Authors Resoketswe Manenzhe from South Africa and Frances Ogamba from Nigeria have won the 2019 Writivism Short Story and Koffi Addo Prize for Creative Nonfiction awards, respectively.



Manenzhe was recognised for her short story Maserumo and Ogamba was rewarded for The Valley of Memories, at the awards ceremony held on August 18 in Kampala.Both stories capture the power of African spiritualism, beliefs and reincarnation.

Frances Ogamba’s Valley of Memories begins with a very well crated line, “To live with another man’s wounds is to wake at midnights with a searing pain and listen to the man breathe and exist.

”I am going to my uncle (Okwueke), the man who has been dead for seventy years and has inhabited my body for twenty-three odd years. I am visiting his one-time home through the Milken hill road that sits firmly on a ledge. The road is a coiled wire uncurling on discovery. The tars on it have cracked in some parts and lay bare a dusty terrain. A slope and a cliff flank the track on both sides, and tall slender trees of a certain breed stick out from the slope like praying hands. The verdure of the lush and virgin forest meld with the skies. The brae of the cliff is patterned in horizontal lines, like cornrows on a child’s hair. Bold writing done with the white chalk is waning from weather effects: Vote for Ugwuanyi. Man of the people. The forest injects a coolness that wiggles along the route, the calm as rich as I’d imagined it’d be.

Frances however, does a lot more than tell a story of her connection with a late uncle, Okwueke, she does the greater work of centering an African understanding of what happens before human life and after death.

Manenzhe and Frances Ogamba received a plaque and cash award of $500 each, as well as a chance to work on their manuscript in a one month residency at Stellenbosch University in South Africa.

“Winning this award means a lot to me. I have never won a prize. And this one is quite a big one, and amazing,” Manenzhe said.“

This award means a whole lot. It opens my story to a wide audience,” Ogamba said.

The 2019 Writivism Festival was held at the National Theatre in Kampala from August 15 to 18.

There were conversations, poetry recitals, stage plays, book readings and launches, and writing and photography masterclasses.

There was screening of short films and a photo exhibition by Marie Ainomugisha, Daniel Msrikale, Nebila Abdulmelik and Wasi Daniju.
The festival also paid tribute to the late Kenyan author Binyavanga Wainaina.


https://listwand.com/nigerian-wins-2019-koffi-addo-prize-for-creative-nonfiction-awards/

congrats.......

Congrats

God bless you girl for making us proud.
I’m taking the next one in 2020

Talented child. Don't, slack off and go beyond Africa.






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congratulations

sprayx54890:

how true is it?

NCAN is here to verify the name.

Though we don't know her,but she has done well for herself and her family.congrats.Pls,don't turn this nice news to tribal nonsense, remember she doesn't know you and you cant in any way share from the money.

she is from biafra period

.

MAGGILICIOUS:
Though we don't know her,but she has done well for herself and her family.congrats.Pls,don't turn this nice news to tribal nonsense, remember she doesn't know you and you cant in any way share from the money.

I went through your post history and found out you are just a cheap bigot.
That is what I do whenever I see people preaching like this.

And they always disappoint.

Ogamba means the one that travel to places.

For name checkers only

Igno kwenu

Nwa O42

Congratulations to this ones, at least they are not damaging Nigeria's reputation. I really celebrate you

SLAY MAMAS WONT LIKE THIS

Congrats young lady, this is just the beginning

I knew it must be Igbo amaka. They are representing in every area of life. Some channel that Igbo talent to wrong areas, but some are still making us proud. Igbo kwenu!!!!

Abi!

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An Ibo? What a suprise. I guess we shouldn't condemn all ibos then.

RTSC2:

I went through your post history and found out you are just a cheap bigot.
That is what I do whenever I see people preaching like this.

And they always disappoint.

You went through what? You get work o,chai.Well, you are entitled to your opinion anyway.Just know that it's not only Igbo or Yoruba that are here.Minorities are here too,of which am one.I just say it as I see it,don't care if you don't like it.Good thing about belonging to neither group is you can say the truth without pandering to any of the two.