Caine Prize for African Writing 2011
 NoViolet
Bulawayo from Zimbabwe has won the
£10,000 Caine Prize for African
Writing with her short story
"Hitting Budapest", published in the Boston
Review Volume 35.Hisham Matar, the Libyan Chair of the judges, announcing the news last night (11 July) at a dinner at the Bodleian Library, said: 'The language of ‘Hitting Budapest’ crackles. Here we encounter Darling, Bastard, Chipo, Godknows, Stina and Sbho, a gang reminiscent of Clockwork Orange. But these are children, poor and violated and hungry. This is a story with moral power and weight, it has the artistry to refrain from moral commentary. NoViolet Bulawayo is a writer who takes delight in language.' Bulawayo, born and raised in Zimbabwe, has recently completed her MFA at Cornell University, where she is now a Truman Capote Fellow and Lecturer in English. Another of her stories, "Snapshots", was shortlisted for the 2009 SA PEN/Studzinski Literary Award. She recently completed a novel manuscript tentatively titled We Need New Names, and has begun work on a memoir. Also shortlisted were: · Lauri Kubuitsile (Botswana) "In the spirit of McPhineas Lata" from The Bed Book of Short Stories published by Modjaji Books, SA, 2010 · Tim Keegan (South Africa) "What Molly Knew" from Bad Company published by Pan Macmillan SA, 2008 · David Medalie (South Africa) "The Mistress’s Dog", from The Mistress’s Dog: Short stories 1996-2010 published by Picador Africa, 2010 · Beatrice Lamwaka (Uganda) "Butterfly dreams" from Butterfly Dreams and Other New Short Stories from Uganda -published by Critical, Cultural and Communications Press, Nottingham, 2010 Matar's fellow judges were Granta Deputy Editor Ellah Allfrey, publisher, film and travel writer Vicky Unwin, Georgetown University Professor and poet David Gewanter, and author Aminatta Forna. Once again, the winner will be given the opportunity to take up a month’s residence at Georgetown University, Washington DC as a Caine Prize/Georgetown University Writer-in-Residence. The award will cover all travel and living expenses. |
