Jhalak Prize: Nansubuga Makumbi and Patrice Lawrence win for their works

HERE ARE OUR WINNERS OF THE 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣1️⃣ JHALAK PRIZE

🎉 The First Woman by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi (@OneworldNews)

,🎉 Eight Pieces of Silva by @LawrencePatrice (Hodder Children’s Books)#JhalakPrizeAt5 pic.twitter.com/52qQjTTESw

— Jhalak Prize (@jhalakprize) May 25, 2021

A big 🥂CHEERS🥂 to all longlisted, shortlisted & well-deserved winners.

Do seek out them out

🎉 The First Woman – Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

🎉 Eight Pieces of Silva – @LawrencePatrice

either from your local indie bookstores #ChooseBookshops/Libraries/Online.

🥳💕🔖 pic.twitter.com/q5PU9GKiH9

— Jhalak Prize (@jhalakprize) May 25, 2021

Published in 2020, The First Woman centers on Kirabo, a young girl who grows up in a Ugandan village and with experience learns the worth of becoming a woman in a community that makes no space for her voice. Makumbi fuses folklore in her narrative lending the novel an epic-like quality.

Eight Pieces of Silva, on the other hand, is young adult fiction. It is a mystery novel but the narrative is strengthened with themes like sisterly bonds thriving on mutual K-pop fixation.

First awarded in 2017, The Jhalak Prize has been instituted by authors writers Nikesh Shukla, Sunny Singh, and Media Diversified. The intent of the literary award is to showcase authors of colour, and is awarded to British or British-resident BAME writers (an umbrella term for Black, Asian, and minority ethnic).  It entails prize money of £1,000.