The 2018 Wasafiri New Writing Prize winners and shortlist

Plunder by Deidre Shanahan (Fiction)
In the Garden Where the Gorgons Live by Daniella Shokoohi (Poetry)
Diary of a Teenage Boy by Len Lukowski (Life Writing)

Special commendations went to:

The Other Things in the Blood by IfeOluwa Nihinlola (Fiction)
Babes in the Wood by Maeve Henry (Poetry)
Feeding Grief to Animals by Rebecca Parfitt (Life Writing)

The full shortlist:

The judges were…

Susheila Nasta MBE (Chair) Founding Editor of Wasafiri, Emeritus at the Open University and has recently joined Queen Mary College as Professor of Modern and Contemporary Literature

Elleke Boehmer  Professor of World Literature in English at the University of Oxford, Director of OCLW, the Oxford Life Writing Centre, Wolfson College. She is the author, editor or co-editor of over twenty books, including monographs and novels. Her monographs include Colonial and Postcolonial Literature (1995/2005), Stories of Women (2005), Indian Arrivals (winner ESSE 2015-16 prize). Her novels include The Shouting in the Dark (long-listed Sunday Times prize, 2015), Screens again the Sky (short-listed David Higham Prize 1990). In 2013-15 Elleke was a judge of the International Man Booker Prize.

Malika Booker International writer whose work is steeped in anthropological research methodology and rooted in storytelling. Her writing spans poetry, theatre, monologue, installation, and education. Clients and organisations she has worked with include Arts Council England, BBC, British Council, Wellcome Trust, National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Arvon, and Hampton Court Palace.

Kerry Young Born in Kingston, Jamaica, to a Chinese father and mother of mixed Chinese-African heritage. She has a history of non-fiction writing and editing on issues relating to youth work. Kerry has published three novels: Pao (2011) shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award, the Commonwealth Book Prize and East Midlands Book Award. Gloria (2013) longlisted for the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature and nominated for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. And Show Me A Mountain (2016).  Kerry is a Reader for The Literary Consultancy, an Arvon Foundation tutor and a Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund.

Background to the prize:

The path to literary success can sometimes seem elusive, even for those with talent. So, in 2009, the Wasafiri New Writing Prize was launched to support new writers, with no limits on age, gender, nationality or background. With a list of high profile judges over the years including Brian Chikwava, Colin Grant, Maya Jaggi, Jackie Kay, Tabish Khair, Toby Litt and Blake Morrison, the NWP has boosted the confidence of writers in competitive times. In the words of 2015 Poetry winner Amaal Said: ‘Before I was shortlisted I was … convinced I was never going to write another poem again .. thank you so much for this, I never … want to stop writing.’

The 2017 Wasafiri New Writing Prize winners and shortlist

Some Freedom Dreams by Ndinda Kioko (Fiction)
Petit Navire by Mehran Waheed (Poetry)
Crinoline Lady by Julie Abrams-Humphries (Life Writing)

Special commendations went to:

Seven Hells by Zaid Hassan (Fiction)
What Yung Thug’s Colour Theory Best Describes As An Open Wound Or Open Letter by Momtaza Mehri (Poetry)
Bentong! Go Back to Bentong! by Aliyah Kim Keshani (Life Writing)

The full shortlist:

The judges were…

Susheila Nasta MBE (Chair) Founding Editor of Wasafiri, Emeritus at the Open University and has recently joined Queen Mary College as Professor of Modern and Contemporary Literature

Sabrina Mahfouz Award-winning poet, playwright and screenwriter and former Sky Arts Scholar for Poetry, Mahfouz’s work has been performed in the UK and the US

Andrea Stuart Writer and historian, author of Showgirls which was adapted for stage and screen, and the award-winning The Rose of Martinique: A Biography of Napoleon’s Josephine

Boyd Tonkin is an award-winning British writer, journalist and critic who chaired the judging panel of the Man Booker International Prize in 2016 – the English-speaking world’s premier award for translated fiction. He writes for The Observer, Financial Times, The Guardian, The Economist, The Spectator, New Scientist and Newsweek magazine, and contributes to BBC radio.

Background to the prize:

The path to literary success can sometimes seem elusive, even for those with talent. So, in 2009, the Wasafiri New Writing Prize was launched to support new writers, with no limits on age, gender, nationality or background. With a list of high profile judges over the years including Brian Chikwava, Colin Grant, Maya Jaggi, Jackie Kay, Tabish Khair, Toby Litt and Blake Morrison, the NWP has boosted the confidence of writers in competitive times. In the words of one winner: ‘Before I was shortlisted I was … convinced I was never going to write another poem again .. thank you so much for this, I never … want to stop writing.’

The 2016 Wasafiri New Writing Prize winners and shortlist

Winners:

Niamh MacCabe for Nobody Knows the Shivering Stars (Fiction)

Danielle Boodoo-Fortuné for Portrait of my father as a grouper (Poetry)

Shiva Rahbaran for Massoumeh: An Iranian Family in Times of Revolution (Life Writing)

In addition to receiving £300, the winners will have their work published in Wasafiri 89 (Spring 2017).

Special commendations were also given to:

H M Aziz for The Cheekovit (Fiction)

Zillah Bowes for Dogs who like fish (Poetry)

Cheryl Anderson for Round Yard (Life Writing)

We received over 600 entries this year, so we would like to say well done to everyone who entered, but particularly those who were shortlisted.

Shortlist:

FICTION

The Cheekovit by H M Aziz

A Pair of Silk Stockings by Helen de Burca

Nobody Knows the Shivering Stars by Niamh MacCabe

I am a forest, and a night of dark trees by Jarred McGinnis

POETRY

Dogs who like fish by Zillah Bowes

Green Eyed by Elisabeth Sennitt Clough

Portrait of my father as a grouper by Danielle Boodoo-Fortune

‘Daw’ in the Snow by Alan Remfrey

Petrol Station by Simon Robson

LIFE WRITING

Round Yard by Cheryl Anderson

Grey Monday by Rosemary Benzing

Massoumeh: An Iranian Family in Times of Revolution by Shiva Rahbaran

Skin by Alexandra Viets

September 1939 by Dr Abby J Waterman

Our thanks go also to this year’s judges:

Diran Adebayo, named ‘one of the Best Young British Novelists’ in 2002; world-renowned prize-winning poet Imtiaz Dharker; and Vesna Goldsworthy, award-winning writer, former BBC World Service journalist and Professor of Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia. The panel was chaired by Susheila Nasta MBE, Founding Editor of Wasafiri and Emeritus Professor of Modern Literature at the Open University.

Background to the prize:

The path to literary success can sometimes seem elusive, even for those with talent. So, in 2009, the Wasafiri New Writing Prize was launched to support new writers, with no limits on age, gender, nationality or background. With a list of high profile judges over the years including Brian Chikwava, Colin Grant, Maya Jaggi, Jackie Kay, Tabish Khair, Toby Litt and Blake Morrison, the NWP has boosted the confidence of writers in competitive times. In the words of Amaal Said: ‘Before I was shortlisted I was … convinced I was never going to write another poem again .. thank you so much for this, I never … want to stop writing.’

The 2015 Wasafiri New Writing Prize winners and shortlist

Winners:

Uschi Gatward for My Brother is Back (Fiction)

Amaal Said for The Girl Grew (Poetry)

Louise Kennedy for A Suitable Family (Life Writing)

In addition, the following three entrants were given special commendations:

Akwaeke Emezi for ‘Welcome’

Richard Georges for ‘Bush Tea’

Sarala Estruch for ‘Saturdays’.

Shortlist.

FICTION

My Brother is Back by Uschi Gatward

Postscript from the Black Atlantic by Koye Oyedeji

Welcome by Akwaeke Emezi

After the End of England by Gillian Best

This is how it ends by Paul Howarth

LIFE WRITING

A Suitable Family by Louise Kennedy

The Lotus Instructions by Jo Stones

Hospital Notes by Alice Curham

Dreaming in Latin by Jill Widner

Saturdays by Sarala Estruch

Red Glow in the Night by Ann Field

POETRY

Bush Tea by Richard Georges

Israeli Summer by Janine Rich

The Girl Grew by Amaal Said

I keep trying to lose my body by Amaal Said

Under the Tamarind by Royston Emmanuel

Judges

Susheila Nasta MBE (Chair) – Editor of Wasafiri and Professor of Modern Literature at the Open University

Toby Litt – Writer and academic in the Department of English and Humanities at Birkbeck, University of London

Yasmin Alibhai Brown – Ugandan-born British journalist and author

Roger Robinson – Trinidadian writer and musician based in the UK. Chosen by Decibel as one of 50 writers who have influenced the black British writing canon.

The winners and shortlisted entries

There are four winners this year, two of the poems being too close to call. Our congratulations go to:

Fiction: The Bearer by Simon van der Velde (UK) 

Life Writing:  Seeing Double by Aurvi Sharma (USA)

Poetry: Dot by dot of hurt by Pnina Shinebourne (UK) and First Generation Immigrant Child by Aria Aber (UK)

All four winning entries were published in the Spring 2015 issue of Wasafiri.

The Shortlist

Throughout 2015-2016 we will be publishing the shortlisted entries from the 2014 prize. A new entry will be added each month starting in May 2015 in the following order:

Greek Lessons by Jill Germanacos (Greece) Fiction

The Kitchen Duppy by Beth Thompson and Ovarn Brown (Jamaica) Fiction

Ellery Creek by Anne Vines (Australia) Fiction

How to make Pan Catalan by Mark Fiddes (UK) Poetry

Supply and Demand by Glen Wilson (UK) Poetry

At the speed of light, squared by Ann Kaiser (USA) Poetry

Walking in Lapeyrouse by Ayanna Gillian Lloyd (Trinidad and Tobago) Life Writing

Dreamsplitter by Robin James Ganderton Life Writing

My Father’s War by Paola Trimarco (UK) Life Writing

——

Our judges this year were:

Susheila Nasta MBE (Chair) Editor of Wasafiri and Professor of Modern Literature at the Open University

Bidisha Writer and broadcaster who has published with many leading newspapers and presented on the BBC

Inua Ellams Award-winning poet, playwright and performer who has appeared both nationally and internationally

Monique Roffey Award-winning writer and memoirist, author of White Woman on the Green Bicycleand Archipelago

Winners:

Life Writing 
Cliff Chen for Life Exchanges

Poetry
Anita Pati for A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Stealing Love

Fiction
Gita Ralleigh for Back at the Museum

The winning entries were published in Issue 77 of Wasafiri in February 2014.

Shortlist:

Life Writing

Tool by Mat Woolfenden

Swinging Low by Jacqueline Crooks

Life Exchanges by Cliff Chen

Escape Routes by Kaveri Woodward

and here it is by Richard Wotton

Fiction

Breathing by Orla McAlinden

Far from Home by Cliff Chen

Back at the Museum by Gita Ralleigh

Beauty of Reality by Anubha Yadav

If Hans Could See Her Now: A Transformation of Anderson’s “Little Mermaid” by Bethany Swale

Poetry

Isabella by Ron Carey

38 to Islington by Liz Bahs

A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Stealing Love by Anita Pati

Kama Sutra by Amali Rodrigo

For Difficult Daughters by Danielle Boodoo-Fortuné

This year’s judges:

Susheila Nasta MBE (Chair) Editor of Wasafiri and Professor of Modern Literature at the Open University
Anthony Joseph Poet, novelist, academic and musician, author of three collections of poetry and a novel, The African Origins of UFOs
Tabish Khair Award-winning novelist, poet and critic, shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize in 2010
Beverley Naidoo Writer for children and adults and winner of the Carnegie Medal and the Josette Frank Award

At a special event at Asia House on Wednesday 3 October, John Haynes announced the winners of the 2012 Wasafiri New Writing Prize:

David Houston for Wish You Were Here (Life Writing)

C S Mee for The Walk (Fiction)

Sally St Clair for In the Beginning and the End (Poetry)

The winning entries are published in Wasafiri 73 Spring 2013

The 2012 Shortlist:

Life Writing

Fairytales For Everyday by Jennifer Watson

Tante Djellah by Fiona O’Brien

Formidable Women by Pamela Brown-Peterside

A Tropical Breakdown by NSR Khan

Fiction

Three Stories About Drowning by Krishan Coupland

The Jakey by Pat Black

Martyr’s Square by Christian Van Nieuwerburgh

The Six O’Clock Train by Caroline Kinya Mbaya

Poetry

In a factory by Antoinette Fawcett

The Desperate Experiments of a Farmer in Debt by Nazneen Zafar

Pastoral (Moondragon) by Stephen Logan

Glosa by Amali Rodrigo

Judges

Susheila Nasta MBE (Chair) Editor of Wasafiri and Professor or Modern Literature at the Open University
John Haynes Poet, teacher and lecturer, winner of the Costa Prize (2006), Troubadour Poetry Prize (2007) and shortlisted for the T S Eliot Prize (2010)
Maya Jaggi Award-winning cultural journalist, writer, broadcaster and judge on many high-profile literary prizes
Colin Grant Writer, playwright, historian and broadcaster, most notably on BBC Radio 4 and the World Service

The winners of the Wasafiri New Writing Prize 2011 were announced by Fiction judge Brian Chikwava at a special event at Bush House in London.

Winners:

Richard Scott for Adin (Poetry)

Michael Marett-Crosby for Room 618 (Fiction)

Abeer Hoque for’ On Growing (Life Writing)

The winning entries are published in Wasafiri 69 Spring 2012

Shortlist:

Fiction

The Last Round by Carol Brick-Stock
The Killing Sea by Clare Girvan
The North Africa American Cemetry by Ali Khiari
The Teeth of Freedom by Steve Wade

Life Writing

Motherland by Geraldine Anslow
Love Letters From Transylvania by Hugh Kiernan
Lamount Hill by Amorella Lamount
Heist by Katy McAulay
List for Life by Margaret Thurgood

Poetry

Hive by Polly Atkin
A Breton Girl Spinning, 1889 by Mary Whistler
Clay Lady by Margaret Wilmot

Judges

Susheila Nasta MBE (Chair) Editor of Wasafiri and Professor of Modern Literature at the Open University
Brian Chikwava Award-winning writer and recipient of the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2004
Jackie Kay Celebrated prose writer, poet and playwright, awarded an MBE for services to literature in 2006
Daljit Nagra Critically acclaimed poet, winner of the Forward Prize (2007) and the ACE Decibel award (2008)

The Wasafiri New Writing Prize 2010 Winners and Shortlist

The winners of the Wasafiri New Writing Prize were announced at a special event on October 14, at Somerset House, London. There were four winners this year:

Noel Williams for ‘The Anthropology of Loss’ (Poetry)

Barabara Jenkins for ‘It’s Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White’ (Life Writing)

Jackie McCarrick* for ‘The Visit’ (Fiction)

Jane Ryan for ‘Minding Romiya’ (Fiction)

The winning entries can be read in Wasafiri 65 Spring 2011.

The 2010 shortlist:

Fiction

‘The Taj Mahal of the North’ by Emma Sweeney

‘A Fine Line’ by Judy Walker

‘Driving’ by Patrick Mountford

Poetry

‘The Translator’ by André Naffis Sahely

‘The Waiter’ by Ilona Lo Lacono

‘River Story’ by Maitreyabandhu

‘Leaning Some Manners’ by Nigel Smith

Life Writing

‘Tradewinds’ by Christabelle Peters

‘Fibs and Frogs’ by Nel Boswood

‘The Bad Malaria Shot’ by Renee Gioarell

’34 Pounds’ by Seif El Rashidi

Judges

Susheila Nasta (Chair) – Founding Editor of Wasafiri and Professor of Modern Literature at the Open University
Moniza Alvi – Award-winning poet and tutor at the Poetry School
Romesh Gunesekera – Internationally acclaimed writer and Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
Marina Warner – Writer, critic and Professor in the Department of Literature, Film and Theatre at the University of Essex

*Jackie McCarrick has since gone on to win the Lennon Poetry Competition and has been shortlisted for the Fish Award 2011.

The Wasafiri New Writing Prize 2009 Winners and Shortlist

The winners of Wasafiri‘s prize for new writing were announced by poet and prize judge, Mimi Khalvati, on the 31st October in front of packed audience at the Purcell Room, South Bank, London.

Ola Awonubi for ‘The Go Slow Journey’ (Fiction)

Rowyda Amin for ‘Monkey Daughter’ (Poetry)

Bart Moore-Gilbert for ‘Prologue’ (Life Writing)

The winning entries can be read in Wasafiri 61 Spring 2010

The 2009 shortlist:

Fiction

‘For the Love of Mathematics’ by Kerry Barner

‘Misshapes from Cadbury’s’ by Henderson Bray

‘One Shrug in Particular’ by Ian Madden

‘What Lies Under the Guava Tree’ by Maurice O’Conner

‘Billy’ by Dawn Promislow

‘Waiting’ by Wendy Ralph

‘What Lies at the Foot of the Lighthouse’ by Neil Randall

‘Mr Chivers’ by Anne Youngson

‘Street’ by Melissa De Villiers

Poetry

‘Pieces of Us’ by Sally Flint

‘The Silver Age’ by Jonathan Morley

Life Writing

‘Fast Tracks’ by Hannah Baker

‘Etiquette’ by Nel Boswood

‘Sic Transit Wagon’ by Barbara Jenkins

‘A Live Show by Sylvestra Le Touzel Teale

‘Water’ by A E Vincent

Judges