15 writers from Nigeria, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa, and Sierra Leone were longlisted.
By Hope Ibiale
Afritondo has announced the release of its longlist of 15 stories for the 2024 Afritondo Short Story Prize. This year’s edition saw over 300 submissions from African writers, showcasing their creative writing skills. 15 writers from Nigeria, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa, and Sierra Leone were longlisted. All stories selected for the longlist will be compiled and released in an anthology later this year.
The longlist will be whittled down to four shortlisted writers who will win $100 each, while an overall winner will receive a cash prize of $1,000. Being the fifth edition and a memorable time for the literary prize, this year’s contest will be judged by the first three winners, Jarred Thompson, Desta Haile, and Howard Meh-Buh Maximus.
The selected writers include:
Ema Babikwa (Uganda) — Medium
Vayunamu Bawa (Nigeria) — Thiero Island
Cynthia Kistasamy (South Africa) — The Beach House
Joshua Lubwama (Uganda) — Queen of the Radio
Sanni Omodolapo (Nigeria) — Your Name is Your Covering
Evalyne Muliwa (Kenya) — He Who Brings The Rain
mwĩhaki mũragũri (Kenya) — Longing
Hussani Abdulrahim (Nigeria) — reCaptcha
Sabah Carrim (Mauritius) — Fading Mehndi
Khetani Michael Banda (Zimbabwe) — Minus
Jesutomisin Ipinmoye (Nigeria) — Again?
T. Karuma (Zimbabwe) — Demon of False Hope
Charmaine Denison-George (Sierra Leone) — Traveling Men Don’t Die
Foday Mannah (Sierra Leone) — Of New Churches and Devils
Ufuoma Kwale (Nigeria) — Countdown to Forever
Afritondo is a media and publishing platform that aims to connect with and tell the stories of Africans and black minority populations across the globe. One primary purpose of the organisation is to improve diversity in publishing by offering aspiring African and black minority writers a viable platform for telling their stories.
More information about the longlisted writers here.