Bessie Head Awards Scheduled for 19th July

On the 19th of July, 2009, former High Court Justice and author Unity Dow will be awarding the prizes for this year’s Bessie Head Literary Awards. The ceremony will take place at The Little Theatre at the National Museum starting from 2:30 pm. Admission is free. Ms Dow will also read from some of Bessie Head’s writing, so it will indeed be an event not to miss. Authors and poets wishing to do readings will also be given an opportunity to do so.

The Bessie Head Heritage Trust has announced the winners for this year’s awards and they are:

For Novel:
1st Place: Ms. Cheryl Selase Ntumy for her manuscript Crossing
2nd Place: Ms. Kagiso Madibana for The Way It Goes
3rd Place: Mr. Monametsi Paul for The Reunion

The winner will receive a cash prize of P2,500.00; the runners-up will receive a set of books donated by Exclusive Books and by Pentagon Publishers.

For Short Story:
1st Place: Ms. Gothataone Moeng for a story entitled “Putting on Faces”
2nd Place: Ms. Wanja Njuguna for her story “Forbidden Love”
3rd Place: Mr. Galefele Maokeng for “The Easter Trail”

The prize for the short story winner is P1,500.00, and again the runners-up will each receive a set of books.

For Poetry:
1st Place: Ms. Luda Sekga for “He Was My Oppressor”
2nd Place: Mr. Goabilwe Mogapi for the poem “Memoirs of a Child Soldier”
3rd Place: Ms. Masego Morima for her poem “The Man Who Walks”

The poetry prize is P1,000.00, with a set of books to go to the runners-up.

The Bessie Head Literature Awards are sponsored by Pentagon Publishers and run by the Bessie Head Heritage Trust.

Enter Bessie Head Literature Awards!!!

The Bessie Head Heritage Trust is accepting entries again for its third annual writing competition. Below see the rules from the organisers. Send those entries and good luck guys!!

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Bessie Head Heritage Trust and Pentagon Publishers announce prizes in literature, one prize to be awarded each for poetry, short story, and novel.

Residents and citizens of Botswana are invited to submit manuscripts on any topic in one of the above categories. categories are defined according to standard literary characteristics, and are limited to the following lengths:

Novel: no limit

Short story: 10,000 words/10 pages

Poem: a set of one to three poems

All submissions must adhere to the following criteria:

1. All work must be original, unpublished and not submitted to any publisher.

2. All manuscripts must be typed. No handwritten manuscripts will be accepted. You must submit four copies of your work.

3. No more than one submission (novel, short story, or set of poems) per person. You may only submit in one category.

4. No school assignments will be accepted as submissions.

5. All submissions must include one cover page with the following information: author's name (no pen-names will be accepted), at least two ways the author can be contacted, a clear statement of the category of the manuscript ("novel", "short story", or "poem"). All submissions must also include one photocopy of omang, passport and residence certificate, or other form of identification (this copy need not be certified). The first page of the manuscript (not the cover page) must also state clearly the category of the manuscript.

6. All submissions must be written in English, and be thoroughly revised and proofread for grammar and spelling.

7. Except for the cover page, manuscripts must not have the author's name on them. Judges will judge all submissions blindly; that is, they must not be able to identify the author.

Any submissions that do not follow the above criteria will be disqualified.

Authors are advised that they may be asked to authenticate their work, and therefore SHOULD NOT DESTROY any drafts, including the first one, since winners may be asked to produce them as proof of originality.

Contestants may only win once in each category (once you win, you are barred from entering in the same category again for three years), and contestants must enter their own work (a publisher or friend may not enter your work).

Prizes

Novel P2,500.00

Short Story P1,500.00

Poem P1,000.00

Send your cover page, copy of identification, and four copies of your manuscript to

Bessie Head Literature Awards

P.O. Box 70401

Gaborone

Deadline: All submissions to be postmarked on or before 31 March 2009

Winners announced early July 2009 on website www.bessiehead.org

Prize-giving ceremony details to be announced.