The Glenna Luschei Prize for African Poetry is an annual award for a collection of poetry by an African writer. It is the only pan-African prize for a single collection of poetry. [1] It is named for the poet and literary philanthropist Glenna Luschei and is managed by the African Poetry Book Fund. Previous winners include Chijioke Amu-Nnadi, Kobus Moolman, Otoniya J. Okot Bitek, and Koleka Putuma.
The prize was established in 2014. [2] [3] It is named for and funded by the poet and literary philanthropist Glenna Luschei, who also endowed awards and the editorship at the literary journal Prairie Schooner. [2] [4] [5] The prize is administered by the African Poetry Book Fund, under its founding editor Kwame Dawes, in partnership with Prairie Schooner at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. [1] [2] [6] [7]
The prize is open to collections by poets born in Africa, or who are nationals and residents of an African country, or whose parents are African. [1] The collection must be 48 pages or more and must be written in English or published in an English translation. [1]
The prize is judged by a single writer each year. Judges have included Chris Abani, Bernadine Evaristo, Aracelis Girmay, and John Keene. Initially, the prize was $5000. [3] [8] Currently, it stands at $1000. [1] [9] [10] [11]
| Year | Author | Title | Judge | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Chijioke Amu-Nnadi | through the window of a sandcastle | Chris Abani | [3] [12] |
| 2015 | Kobus Moolman | A Book of Rooms | Gabeba Baderoon | [13] [14] [15] |
| 2016 | Rethabile Masilo | Waslap | Matthew Shenoda | [16] |
| 2017 | Otoniya J. Okot Bitek | 100 Days | John Keene | [17] [18] [19] |
| 2018 | Koleka Putuma | Collective Amnesia | Bernardine Evaristo | [20] [21] [22] |
| 2019 | Mangaliso Buzani | a naked bone | Aracelis Girmay | [23] [24] [25] |
| 2020 | Maneo Refiloe Mohale | Everything is a Deathly Flower | Phillippa Yaa de Villiers | [26] [27] [28] |
| 2021 | Leila Chatti | Deluge | Chris Abani | [29] [30] |
| 2022 | Togara Muzanenhamo | Virga | Matthew Shenoda | [31] [32] [33] |
| 2023 | Tawanda Mulalu | Please Make Me Pretty, I Don't Want to Die | John Keene | [9] [34] [11] [35] |
| 2024 | Momtaza Mehri | Bad Diaspora Poems | Aracelis Girmay | [36] |