Monday, November 11, 2024

Nigerian writer Arimah wins Caine prize for African writing

Must read

Nigerian High Commission apartments in Ghana demolished

Some new apartments built at the residence of the Nigerian High Commissioner in Ghana’s capital city Accra, have been demolished by bulldozers. The apartments have been constructed to...

Covid-19: Ghana records significant recovery numbers

Ghanaian health officials on Saturday said over 10,000 persons infected with the coronavirus have now recovered. The significant number of recoveries means the country now...

DR Congo: President’s ex-chief of staff jailed 20 years for corruption

The ex-chief of staff of the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been jailed 20 years by a high court. Vital Kamerhe was...

Covid-19: Zimbabwe’s health minister arrested, charged for graft

Zimbabwe's Health Minister Obadiah Moyo has been arrested over corruption allegations related to procurement of medical equipment worth $60 million. Moyo is accused of illegally...
Isaac Kaledzihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Kaledzi
Isaac Kaledzi is an experienced and award winning journalist from Ghana. He has worked for several media brands both in Ghana and on the International scene. Isaac Kaledzi is currently serving as an African Correspondent for DW.

Nigerian writer, Lesley Nneka Arimah has won the Caine Prize for African Writing.

The British-born Nigerian writer featured her satirical short story Skinned for the awards.

The writing focused on the challenges faced by women in African societies hugely dominated by traditional rituals.

The Caine Prize is worth $12,500. It is is awarded for a short story published in English.

A statement from the Caine Prize said “With a wit, prescience, and a wicked imagination, Skinned is a bold and unsettling tale of bodily autonomy and womanhood, and the fault lines along which solidarities are formed and broken.”

According to the chairperson of the judging panel, Peter Kimani, Arimah’s story was a “unique retake of women’s struggle for inclusion in a society regulated by rituals”.

In her acceptance speech , Arimah said to her fellow shortlisted writers that “Your stories have added to the profile of African literature, adding the many voices that we need to illuminate who we are.”

Per the story Arimah helped readers to appreciate the fortunes of Ejem, a character who comes from a culture where girls are uncovered at a certain age.

The girls then go naked until they are claimed by a man in marriage (their husband).

The 36-year-old told the Literary Hub that she got the idea came from a conversation about the difference between married and single women in Nigeria.

“A newly wed friend marvelled at how her family – usually difficult – became easy going after her wedding. Marriage gave unconventional women cover to be themselves, we observed,” Arimah said.

She later told the BBC that her story is set in an “alternate Nigeria… a parallel universe to ours”.

Arimah used the story to “touch on this aspect of Nigerian culture that privileges marriage and a woman being married [being] essentially her duty”.

The Cain Prize was established in 2000 to bring African writing to a wider international audience.

Source: Africafeeds.com

- Advertisement -

More articles

- Advertisement -

Latest article

Nigerian High Commission apartments in Ghana demolished

Some new apartments built at the residence of the Nigerian High Commissioner in Ghana’s capital city Accra, have been demolished by bulldozers. The apartments have been constructed to...

Covid-19: Ghana records significant recovery numbers

Ghanaian health officials on Saturday said over 10,000 persons infected with the coronavirus have now recovered. The significant number of recoveries means the country now...

DR Congo: President’s ex-chief of staff jailed 20 years for corruption

The ex-chief of staff of the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been jailed 20 years by a high court. Vital Kamerhe was...

Covid-19: Zimbabwe’s health minister arrested, charged for graft

Zimbabwe's Health Minister Obadiah Moyo has been arrested over corruption allegations related to procurement of medical equipment worth $60 million. Moyo is accused of illegally...

Ghana’s new law that jails citizens not wearing facemask 10 years

Ghanaians who fail to wear the face masks in compliance with a presidential directive risk going to jail for ten years. They also face a...