The 2017 Writivism Short Story Prize Goes to Nigeria’s Munachim Amah

The Writivism Short Story Prize has gone to Nigeria’s Munachim Amah. He won for his short story, “Stolen Pieces.” He will receive the $400 prize money.

First awarded in 2013, the Writivism Short Story Prize is organised by the Center for African Cultural Excellence (CACE) and is the highlight of the annual Writivism Festival. In the five years since, it has carved a niche for itself as a prize for short fiction by young writers.

Alongside Amah on the shortlist were South Africa’s Saaleha Bhamjee, for “Fairies”; Cameroon’s Régine Gwladys Lebouda, for “Mobache”; Malawi’s Andrew C. Dakalira, for “The (Un)Lucky Ones”; and Nigeria’s Blessing J. Christopher, for “This Story Has No End.”

Amah’s fiction appears in A Mosaic of Torn Places, an anthology we published, so his win is monumental for us. He joins a list of writers published by Brittle Paper who have won major prizes on the continent in 2017 alone: Romeo Oriogun’s Brunel Prize, Jowhor Ile’s Etisalat Prize, Akwaeke Emezi’s Commonwealth Prize. And others, also: Shade Mary-Ann Olaoye and Jonathan Durunguma’s Okike Prize. We have also published two of the finalists, Saleeha Bhamjee and Andrew C. Dakalira.

Congatulations to Munachim Amah. Read his winning story, “Stolen Pieces,” on Munyori Literary Journal.