The Rwandan based Huza Press Prize for Fiction 2016 longlist has been announced with 20 writers making the cut. The prize is also supported by the Miles Morland Foundation, Parresia, and the Youth Literary Organisation.
The Huza Press, the only organisation that we know about in Rwanda, made a call out for short stories to the second edition of their prize. In the previous edition of the prize in 2015 the winners of the prize were Darla Rudakubana and Daniel Rafiki who shared the US$1,000 prize money.
The journey to the next edition of the prize started on 10th January as Huza Press announced the longlist of the prize for this year. Those in the running for Rwanda’s most prestigious literary prize are;
We are excited to announce the longlist for the Huza Press Prize for Fiction.
- Araje – Landry Ndoli Subira
2. October – Alfonsina Kayitesi
3. Alone in the Dark – Rutwaza Ganza Leon Leandre
4. Nsekanabo’s Chase – Joseph Njata
5. Beyond Repair – Lucky Grace Isingizwe
6. Safe – Dominique Uwase Alonga
7. Le Mariage de L’année– Kalume Féfé
8. Spilled Beans – Mutsinzi Eric
9. Three-Ringed Silver Ring – Rwabahizi Arnaud
10. Inoni – Denyse Umuhuza
11. L – Jessy Mugisha
12. Tempted – Ganza Moise
13. Another Boring Story – Victor Kagimba
14. My Brother’s Keeper – Shakila Kamatali Umutoni
15. Save the Children – Lucky Grace Isingizwe
16. Sum of all Good Things – Isaac Barclay
17. Confession – Emmanuel Byishimo
18. Echoes of love – Raissa Kamaliza
19. Les Histoires Inédites de Ruganzu II Ndoli– Jules Cesar Niyonkuru
20. Duexime Session – Kalume Féfé
It is nice to note that the stories are both in English and French. The shortlist will be announced on February 28, 2017. Those who make it to this list will end up in an anthology that would come out later in the year. The best story would get a cash reward of US$1,000 and the best ten will be mentored by some of the best writers on the continent. All of them will participate in regional literary festivals, think Writivism, Storymoja et al.
