South Africans dominate Etisalat Prize for Literature list

One of Nigeria's most innovative and fastest growing telecommunications
services company, Etisalat, last week announced the long list for the 2015 Etisalat Prize for
Literature.

This year's long list of nine books have been chosen from a field of over 100 titles submitted from across the continent. In all,
South Africans dominate the long list, with six writers and two Nigerians – Ifeoluwapo Adeniyi (On the Bank of the River) and Chigozie Obioma (The Fishermen)– making the longlist and one Democratic Republic of Congo, Fiston Mwanza Mujila.

The longlist for the 2015 Etisalat Prize for Literature include
Ifeoluwapo Adeniyi (Nigeria), On the Bank of the River, Penny
Busetto (South Africa), The Story of Anna P, as Told by Herself, Z P
Dala (South Africa), What About Meera, Kurt Ellis (South Africa), By Any Means, Paula Marais (South Africa), Shadow Self, Fiston
Mwanza Mujila (Democratic
Republic of Congo), Tram 83, Masande Ntshanga (South Africa),
The Reactive, Chigozie Obioma (Nigeria), The Fishermen, Rehana Rossouw (South Africa), What Will People Say?

The longlist was selected by an esteemed three-member judging panel.
Professor Ato Quayson, Molara Wood and Zukiswa
Wanner.

Quayson said, "The range
of submissions for the Etisalat Prize this year represents the vitality of literary writing on the continent, and the longlist is a selective showcase of the best to be found.

The subjects covered in the longlist are so fascinating and varied that it would take another novel just to describe them all "Magnificent!"