Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa
ウォーレ・ショインカ アフリカ文学賞
Biennial literature prize awarded to writers of African origin. Winners receive US$20,000 prize money.
- Established
- 2005
- Organizer
- The Lumina Foundation
- Category
- Literature and General Literary Arts
- Selection Method
- Open call
- Target
- Open
- Frequency
- 2 per year
- Application Deadline
- around October
- Announcement Period
- around April
- Status
- Active
Description
The Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa is a pan-African literature prize established in 2005 by The Lumina Foundation, awarded biennially to the best published books by writers of African origin. The prize was founded in tribute to Wole Soyinka, with an international panel of judges selecting the winning work. The winner receives US$20,000 at the award ceremony. Entries must be submitted in English or French. Originally open to all genres, since 2014 specific genres have sometimes been designated per edition (e.g., 2014=plays, 2016=poetry, 2018=prose). The ceremony is usually held in Lagos (Nigeria) or selected African cities.
Prize
- Main Prize
- Prize money US$20,000 (awarded at the ceremony)
- Cash Prize
- 20,000 USD
- Trophy/commendation at the award ceremony
- Presentation and honor by Wole Soyinka
Selection
Selection Process
| Stage | Judges | Pass Rate | Announcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application reception | The Lumina Foundation (secretariat) receives applications. | — | Publishes application guidelines on the official website and proceeds to judging after deadline. |
| Preliminary selection (longlist/shortlist creation) | Secretariat or selection committee conducts initial screening of documents/works to create longlist/shortlist. | — | Longlist/shortlist may be announced on the official website or press. |
| Final judging (deliberation by international judges) | International panel of literary figures judges finalists and selects winner. Wole Soyinka may present. | — | Winners announced at the award ceremony (held in Lagos, etc.). |
Criteria
- Literary excellence and expressiveness
- Originality (creativity)
- Theme significance and social impact
- Work completion and structure
- In English or French
Application Tips
Dos
- 公式の応募要項（Prize Rules）をよく読む
- 応募対象の回で指定されているジャンルがある場合はそのジャンルに合わせて応募する
- 英語またはフランス語で作品を提出する
- 作品を丁寧に編集・校正する
- 応募締切や提出フォーマットを守る
Don''ts
- 指定言語（英語・フランス語）以外で応募する
- 対象ジャンルが限定されている回に対象外のジャンルで応募する
- 応募要項に記載の形式や提出物を省略する
- 未確認の情報で複数回同一作品を重複応募する
From Judges
- 文学的価値と独創性を重視する
- 作品の言語表現と構成を整えて提出すること
- 応募規則を守り、指定ジャンルがある場合はそれに合わせること
Related Awards
- Grand Prix of Literary Associations
- Caine Prize for African Writing
- Noma Award for Publishing in Africa