By Michael Chiedoziem Chukwudera
Joshua Chizoma, winner of the 2020 Awele Creative Trust for fiction and staff writer for Afrocritik has been shortlisted alongside four other writers for the 2022 AKO Caine Prize for African Writing. Chizoma was shortlisted for his short story, Collector of Memories published in Afritondo’s 2021 The Hope, The Prayer, The Anthem anthology.
Joshua Chizoma studied Law in University of Nigeria Enugu Campus, and is currently in Law School at the University of Nigeria in Kano. He was shortlisted in 2018 for the Kreative Diadem Prize, and won the 2020 Awele Creative Trust Prize for Fiction. He also won the 2021 Ken Saro Wiwa Prize for Criticism. He has written dozens of pieces on culture and religion for Afrocritik. His works have appeared in Prairie Schooner, Agbowo, Afritondo and elsewhere.
The five shortlisted stories were selected from 349 entries from across Africa. Speaking of the shortlist, Okey Ndibe, Chair of Judges, says: “The 2022 entries represented a staggering feast. It was a testament to the vibrancy, variety and splendour of creative talent among writers of African descent.”
Confidence Uwazuruike, editor of Afritondo has this to say about the shortlist:
“We are absolutely delighted that Joshua Chizoma’s short story has been shortlisted for the 2022 Caine Prize. Part of our motivation for founding Afritondo was to offer a platform to share Africa’s literary voices and stories with the world. We look forward to sharing even more African voices and building stronger ties with the Caine Prize to amplify these voices, both within and outside the continent.”
The five shortlisted authors were listed at the AKO Caine Prize website as: Joshua Chizoma (Nigeria) for “Collector of Memories,” Nana-Ama Danquah (Ghana) for “When a Man Loves a Woman,” Hannah Giorgis (Ethiopia) for “A Double-Edged Inheritance,” Idza Luhumyo (Kenya) for “Five Years Next Sunday,” and Billie McTernan (Ghana) for “The Labadi Sunshine Bar.”
Their stories are available to read here on the AKO Caine Prize website.
Congratulations to Joshua Chizoma and all shortlisted writers.