Nigeria’s Adegbeye wins prestigious LGBTQI+ literary prize

Nigerian author OluTimehin Adegbeye has walked away with this year’s Gerald Kraak Anthology and Prize for her essay, Mothers and Men.

The announcement was made last week by the Jacana Literary Foundation, in partnership with the Other Foundation, during the launch of The Heart of the Matter – a collection of the 21 shortlisted entries from over 400 submissions received from South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and six other African countries.

First launched in 2016 in honour of passionate champion for social justice and anti-apartheid activist Gerald Kraak, the annual prize aims to showcase some of the most provocative works of African LGBTQI+ fiction, poetry and non-fiction through each year’s publication.

According to TimesLive, this year’s judging panel included writer, storyteller, and author of Always Another Country, Sisonke Msimang; author and journalist Mark Gevisser, Professor Sylvia Tamale; as well as and writer, literary journalist and deputy editor of Brittle Paper, Otosirieze Obi-Young.

During the announcement, it was revealed that the judges were “taken by the fierce intensity of Mothers and Men”, which is described as “a meditation on the bonds between mothers and daughters”. The essay further explores “the fragility of healing with a rare sensitivity and insight”.

During the ceremony, the judges also praised the overall quantity and quality of the poetry submissions from this year.

Submissions for the Gerald Kraak Anthology and Prize are open all year. Click here for guidelines.