Damon Galgut
Damon Galgut, Two Other Africans Make 2021 Booker Prize longlist
South African writer, South Africa’s Damon Galgut is one of the three Africans on the longlist for this year’s Booker Prize.
Others among the 13 on the list are Karen Jennings, also from South Africa along with Somali/British writer Nadifa Mohamed.
Galgut’s nomination is for The Promise that features South Africa’s history of apartheid, peace and reconciliation.
The prestigious award is for a novel written in English by an author from anywhere in the world.
This is his third time on the longlist.
Jennings’ novel, An Island, tells the story of a friendship.
Mohammed’s work The Fortune Men is a historical novel focussing on the true story of discrimination against a Somali man in Wales in the 1950s.
She tweeted that she was “shocked and delighted” about her nomination:
Last year, two African authors – Maaza Mengiste and Tsitsi Dangarembga – made the shortlist, but neither of them won.
This year’s shortlist of six novels will be announced on 14 September with those authors each receiving £2,500 and a specially bound edition of their book.
The winning novel receives £50,000 and will be announced on 3 November at an award ceremony held in partnership with the BBC at Broadcasting House’s Radio