Winners of Macmillan prize announced

First time writers from Nigeria and Zambia, and a university lecturer from Ghana are the winners of the 2004 Macmillan Writer's Prize for Africa. The winners of this award for children’s literature award were announced on 15 January 2004. There were more than 500 entries.

The winners were Anthony Kwamlah Johnson from Ghana for Bamboo Girl, who won the Junior Award (an unpublished story in English for children between the ages of 8 and 12); Osita Okoroafor from Nigeria for Begotten of the Gods, who won the Senior Award (an unpublished story in English for teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17) and Ellen Mulenga Aaku from Zambia for Wandi’s Little Voice who won the New Children’s Writer Award (for an original story in either category by a previously unpublished writer).

Winners of the junior and senior awards will each receive a prize of US$5,000 and the best new writer will receive a prize of US$3,000. The winning entries will be published by Macmillan in September 2004.

Beverley Naidoo, chairperson of the 2004 judging panel , said they were struck by the enthusiasm and talent of writers across the continent. The winning stories demonstrated the vitality of writing and contained intriguing insights into contemporary Africa, she said.

For further information please visit www.write4africa.com