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Monday July 1, 2013:  Kwani? has announced Ugandan Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi as the winner of The Kwani? Manuscript Project, a literary prize for unpublished fiction by African writers, for the novel The Kintu Saga . The second place has been awarded to Liberia's Saah Millimono for One Day I will Write about this War  and the Kenyan Timothy Kiprop Kimutai was awarded the third positioin for The Water Spirits. The winner Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi said: It is hard for me to express my joy because sometimes language can limited - even for a writer. When you have been writing as obsessively and for as long as I have, winning a competition like this one is like stepping out in the sun after protracted period of darkness.  The winners were selected from a shortlist of seven by a high-profile panel of judges chaired by  award-winning Sudanese novelist Jamal Mahjoub and including Deputy Editor of Granta  magazine Ellah Wakatama Allfrey, leading scholar of A...

The Kwani? Manuscript Project, a new one-off literary prize for unpublished fiction from African writers, is delighted to announce a shortlist  selected from a longlist of 30 . The seven shortlisted titles are: Ayobami Adebayo , Stay with Me (Nigeria)  Ayesha Harruna Attah , Saturday’s People (Ghana / US) Stanley Gazemba , Ghettoboy (Kenya) Toni Kan , The Carnivorous City (Nigeria)  Timothy Kiprop Kimutai , The Water Spirits (Kenya)  Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi , The Kintu Saga (Uganda / UK) Saah Millimono , One Day I Will Write About This War (Liberia) The shortlist has been selected, without the author’s name attached, by a high-profile panel of judges including Deputy Editor of Granta magazine Ellah Wakatama Allfrey, leading scholar of African literature Professor Simon Gikandi, Chairman of Kenyatta University’s Literature Department Dr. Mbugua wa Mungai, editor of Zimbabwe’s Weaver Press Irene Staunton and internationally renowned Nigeria...

Nairobi, 12 April 2013: The Kwani? Manuscript Project, a new one-off literary prize for unpublished fiction from African writers, is delighted to announce a longlist of 30 titles. The Kwani? Manuscript Project was launched in April 2012 and called for the submission of unpublished novel manuscripts from African writers across the continent and in the diaspora. The prize received over 280 qualifying submissions from 19 African countries. The 30 titles are spread across 10 countries in West Africa, 3; East Africa, 3; Central Africa, 1; and Southern Africa, 3. Kenya led the pack with 7 titles; followed by Nigeria with 6, South Africa with 4, Ghana with 3, Zimbabwe with 3,  and Botswana and Cameroon with 2 each. Liberia, Uganda, and Tanzania both had a title each in the longlist. A Night Without Darkness (Nigeria)   Across the Mongolo (Cameroon)  Azanian Bridges (South Africa / UK) Becoming God (Nigeria)   Born Different (South Africa) Carnivorous City (Nige...

To celebrate the African novel and its adaptability and resilience, Kwani Trust announces a one-off new literary prize for African writing. The Kwani? Manuscript Project calls for the submission of unpublished fiction manuscripts from African writers across the continent and in the Diaspora. The prize seeks fresh, original work that explores and challenges the possibilities of the novel. The top 3 manuscripts will be awarded cash prizes: 1st Prize: 300,000 KShs (equivalent to $3,500)  2nd Prize: 150,000 KShs 3rd Prize: 75,000 KShs In addition Kwani? will publish manuscripts from across the shortlist and longlist, including the three winning manuscripts, as well as partnering with regional and global agents and publishing houses to create high profile international publication opportunities. Winners will be announced in December 2012 at the Kwani? Litfest. For more information go to their website . Submission Guidelines: Deadline: 20th August 2012 Word count: 6...

Kwani Trust (meaning Why Not?), is dedicated to nurturing and developing Kenya’s and Africa’s intellectual, creative and imagination resources through strategic literary interventions. In this regard, especially to the latter, Kwani Press is calling out for Short Stories from all over Africa.  Submission criteria: Deadline: 31st June 2010 Word count: 3000 – 8000 words. Theme: ‘The Africa I Live In’. This is adult fiction (in the sense that it is not ‘children’s fiction’).   Since we are targeting a certain generation, we will only accept entries from writers born after 1978. The work ought to be in English or ‘Englishes’ – particularly since we are not making translations. The story must be ‘new’ in the sense that it is ‘unpublished in book form’ (We will accept submissions which have previously been published in magazines.) Please send submissions by email, attached as a WORD doc, to myafrica.kwani@gmail.com Published authors will be paid a fee of ...