented with a cheque of £15,000, an engraved Montblanc Meisterstück and will attend the Etisalat Fellowship at the prestigious University of East Anglia, mentored by Professor Giles Foden, author of the Last King of Scotland which will include significant opportunities to meet other writers, publishers and most importantly, work on their second book.

Considering the quality of books in contention, one is forced to ask certain questions; Who will emerge winner this time around?

Will history repeat itself again? Will women outshine the male writers once again or will the only man standing amongst women, take the day?

And most importantly, will a Nigerian writer clinch the prize for the first time?