The Miles Morland Foundation has announced the shortlist for the 2022 Morland Writing Scholarships.
A statement on the foundation’s website says it received well over 500 entries from published authors.
“That number alone gives you a feeling for how many talented published authors there are in Africa. People sometimes ask how we come up with a shortlist from such an enormous entry. The first sieving is done by a very experienced editor with a bit of help from the MMF staff to produce a long list of about 100 submissions.
“We are confident that anyone who could be in the running for a Scholarship will make that list. Those names are then sent out to our team of readers, all experienced agents, editors or publishers, who assign numerical grades to the submissions. Each entry is graded independently by at least two readers. Using these grades as a guide a shortlist is then compiled with no notice being taken of nationality, gender, age, colour, or status. The only criterion is literary merit,” the statement explains.It goes on to say that the shortlisted submissions are then sent to the judges who meet on Nov 23rd in London to decide who this year’s Morland Writing Scholars will be with the announcement being made on Nov 24th.
The 2022 judges are Muthoni Garland in the chair, assisted by Bibi Bakare-Yusuf and Chuma Nwokolo.
The shortlisted authors are as follows:
Aba Asibon (Ghana)
Tarfa Benson (Nigeria)
Joshua Chizoma (Nigeria)
Eguono Edafioka (Nigeria)
Ibrahim Ibrahim (Nigeria)
Hymar Idibie (Nigeria)
Amanda Ilozumba (Nigeria)
Mubanga Kalimamukwento (Zambia)
Muhammad L. Kejera (Gambia)
Kiprop Kimutai (Kenya)
Neema Komba (Tanzania)
Wesley Macheso (Malawi)
Keletso Mopai (South Africa)
Chido Muchemwa (Zimbabwe)
Wairimũ Mũrĩithi (Kenya)
Mphuthumi Ntabeni (South Africa)
Chika Oduah (Nigeria)
Lanre Otaiku (Nigeria)
Obinna Udenwe (Nigeria)