Chikoti wins Peer Gynt Literary Award
Shadreck Chikoti won the 2013 Peer Gynt Literary Award at a function held at the Latitude 13 degree Hotel in Lilongwe.
Chikoti who has also written Alendo Akulundiyamu, a Science and Mwana Wa kumudzi in 2003 and 2010 respectively, won the awrad with his novel manuscript Azotus.
The writer said the manuscript tells a story about Africa in the future. Its setting is the land of Azotus kingdom, and describes the new story about the kingdom after 500 years.
It is in Africa and villages have vanished and are replaced by stylish skyscrapers and aristocratic houses.
Chikoti said: “I am happy that I have the won, but I did not expect it. I was privileged that I had an opportunity to stay in Denmark for some months and because I had no much work to do I took advantage of the time to write the manuscript.”
Ananiya Ponje’s Evil Assignment and Pilgrims together by Jonathan Mbuna, scopped second and third positions respectively. Chikoti received K500 000 while Ponje and Mbuna got K300 000 and K200 000 respectively.
K50 000 consolation prizes went to Auspicious Ndamuwa, Davie Namusanya and Patrick Mughogho.
Speaking before the awards ceremony, chief jury James Ng’ombe said the competition exposed the need to improve in writing. He said, the submissions were of low quality and showed that the authors did not work with other writers before submitting them.
Ng’ombe said the top three manuscripts will undergo rigorous editing before being printed into novels.
Among the dignitaries at the event were Norwegian Ambassador Asbjorn Eidhammer, Minister of Tourism and Culture Rachel Mazombwe Zulu, Jack Mapanje, Ellen Banda-Aaku and several renowned writers
from within and outside Malawi. n
