Two African Writers Shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize

Two novels by African writers are among the six shortlisted books for the 2020 Booker Prize for fiction.

The shortlist was revealed Tuesday by 2020 Chief Judge Margaret Busby during a virtual press conference.

One of the novels is This pitiful body by Zimbabwean Tsitsi Dangarembga, a sequel to her 1988 book Nervous Conditions.

The book is about a woman who faces the realities of life and morality in Zimbabwe as she descends into poverty.

“I am overwhelmed. And delighted. And grateful to everyone who has been there for me on this path,” Dangarembga said on Twitter in response to her shortlist.

Dangarembga had been arrested by the Zimbabwean authorities in the capital Harare during a peaceful protest against government corruption in July and is expected to appear in court on September 18.

The other novel is The King of Shadows by the Ethiopian-American Maaza Mengiste, who discovers the extraordinary tales of African women who went to war during the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in 1935.

Mengiste is one of five authors on the short list who are either from the United States or have joint United States citizenship. She is also the first Ethiopian writer to make the Booker Prize finalist list.

“The King of Shadows is on the #TheBookerPrize list! I don’t know what to say OH MY GOD! “Mengiste tweeted after the announcement.

Other members on the short list are: Diane Cook (The new desert), Avni Doshi (Burnt sugar), Douglas Stuart (Shuggie Bain) and Brandon Taylor (Real life).

“The short list of six came together unexpectedly, the voices and characters resonated with all of us, even when they were very different. We are delighted to help spread these chronicles of creative humanity to a global audience, ”said Busby.

In 2019, British-Nigerian writer Bernardine Evaristo became the first black woman to win the award for her book. Girl, Woman, Other.

The Africans who have previously won the award are South Africans Nadine Gordimer, JM Coetzee and Nigerian Ben Okri.

The winner of this year’s award will be announced on November 17 and will pocket £ 50,000 ($ 64,000).

The Booker Prize for Fiction 2020 is open to writers of any nationality, written in English and published in the UK or Ireland between October 1, 2019 and September 30, 2020.