Award-winning author and poet, Helon Habilaand Elvis Ogiemwanye, Etisalat Nigeria’s Director, Brand and Experience announce the longlist for the Etisalat Prize for Literature. Photo: Adedeji Hamed/Elixir

By Adefoyeke Ajao

The long list for the2016 Etisalat Prize for Literature has been announced. The list of nine books and authors was unveiled at the opening of the 2016 Ake Arts and Book Festival. Elvis Ogiemwanye, Etisalat Nigeria’s Director, Brand and Experience and award-winning author and poet, Helon Habila announced the longlist.

On the longlist for the 2016 prize are:
Mr and Mrs Doctor by Julie Tromuany;
The Yearning by MohaleMashigo;
Piggy Boy’s Blues by NakhaneToure;
The Peculiars by Jen Thorpe;
Born On Tuesday by Elnathan John;
And After Many Days by Jowhor Ile;
Dub Steps by Andrew Miller;
The Seed Thief by Jacqui L’ange;
andNwelezelangaThe Star Child by UnathiMagubeni.

The Etisalat prize “celebrates debut African writers of published fiction”.Previous winners includeNoViolet Bulawayo, SongeziweMahlangu and Fiston Mwanza Mujila.

The winner of the 2016 Etisalat Prize for Literaturewill be awarded a cash prize of £15,000 and will be mentored by Professor Giles Foden, award-winning author of The Last King of England at the University of East Anglia.