And the winner of the 2014 Etisalat Prize for Literature is ...

South African Songeziwe Mahlangu emerged winner of the 2014 Etisalat Prize for Literature which took place at the Intercontinental Hotel Lagos, Nigeria on Sunday.

Mahlangu’s book ‘Pen Umbra’ earned him the prize money of £15,000.  He also get an engraved Montblanc Meisterstück pen and a fellowship at the University of East Anglia, mentored by Prof Giles Foden, author of The Last King of Scotland, while Etisalat will also buy 1 000 copies of each shortlisted book, and the shortlisted authors are rewarded with a book tour.

He edged out to other finalists Nigerian Chinelo Okparanta, author of ‘Happiness, Like Water‘ and South African Nadia Davids, author of ‘An Imperfect Blessing’.

The Etisalat Prize for Literature is the first ever pan-African prize celebrating first time writers of published fiction books. The Prize aims to serve as a platform for the discovery of new creative talent out of the continent and invariably promote the burgeoning publishing industry in Africa.

By recognizing and celebrating writers and other members of the literary community across Africa, Etisalat plans to bring some much needed awareness and acclaim to the art of Fiction writing while also applauding and rewarding the efforts of those who have ventured into this genre in recent times.

Congratulations to the winner and the other finalists! Keep promoting the African literature.