The second Caine Prize for African Writing has been won by Nigerian Helon Habila, for Love Poems. The result was announced by the writer and chairman of the panel of judges, Dan Jacobson, at a dinner at Oxford University. The award ceremony will take place in Nairobi in September, to coincide with the Kenya Book Fair.
Ten stories by the five authors shortlisted for the first Caine Prize, which was won by Leila Aboulela, have been published by M&GBooks under the title Tenderfoots.
“The judging was very difficult and voices were raised from time to time. In the end everyone agreed that Helon Habila was a worthy winner. His story impressed the judges, especially by its qualities of intensity and alertness to some of the most sinister aspects of Nigerian life under military rule”, said Dan Jacobson at the announcement dinner.
Helon Habila was born in Kaltungo, Gombe state, Nigeria, in 1967. He read Literature at the University of Jos, and then lectured in English and Literature at The Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, from 1997 to 1999. He wrote for Hints Magazine, in Lagos, where he anchored two popular columns, Campus Blues and Opinion. Helon Habila’s stories have appeared in anthologies in Nigeria, the first being Embrace of the Snake, in the collection Through Laughter and Tears, edited by Chidi Nganga, in 1992. His first book was a biography, Mai Kaltungo, (1997). Helon Habila also writes poetry. His poem, Another Age, came first in the MUSON Festival Poetry Competition 2000. Two of his poems, After the Obsession, and Birds in the Graveyard, have been selected for publication in the upcoming anthology, 25 New Nigerian Poets (Ishmael Reed, Berkeley, California). Love Poems appears in Prison Stories (Epik Books, Lagos, 2000), an anthology of his short stories. He is now Arts Editor of Vanguard Newspaper, Lagos.
Also on the shortlist were:
Mia Couto, from Mozambique, for ‘The Russian Princess’ from The Picador Book of African Stories 2000 (London)
Nuruddin Farah, from Somalia, for ‘The Affair’ from The Picador Book of African Stories 2000 (London)
Lilia Momple, from Mozambique, for ‘Celina’s Banquet’ from The Picador Book of African Stories 2000 (London)
Hassouna Mosbahi, from Tunisia, for ‘The Tortoise’ (Banipal, Autumn Issue 1999, London)
The shortlist was chosen from work submitted by publishers on behalf of 120 writers from 28 African countries.
The Prize, awarded annually for African creative writing, is named after the late Sir Michael Caine, former Chairman of Booker plc and Chairman of the Booker Prize management committee for nearly 25 years.
The other judges on this year’s panel were J M Coetzee, the only author so far to have won the Booker Prize twice; Jason Cowley, writer and Literary Editor of the New Statesman; Buchi Emecheta, Nigerian writer; and Veronique Tadjo, poet, novelist, painter and author of children’s books, from the Cote d’Ivoire.
The Prize has been supported by friends of Sir Michael Caine in the UK, USA and Africa, the Zochonis Foundation, the Marit & Hans Rausing Foundation, the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, the Headley Trust, the Esmee Fairbairn Charitable Trust, the David Alliance Family Foundation, the Cairns Charitable Trust, the Botwinick-Wolfensohn Family Foundation, the Sunrise Foundation, the Von Clemm Charitable Trust, Kenya Airways and Sarova Hotels.
Notes for Editors:
The Caine Prize is awarded for a work by an African writer, published in English (whether in Africa or elsewhere).
An “African writer” is taken to mean a writer born anywhere on the African continent whose work reflects that cultural background.
The Prize is awarded for a short story, with an indicative length of 3,000 to 15,000 words.
The three African winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Wole Soyinka, Nadine Gordimer and Naguib Mahfouz, are Patrons of the Caine Prize. Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne is President of the Council and Jonathan Taylor is the Chairman.
Last year’s winner was Leila Aboulela, from Egypt/Sudan, for “The Museum” in “Opening Spaces” (Heineman, Oxford, 1999).
For further information please contact:
Nick ElamPatrick Orr/Huma Humayun
The Caine Prize for African WritingRaitt Orr & Associates Ltd
Tel: 020 7376 0440Tel: 020 7828 5961
Fax: 020 7938 3728Fax: 020 7630 9750
E-mail: [email protected]: [email protected]