17th November, 2016
The list of nine books and authors was unveiled at the opening of the 2016 Ake Arts and Book Festival.
Elvis Ogiemwanye, Etisalat Nigeria’s Director, Brand and Experience and award-winning author and poet, HelonHabila announced the longlist.
On the longlist for the 2016 prize are: Mr and Mrs Doctor by Julie Tromuany;
The Yearning by MohaleMashigo; Piggy Boy’s Blues by NakhaneToure; The Peculiars by Jen Thorpe; Born On Tuesday by Elnathan John; And After Many Days by Jowhor Ile; Dub Steps by Andrew Miller; The Seed Thief by Jacqui L’ange; and Nwelezelanga The Star Child by Unathi Magubeni.
The Etisalat prize “celebrates debut African writers of published fiction”.
Previous winners include No Violet Bulawayo, Songeziwe Mahlangu and Fiston Mwanza Mujila.
The winner of the 2016 Etisalat Prize for Literature will be awarded a cash prize of £15,000 and will be mentored by Professor Giles Foden, award-winning author of The Last King of England at the University of East Anglia.
Adefoyeke Ajao