Bessie Head Short Story Awards
べっしー・へっど たんぺん しょうせつしょう
Botswana literary award. Established in 2007. Honors the legacy of Bessie Head, aims to promote the development of Botswana literature by targeting works primarily written in English. Since 2015, focused on short story awards.
- Established
- 2007
- Organizer
- Bessie Head Heritage Trust
- Category
- Children's Literature, Fairy Tales, and Picture Books
- Selection Method
- Open call
- Target
- Open
- Frequency
- Annual (2007–2013: Novels and short stories annually, poetry and children's biennially. Since 2015 specialized in short stories)
- Status
- Active
Description
Winners and history (from source): 2007: Novel: Khonani Ontebetse (Born with a Husband); Short Story: Bontekanye Botumile ("Which Doctor"); Poetry: Monty Fanikiso Moswela ("Meeting in Francistown"). 2008: Novel: Phidson Mojokeri (Curse of a Dream); Short Story: Lauri Kubuitsile ("Solar Heater"); Poetry: Ita Mannathoko ("Kgalagadi, the Great Thirst"). 2009: Novel: Cheryl Selase Ntumy (Crossing); Short Story: Gothataone Moeng ("Putting On Faces"); Poetry: Luda Sekga ("He Was My Oppressor"). 2010: Novel: Tshetsana Senau (Travelling To The Sun: The Diary Of Ruth); Short Story: Legodile Seganabeng ("The Moon Has Eyes"); Children's Story: Jenny Robson ("The Right Time"). 2011: Novel: Tlotlo Pearl Tsamaase (Unlettered Skies of the Sublime); Short Story: Boikhutso Robert ("The Zambezi Crocodiles"); Poetry: John Hutcheson ("The Massacre of Innocents", "The Man", "Curse"). 2012: No awards (deferred). 2013: Novel: Veronica Jane McLean (The Hot Chain); Short Story: Moreetsi Pius Gabang ("Lesilo mo Maun"); Children's Story: Margaret Baffour-Awuah ("Two Frogs Go A'Wandering"). 2014: No award. 2015: First: Donald Molosi ("The Biggest Continent"); Second: Siyanda Mohutsiwa ("And Then We Disappeared into Some Guy's Car"); Third: Vamika Sinha ("Love and Other Almosts"). 2016: Caiphus Mmino Mangenela ("A Mother Amongst the Stars"). Administration: The awards are administered by the Bessie Head Heritage Trust. From 2007–2013 multiple genres were awarded; since 2015 the focus shifted to short stories. Some years (2012, 2014) had no awards.
Prize
- Main Prize
- Prize money and prize details not publicly available / Not specified in materials
Selection
Selection Process
| Stage | Judges | Pass Rate | Announcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Receiving submissions | Bessie Head Heritage Trust (administration) / Selection committee (individual judge information not published) | — | Winners announced on official website and press releases |
| Preliminary screening (documents screening) | Selection committee (details not disclosed) | — | After creating shortlist, proceed to final selection |
| Final judging (judges panel) | Judges panel (details not disclosed) | — | Winners published via official announcement |
Criteria
- Must be a work written in English (according to organization's purpose)
- Literary merit (expression, structure)
- Originality and importance of theme
- Contribution to Botswana literature or presentation of cultural context
Related Awards
- Botswana literary awards
- Regional writing competitions in Southern Africa