mediainspired: Has anyone noticed that for any book by an African author to get shortlisted or outrightly win any of these book prizes run by the West, the theme and contents must revolve around the negative images they have formed about African and which they repeatedly want to shove down our throats as INFALLIBLE TRUTH? I am talking about themes and imageries of CORRUPTION, SLUM, WAR, INEQUALITY, PROSTITUTION, FRAUD, INTERNET SCAMS,SCAVENGING ON HUGE DUMP SITES, POVERTY AND MORE POVERTY. Check out the winners. From Chimamanda's Half of a Yellow Sun (War) to Í Do Not Come to You By Chance' (I can't remember the author), which was on internet fraud or yahoo yahoo.

So if you are an author and want to get shortlisted quickly, just let your novels be on any of these themes that appeal to these stereotypes mental colonialists, and GBAM! u've struck a chord with them! I read glimpses of these shortlisted novels and with due respect to the author, they read good. But Fantastic? Outstanding? No. Maybe that's me, though. My standards are high - very high. This is my craft and it comes naturally to me. But I refuse to be dictated to in the choice of themes and imageries by these myopic sentiments and biases. I mean, the world is advancing and do they think Africa will be perpetually chained down by these stereotypes they hold of the continent? I don't really blame though. These awards are celebrated because we've not got our own house in order and here mediocre works (and those authored by friends of the exco members) win the ANA awards and the likes. Would Chimamanda Adichie have won and ANA or any other Nigerian award? No, because of the flawed process. But she won a foreign (tag it 'international' if you want) and she became an overnight sensation.

Even though I'm crossed about the whole scenario, I know it's a catch-22 situation. Congrats though to the finalists.

babyosisi: Achebe must be smiling

Congrats folks
The girl has a typical South African look

Obiagu1:

She was so quick to click on the link with smiles on her face and with words in her mouth, words filled with now trite praises of how superior her people is; the greatest people to ever walk on this earth.
There and behold, the first name sounds familiar. With the quickness of finger of an experienced gamer, she scrolled down to see who the next nominee was. She paused for a while staring blankly into her screen, disappointed and jealous, she uttered a hiss.
By this time, her fingers were ready to type, but lacking the coordination of her partially inactive brain cells, words were written that could not hide her envy towards a people that keep breaking her heart.

Texas.Cowgirl:
Nothing new.......same Romeo and Juliet story. Copy and paste

But congratulations

slap1: Kudos! One of us is also on the short story category. Goodluck. Next year, I will be there. Amen!

Texas.Cowgirl:
Nothing new.......same Romeo and Juliet story. Copy and paste

But congratulations

Ndipe: Dr. Sule E. Egya wins the prize.

http://kiyoandfilo..com/2013/05/dr-sule-e-egya-nigerian-has-emerged.html