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Ama - a Story of the Atlantic Slave Trade  (374; Techmate) by Manu Herbstein won the Commonwealth Writers Prize for the Best First Book in 2002. It explores, boldly, one of the darkest moments of human history when human beings (blacks from Africa) were traded like articles or farm animals. Assessed for defects - muscles, clear eyes, etc. - and for profitability. Thus, in that period, black men and women were no different from livestock - in treatment and in conception.  Manu Herbstein painfully peels off the gangrenes from our necrotic wounds to show us our painful complicity as Africans in our own enslavement and therefore our debasement. To this extent Manu is in league with Ayi Kwei Armah, who in his books -  Two Thousand Seasons and The Healers  - showed how far we went as Africans, how lowly we bowed, how stupidly we grovelled, and how greedily we participated in our own destruction. Armah called the chiefs who stupidly surrendered our sovereignty for p...

The Commonwealth Foundation has made the call for entries for the new Commonwealth Book Prize and Commonwealth Short Story Prize. The prizes are part of a new initiative,  Commonwealth Writers , an online hub to inspire, inform and create a community of writers from all over the world. Together with the prizes,  Commonwealth Writers  unearths, develops and promotes the best new fiction from across the Commonwealth. Awarded for best first book, the Commonwealth Book Prize is open to writers who have had their first novel (full length work of fiction) published between  1 January  and  31 December 2011 . Regional winners receive £2,500 and the overall winner receives £10,000. The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction (2000-5000 words). Regional winners receive £1,000 and the overall winner receives £5,000. The winners will be announced in  June 2012 . Chair of the Commonwealth Book Prize, Marg...

The Commonwealth Foundation are (have) reviewed the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and the Short Story Competition. Commonwealth Book Prize Awarded for best first book, this prize is open to writers who have had their first novel (full length work of fiction) published in 2011. Regional winners receive £2,500 and the overall winner receives £10,000.  Both prizes will aim to unearth new writers from across the Commonwealth, with the Writers' Prize giving awards for the best first book only. The prizes will also be complemented by a series of outreach activities in identified countries in order to support aspiring writers. Thus, unlike previous years when awards were given to both best first book and first book, the new look will only consider 'best first book.' Commonwealth Short Story Prize Awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction. Regional winners receive £1,000 and the overall winner receives £5,000. The new look prizes will be launched in O...

After winning the award for Africa Region , Aminatta Forna , author of The Memory of Love , was voted as the overall winner yesterday at a ceremony organised for the winners, in Sydney. Best Book Winner: The Memory of Love  by Aminatta Forna (Sierra Leone). According to the judges: T h e Memory of Love for its risk taking, elegance and breadth. A poignant story about friendship, betrayal, obsession and second chances – the novel is an immensely powerful portrayal of human resilience. The judges concluded that The Memory of Love delicately delves into the courageous lives of those haunted by the indelible effects of Sierra Leone’s past and yet amid that loss gives us a sense of hope and optimism for their future. Forna has produced a bold, deeply moving and accomplished novel which confirms her place among the most talented writers in literature today. About Aminatta Forna:   Aminatta Forna was born in Glasgow, Scotland and raised in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Her first book, ...

The winners of the Commonwealth Writers Prize has been announced. The winners for Africa Region are: Best Book: The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna (Sierra Leone) Best First Book: Happiness is a Four-Letter Word by Cynthia Jele (South Africa) Congrats to all the winners. The shortlisted writers could be found here . Thus, I have increased my Commonwealth Writers Prize Winners Reading Project by two books, thanks to the winning authors.  The judges for the Africa Region include: Ajoa Yeboa-Afari (Chair) (Ghana), Peter Simatei (South Africa) and Beula Thumbadoo (South Africa). Read more about them here . Other Regional Winners announced include: Caribbean and Canada South Asia and Europe South East Asia and Pacific Click here to read the winners in those regions . The overall winners would be announced on May 21, 2011. 

The Commonwealth Writers Prize for Africa Region Shortlist has been announced. I got this information from Accra Books and Things who also led me to Africa is a Country , where the list have been posted. In the Best Book category there are six books: 4 from South Africa, 1 from Nigeria and another 1 from Sierra Leone. In the First Best Book category there are again 6 books equally shared between Nigeria and South Africa.  Hey! What are the writers in the other countries doing? Is this indicative of the dearth of excellent writers in the remaining fifty-two countries?  Africa Best Book: The Memory of Love by Aminata Forna (Sierra Leone) Men of the South by Sukiswa Wanner (South Africa) The Unseen Leopard by Bridget Pitt (South Africa) Oil on Water by Helon Habila (Nigeria) Blood at Bay by Sue Rabie (South Africa) Banquet at Brabazan by Patricia Schonstein (South Africa) Africa Best First Book: Happiness is a Four Letter Word by Cynthia Jele (South Africa) Bitt...

I read from The Bookaholic Blog that the winners for the Commonwealth Short Story Competition has been published. Once again, Nigeria, a country known for great literary talents such as Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, Ben Okri, Christopher Okigbo, Immomotime Okara, E.C. Osondu, Chimamanda Adichie, Elechi Amadi etc,  dominated the awards.  My belief in Nigerian writers has once again been affirmed by the confirmation of these awards. Nigeria abounds literary talents, and there are rich stories in Nigeria. However, just like any other country and any other profession, fame easily comes to the writer if he escapes the boundary of Africa and sojourn in an European or Western country, even if for awhile. The Regional Winner for Africa:  Kachi A. Ozumba of Nigeria for The One-Armed Thief Winners of the Highly Commended Stories include: Ayobami Adebayo of Nigeria for Dreams Akiwumi Akinwale of Nigeria for LFO Mbofun Carlang of Nigeria for The Father's Blessings ...