The authors, who are the only writers of African descent on the list, were nominated for their books, Chain-Gang All-Stars and The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa.
By Hope Ibiale
American-Ghanaian fiction author, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, and Nigerian-born writer, Stephen Buoro, have been announced as part of the longlisted authors for the 2024 Aspen Words Literary Prize. The authors, who are the only writers of African descent on the list, were nominated for their books, Chain-Gang All-Stars and The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa.
Other longlisted books include Witness by Jamel Brinkley, The Laughter by Sonora Jha, Yellowface by R.F Kuang, I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makai, and many others.
This year’s longlisted books—10 novels and four story collections—explore vital contemporary issues and demonstrate the power of literature on thought and culture. The shortlisted authors will be announced on March 13, 2024, while the awards ceremony will take place at The Morgan Library in New York on April 25, 2024. The overall winner will be awarded $35,000.
(Read also: Deena Mohamed’s Book, Your Wish is My Command, Shortlisted for the 2023 Warwick Prize for Women in Translation)
The longlist will be judged by a panel of jurists, which includes Samantha Lan Chang, Christina Baker Kline, Anthony Marra, Chinelo Okparanta and Simran Jeet Singh.
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah’s debut collection, Friday Black, was nominated for the National Book Critics Circle: John Leonard Award for Best First Book, and won the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award.
Stephen Buoro was awarded second place in the Deborah Rogers Foundation Writers Award 2020 for his debut novel, The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa while still in manuscript form.
The Aspen Words Literary Prize is an annual literary award established by the Aspen Institute to honour works of fiction that address vital social issues. The prize aims to celebrate writers who contribute to the understanding and appreciation of significant issues through their literary work.
See the longlisted authors here.