Foday Mannah, Gloria Blizzard, Juleus Ghunta, and Jailan Zayan are on the shortlist for the Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize 2022 announced on September 15, 2022.
Wasafiri, founded in 1984, is a UK-based magazine for international contemporary writing renowned for publishing some of the world’s most distinguished writers. The magazine’s Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize was launched to support new writers, with no limits on age, gender, nationality or background in 2009. It is handed out in the categories of fiction, poetry, and life writing. Some of the previous winners of the prize have been Sharma Taylor, Deirdre Shanahan, Ndinda Kioko, and Niamh MacCabe.
The shortlist for 2022 was revealed with the following writers of African descent making the cut;
Fiction
- Kasila’s Dream, Foday Mannah
Response: Deeply honoured and humbled. Always a delight to see stories from the home continent receiving due recognition. 😊
Life Writing
- Ghost, Gloria Blizzard
Response: Excited to be shortlisted in this international literary competition!
- Vecchia Bambina, Jailan Zayan
Response: So excited to be shortlisted for this amazing prize. Being part of the @WasafiriMag community is the stuff of dreams.
Poetry
- There Was Never Enough Salt In The Kitchen, Juleus Ghunta
Response: Thrilled to be shortlisted for the 2022 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing (Poetry) Prize. Congratulations to the other poets and writers.
The winners will be announced on Wednesday, October 19.
