The James Currey Prize for African Literature has announced the shortlist for the 2021 edition.
The Chair of the jury of the inaugural edition, Sarah Inyal-Lawal, made this known July 1st, 2021.
The winner of the £1,000 prize will be announced on September 3rd, 2021, at a party organised for James Currey’s 85th birthday celebration in Oxford.
James Currey was born on September 3rd, 1936.
Those on the shortlist in no particular order are: Ani Kayode Somtochukwu (And Then He Sang A Lullaby), Stephen Embleton (Bones & Runes), Solomon Kobina Aremu (The Rage of Lambs), Ntando Gerald (A Reign of Terror) and Okwudiri Job (The Masses on Ashes).
The James Currey Prize for African Literature was instituted by Nigerian writer, filmmaker and publisher, Onyeka Nwelue. Jury members include Canada-based Nigerian publisher, Bibi Ukonu; Dr. Pinkie Megkwe (Botswana), Barbara Adair (South Africa), Kennedy Ekezie-Joseph (Nigeria), Arun Jay (India) and Miko Yamanouchi (Japan).
Currey, the co-founder of James Currey Publishers, which was established in 1984, has been called “The Godfather of African Literature”. His publishing house is responsible for producing a vast number of academic books, journals, fiction and non-fiction books about Africa, especially in a period when it was considered not profitable to publish books about Africa. He, together with Chinua Achebe, under the auspices of Heinemann Publishers, produced the famous African Writers Series (AWS), which have inspired many African(ist)s around the world.
More details can be found on: www.jamescurreyprize.com
