A Ugandan author, Jennifer Makumbi has won the Manuscript Price for a work titled ‘The Kintu Saga’.
The work traces the history of Uganda into the present lives of the novel’s protagonists. At dawn, on Monday, January 5, 2004 in Uganda, the curse of Kintu strikes. Kamu Kintu is brutally murdered by a mob in Bwaise. Three months later, ten men involved in his murder are found dead, their bodies strewn along Bwaise’s main street.
The story then travels back to 1750, to the beginning of the curse in the old kingdom of Buganda. ‘The Kintu Saga’ follows the misfortunes of the Kintu clan over 250 years, blending Ganda oral tradition, forms of myth, folktale and history with biblical elements. The novel explores ideas of transgression, curse and perpetuity, looking back at the history of Buganda Kingdom and tracing birth of modern Uganda.
The second position went to Liberia’s Saah Millimono with ‘One Day I Will Write about This War’ while Kenyan, Timothy Kiprop Kimutai was third with ‘The Water Spirit’.
The trio were selected from a shortlist of seven by a panel of judges chaired by award-winning Sudanese novelist, Jamal Mahjoub. The others were deputy editor of Granta magazine, Ellah Wakatama Allfrey, scholar of African literature, Prof. Simon Gikandi, Chairman of Kenyatta University’s Literature Department, Dr. Mbuguawa Mbugai, editor of Zimbabwe’s Weaver Press, Irene Staunton and Nigerian writer, Helon Habila.
Chair of the judge, Mahjoub said of the winners: “All three titles chosen by the judges display an urge to engage with the complexities of modern day Africa. They tackle issues such as civil war, the struggle against poverty, and the continent’s historical heritage, among other themes. As a manuscript award this prize naturally seeks to focus less on finding a perfect finished product than work which shows literary promise as well as a breadth and depth vision. The winner and two runners up all reflect these values.”
While Speaking on her victory, Jennifer Makumbi said, “It is hard for me to express my joy because sometimes language can be limited-even for a writer. When you have been writing a obsessively and for as long as I have, winning a competition like this one is like stepping out in the sum after a protracted period in the dark.” The prize worth 300,000 Kenyan Shillings (equivalent $3500).
Makumbi is an Associate Lecturer at Lancaster University where she completed a PhD in Creative Writing. She was born in Uganda and moved to UK in 2001 to study for a Master’s Degree. She lives in Manchester with her husband Damian and son, Jordan. She also runs the African Reading Group (ARG), in Manchester which focuses on obscure African writers. She is currently working on her second novel. Other writers among the shortlisted seven include Nigeria’s Toni Kan and Ayobami Adebayo.
Over 280 entries were initially received from 19 African countries before a long list of 30 was announced in April 2013.
Kwani Trust, organisers of the competition, plans to publish the winners, as well as additional manuscripts from across the shortlist and the long list, with the first titles planned for publication in April 2014.
