Commonwealth Writers' Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 16 (2002) Winner
Manu Herbstein
マヌ・ハーブスタイン
Manu Herbstein
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1936-01-01 （South Africa）
- Nationality
- South Africa
- Languages
- English
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist
- Active Years
- 2000-
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Commonwealth Writers' Prize (Best First Book — Africa) | Ama: A Story of the Atlantic Slave Trade | Best First Book (Africa) | Commonwealth Writers / Commonwealth Foundation | Winner |
Commonwealth Writers' Prize (Best First Book — Africa)
2002
Work:
Ama: A Story of the Atlantic Slave Trade
Category:
Best First Book (Africa)
Organization:
Commonwealth Writers / Commonwealth Foundation
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Ama: A Story of the Atlantic Slave Trade
2000 Historical novel 374 pagesDebut novel described as successfully blending extensive and meticulous research with abundant imagination to transport the reader into the violent world of the Atlantic slave trade.
Atlantic slave tradeSlaveryFamily and survivalResistance
Translations
Bibliography
- Ama: A Story of the Atlantic Slave Trade (2000)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Meticulous, research-based realismFaction: blending historical fact and imaginative reconstruction
- Recurring Motifs
- Violence and everyday life of the slave tradeFamily bonds and separationStories of survival and resistance
Legacy
Ama won the 2002 Commonwealth Writers' Prize (Best First Book — Africa) and was notable as the first electronic book to receive the award. The novel is recognized for its meticulous treatment of historical themes.
Quotes
-
"Successfully blends extensive and meticulous research with abundant imagination to transport the reader into the violent world of the Atlantic slave trade."
Source: ChickenBones: A Journal (review) (2000)
Trivia
- Ama was released as an electronic book and won the 2002 Commonwealth Writers' Prize (Best First Book — Africa); it was the first time the prize was awarded to an electronic book.