23 Writers Shortlisted for the Morland Writing Scholarships for African Writers

by | Oct 12, 2021 | Gist Corner

The 2021 shortlists for the Morland Writing Scholarships for African Writers has been announced. This year’s shortlist includes nine Nigerians, four South Africans, two Zambians, one Ghanaian, one Kenyan, one Ugandan, one Namibian, and two Batswana writers.

Widely known as the Morland Writing Scholarship, the Morland Writing Scholarships for African Writers is given annually to African fiction and nonfiction writers to allow them produce the first draft of a completed manuscript. Selected fiction scholars will receive a grant of £18,000, paid monthly over twelve months while those writing non-fiction may receive a grant of up to £27,000, paid over a period of up to eighteen months.

The judging panel, which is being chaired by Muthoni Garland and assisted by Bibi Bakare-Yusuf and Chuma Nwokolo, selected the 23 shortlisted writers from a pool of 572 applications from across the continent. The shortlisted writers are:

            Ope Adedeji (Nigeria)

  • Caleb Ajinomoh (Nigeria)
  • Olakitan Aladesuyi (Nigeria)
  • Ivana Amy Akotowaa Ofori (Ghana)
  • Alithnayn Abdulkareem (Nigeria)
  • Harriet Anena (Uganda)
  • Asiya Gaildon (Somalia)
  • Alice Gichuru (Kenya)
  • Tamantha Hammerschlag (South Africa)
  • Ilze Hugo (South Africa)
  • Abubakar Ibrahim (Nigeria)
  • Anietie Isong (Nigeria)
  • Mubanga Kalimamukwento (Zambia)
  • Bwanga Kapumpa (Zambia)
  • Refilwe Mathapelo Mofokeng (South Africa)
  • Gothataone Moeng (Botswana)
  • Helen Moffett (South Africa)
  • Tinashe Mushakavanhu (Botswana)
  • Rémy Ngamije (Namibia)
  • Sukoluhle Nyathi (Zimbabawe)
  • Edwin Okolo (Nigeria)
  • Lekan Olanrewaju (Nigeria)
  • Ife Olatona (Nigeria)

“Our sole objective is to see world-class books written by African writers. Every one of our short list is capable of great work. The judges will find it hard to select the four Scholars,” Miles Morland said. “This year Nigeria has excelled itself with nine entries on the short list of 23 followed by South Africa with four. The short list was fifteen women and eight men. We were delighted to have had entries from over twenty-five countries. This year’s Nobel Prize for literature went to a great African writer. African writing is claiming its place on the world stage.”

The 2021 scholars will be announced on 23rd November.