ZIMBABWEAN NoViolet Bulawayo has won the inaugural Etisalat Prize for Literature for debut fiction, for her novel We Need New Names, it was announced in Lagos, Nigeria on Sunday.
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Having missed out on both the Man Booker Prize and the Guardian First Book Award — it was shortlisted for both — NoViolet’s novel bagged what amounts to Africa’s richest open literary award.
She receives £15 000, by comparison, the Caine Prize — which she won in 2011 — is worth £10 000. The on-again, off-again NLNG Prize is worth considerably more at $100 000, but is only open to Nigerians; the Sunday Times Fiction Prize, at R75 000, is worth about £4 150 and is only open to South African citizens and residents.
Bulawayo was shortlisted alongside Yewande Omotoso and Karen Jennings.
Regional and international artistes and writers yesterday took to social media congratulating the Bulawayo-born writer for winning the gong.
South African artiste Zacks Mda said: “Congratulations to NoViolet Bulawayo for winning the Etisalat Prize for Literature! Thumbs up Etisalat. You don’t do things in half measures.”
AfricaReads weighed in: “Congratulations to NoViolet Bulawayo, winner of the Etisalat Prize for Literature for her novel We Need New Names.”
