Osunde emerges as the only African in this year’s longlist.
By Editor
Nigerian writer, Eloghosa Osunde, has been longlisted for the 2022 Centre for Fiction First Novel Prize for her book, Vagabonds! published by RiverHead Books in March 2022.
Praised by The New York Times as “A vibrant blend of big-city life and contemporary mythology,” Vagabonds! is set in Lagos.
The longlist comprises twenty-four debut novels chosen from over 140 titles submitted for the prize. Eligible titles are those published in the US between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022.
The shortlist is set to be announced this fall, and the winner will be revealed on the 6th of December, 2022.
The winner of the prize receives the sum of $15,000, while the other shortlisted authors will get $1,000 each.
The Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize, administered by The Center for Fiction, is an annual award that honours the best debut novel published in the US. The prize was first awarded in 2006.
African authors that have previously been shortlisted for the prize are Maaza Mengiste (2010), Taiye Selasi (2013), Chigozie Obioma (2015), Yaa Gyasi (2016), and Akwaeke Emezi (2018).