Kenyan in AKO Caine Prize for African Writing 2022 shortlist

Kenyan author Idza Luhumyo is among the five shortlisted authors for this year’s AKO Caine Prize for African Writing. Luhunyo has been picked for ‘Five Years Next Sunday’. The other shortlisted authors are Joshua Chizoma (Nigeria) for ‘Collector of Memories’, Nana-Ama Danquah (Ghana) for ‘When a Man Loves a Woman’, Hannah Giorgis (Ethiopia) for ‘A Double-Edged Inheritance’, and Billie McTernan (Ghana) for ‘The Labadi Sunshine Bar’.

“The 2022 entries represented a staggering feast. It was a testament to the vibrancy, variety and splendour of creative talent among writers of African descent,” said Okey Ndibe, Chair of Judges.

A Kenyan, Troy Onyango, also made last year’s shortlist for his story ‘This Little Light of Mine’. The 2021 prize went to Ethiopian American meron Hadero won for her short story titled ‘The Street Sweep’.  The last time a Kenyan won the prize was Makena Onjerika in 2018. Other previous winners from Kenya are Binyavanga Wainaina (2002), Yvonne Owuor (2003) and Okwiri Oduor (2014).

Last month, another Kenyan Angela Wachuka was named as one of the judges for this year’s AKO Caine Prize for African Writing. The AKO Caine Prize for African Writing is a literature prize awarded to an African writer of a short story published in English. It was launched in 2000.

According to the organisers, this year saw a 130 per cent increase in submissions from writers across the globe; the five shortlisted authors were selected from a record total of 349 entries from 27 African countries. The winner will be announced at a ceremony held at the V&A in London on July 18. All of the shortlisted writers will be published in The AKO Caine Prize Anthology alongside stories written at the AKO Caine Prize Workshop, held this year in Ghana.