Booker Prize 2021: Three Africans on longlist

Three African writers feature on the longlist for this year’s Booker Prize.

The prestigious award is for a novel written in English by an author from anywhere in the world.

South Africa’s Damon Galgut and Karen Jennings along with Somali/British writer Nadifa Mohamed are among the 13 on the list.

Galgut’s nomination is for ‘The Promise’ that features South Africa’s history of apartheid, peace and reconciliation.

This is his third time on the longlist.

Jennings’ novel, ‘An Island’, tells the story of a friendship.

Mohammed’s work ‘The Fortune Men’ is a historical novel focusing on the true story of discrimination against a Somali man in Wales in the 1950s.

She tweeted that she was “shocked and delighted” about her nomination:

Last year, two African authors – Maaza Mengiste and Tsitsi Dangarembga – made the shortlist, but neither of them won.

This year’s shortlist of six novels will be announced on 14 September with those authors each receiving £2,500 and a specially bound edition of their book.

The winning novel receives £50,000 and will be announced on 3 November at an award ceremony held in partnership with the BBC at Broadcasting House’s Radio Theatre.

BBC