Ugandan author is joint winner of Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature
Ms Harriet Anena (R) with Mr Wole Soyinka at the ceremony. Courtesy photo
Ms Harriet Anena, Ugandan author and poet is a joint winner of the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature 2018.
Ms Anena jointly won the prize with Prof Tanure Ojaide.
Prof Ojaide authored Songs of Myself while Ms Anena wrote A Nation in Labour which first launched in 2015.
The announcement was made at a ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria on Sunday.
After the announcement, Ms Anena tweeted: “Super happy to be the joint winner of the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa, 2018, for my book A Nation in Labour.”
A Nation in Labour is described as a collection of social conscience poetry that paints a picture of the giant politician, the restless citizen, the clueless youth, those struggling to heal from life’s scratches and the ones hunting for words to describe fiery flames of affection.
The Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature, worth US$10,000, is awarded every two years to the best book written by an African.
This year’s edition of the prize was for poetry and there were 110 submissions from 11 countries on the continent, including Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, and Rwanda.
A in Labour is described as a collection of social conscience poetry that paints a picture of the giant politician, the restless citizen, the clueless youth, those struggling to heal from life’s scratches and the ones hunting for words to describe fiery flames of affection.
Ugandan Ms Anena has been making a name for herself in recent years being shortlisted for her prose in the Commonwealth Short Story Prize this year and the Short Story Day Africa 2017 long list.
Prof Ojaide is a writer noted for his unique stylistic vision and for his intense criticism of imperialism, religion, and other issues.
The Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature for Africa is a pan-African writing prize awarded biennially to the best literary work produced by an African.
Established in 2005 by the Lumina Foundation, the prize is an honour of Africa’s first Nobel Laureate in literature, Wole Soyinka, who presents the prize whose winners are chosen by an international jury of literary figures.
