The launch of the Kalahari short story contest was a real success this year (2020). Several French, English or Swahili-speaking authors have sent their short stories to hope to be among the winners. Frances Ogamba from Nigeria finished on the top step of the podium and was presented with her award on Saturday, December 5, 2020.
Frances Ogamba was crowned for her text “My husband’swife” in the context of English-language news. His work, which earned him this discernment, will be published and published by the Kalahari short story team. She was already the 2019 winner of the Koffi Addo Creative Non-Fiction Award and a finalist for the 2019 Writivism Short Story Award. She also won first joint place for the 2019 Syncity NG Anniversary Anthology. She is an alumnus of the 2019 Purple Hibiscus Creative Writing Workshop taught by Chimamanda Adichie”.
The other three laureates are South African poet and writer Christine Coates of Cape Town, who holds a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of Cape Town. She has published three collections of poetry, Homegrown (Modjaji Books, 2014), Fire Drought Water (Damselfly Press, 2018) and The Summer We didn’t Die (Modjaji Books, 2020). The next winner is Cameroonian Howard M-B Mawimus, writer and scientist, editor for Bakwa Magazine and 2020 member, Miles Morland. The last candidate to stand out is Ugandan lawyer and writer Charlie Muhuzuma, whose work has been presented or is to be published in Jalada AFRICA, The Kalahari Review and IBUA Journal. He lives in Kampala.
Of the 304 English-language news stories sent, the history of the four laureates attracted the attention of the international jury composed of Elnathan John (Nigeria), Caoilinn Hughes (Ireland) and May-lan Tan (Hong Kong).
The Kalahari short story contest organized in collaboration with La Cene Littéraire has received a significant number of news from all over the world. In total, the jury processed 304 English-language news, 654 French-language news, and 52 Swahili news. The French-language awards will be presented in January 2021 due to the large number of candidates.
