Author: Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize

Book Award Nomination | The Pains We Live by Sophie Kiwelu Nominated for the African Christian Authors Book Award 2023

Mystery Publishers announced the nomination of one of its writers, Sophie Kiwelu’s, The Pains We Live, for the prestigious African Christian Authors Book Award 2023 in the Biography/Memoir Book Award Category. “We believe this nomination is a testament to her exceptional literary skills, thought-provoking storytelling, and profound insights into the Christian journey,” read the statement by the Editorial Director, Yvonne Wamuyu. The Pains We Live, which was launched on 10th June 2023, follows the heartbreaking story of a young woman to remarkable triumph. When Lydia Mkunde falls in love, it is hard, fast, and at first sight. She ignores the ‘small voice’ telling her that Jabez Kimoni is not the one. Happily-ever-after is a nightmare, and she wishes to end the pain when the man she marries becomes someone she can’t recognise. Hoping to find solace in the church, she is betrayed by those she trusts. Her only hope is in God, and redemption is the restoration of her happiness. Sophie, who started her career as a banker, has also written  The Mystery of Horses, a Christian motivational text, and a novella, The Husband is Mine. The annual African Christian Authors Book Award represents good reads and the impact of Christian books run by CLC Kenya, which celebrates and seeks to promote great books that impact the world by encouraging Christian authorship in Africa. The Award program celebrates the “best of the year” in ten categories. Finalists are chosen in each category and the winners are announced and awarded at African Christian Authors Gala held at CLC Kenya’s Family Reading Picnic each year. Sophie Kiwelu’s recognition through this nomination in the Christian writing community is a well-deserved honour and a true testament to her dedication and passion for her craft. Mystery Publishers welcomes you to join us in rallying support for Sophie and her remarkable memoir, The Pains We Live. Here’s how you can make a difference: Visit the award’s official website and kindly leave a review/ comment for Sophie https://africanauthors.net/sophie-kiwelu/ expressing how the memoir has touched your heart and impacted your faith journey. Your feedback will encourage the writer and help others discover her words’ transformative power. If you haven’t had the chance to read this extraordinary book yet, now is the perfect time to grab your copy. It is available for purchase from the Nuria Bookstore, Amazon, and bookstores in Kenya (Ereto Bookshop, Nakuru, and AfriReads Bookshop, Eldoret). Experience the profound journey of faith and redemption firsthand and be inspired by the writer’s remarkable story.

The Hot Chalice by Hamisi Wawire Voted the Most for the 2023 Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize

From the many submission received for the 2023 Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize, only seven were shortlisted. Public voting ended on 31 May 2023, and Hamisi Wawire’s novel, The Hot Chalice, was voted the most, with 2,055 votes, translating to 49.59% of the votes cast. Muthoni Maina’s story that weaves together multiple generations of women and their stories in a poignant and thought-provoking way, rich in African history and culture, The Leaves of May, came in second, with 829 votes (20%), and Peeling the Cobwebs by Bonface Nyamweya took the third position with 399 votes (9.63%). View the voting results Here. The 2023 Prize was open to Kenyan writers only; of the submissions received, 28% were female. Fiction books were the majority (75%) and non-fiction 25%. Despite the submission guidelines specifying eligible works, 12.5% of the submissions were children’s books. Public voting constitutes 10% of the judging process, with the judging panel determining 90%. Fifty-two countries participated in the voting, the top 20 as shown below: No. Country Votes 1 Kenya 3761 2 United States 145 3 Tanzania 31 4 United Kingdom 28 5 Namibia 21 6 Uganda 17 7 Saudi Arabia 10 8 United Arab Emirates 9 9 Australia 8 10 Qatar 7 11 Somalia 7 12 France 7 13 South Africa 6 14 Germany 6 15 Netherlands 6 16 Canada 6 17 Nigeria 5 18 Italy 4 19 Switzerland 4 20 South Sudan 3 All seven books were submitted to the judging panel, which will evaluate them based on whether they meet publishing industry standards, the author’s writing style and the theme addressed. The winner, if any, will be announced by the Advisory Board in October 2023 at an award ceremony at Alliance Française de Nairobi. Thank you, Kenya, and thank you all for voting.

Shortlist 2023 Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize | Public Voting Open

We are pleased to announce the shortlisted books and authors for the 2023 Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize. The Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize is awarded annually for the best independently published book (fiction, poetry, and non-fiction). The Prize is open to African independent writers resident on the continent and in the diaspora. The Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize is managed by Mystery Publishers, a Kenyan premier pan-African independent publisher with a bias toward African speculative fiction and genre/pop literature stories. The Prize aims to recognise quality self-published books with unique and extraordinary stories addressing current and future Africa (Afro-currency and Afro-futurism) for books at most three (3) years old since publication. The 2023 winner shall receive Ksh 30,000, scholarships to select creative writing courses at Mystery Creative Writing Training Institute and a book distribution offer to all Mystery Publishers distribution channels. The 2023 Prize was only open for Kenyan books/authors, and after thoroughly reviewing the submitted books, public voting is now open for the shortlisted books. Back-fence Talk by Caroline Mbaya Gooka from the Village to the City by Eng. Peter Nduati Beyond by Davis Njoroge The Leaves of May by Muthoni Maina The Hot Chalice by Hamisi Wawire Peeling the Cobwebs by Bonface Nyamweya The Alternative by Peter Muchai Please, vote for the book with the most compelling story that addresses our current and future Africa. Click Here to go to the Voting Board.

Introducing the Afrika Redefined Indie Book Advisory Board

We are pleased to announce the Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize advisory board. The advisory board shall oversight the Prize judging and award criteria and offer their varied expertise toward running the Prize. We’re honoured to have the wonderful and committed honourable men and women support our cause. John Sibi-Okumu – Kenya John Sibi-Okumu is a lifelong professional career high school teacher of French, a notable broadcaster, and a celebrated actor, journalist, and author. He was quiz master for The Zain Africa Challenge, an inter-university, general knowledge competition originally seen in eight African countries. He was the chief anchor for JSO@7 on Kiss TV, Kenya, a one-hour TV news digest. He has taken on about 40 lead roles on stage and appeared in local and international films, including The Constant Gardener, Shake Hands with the Devil and The First Grader. JSO has written six original plays featured in his Collected Plays, 2004 – 2014 and directed, amongst several other productions, Mo Faya! by Kenyan musician Eric Wainaina, which played to great acclaim at the New York Festival of Musical Theatre in 2009. He has narrated and voiced award-winning documentaries and commercials in English, French, and Kiswahili. In 2017 he read the audiobooks of Peter Kimani’s Dance of the Jakaranda and Henry ole Kulet’s Blossoms of the Savannah. John Sibi-Okumu continues to serve as a moderator, in English, French and Kiswahili, for high-level conferences and is also an engaging public speaker. He was featured in the book Life Journeys, Scaling Heights – Conversations with High Achieving Men in Kenya for his accomplishments.  Dr Gameli Tordzro – Ghana Dr Gameli Tordzro is a muti-arts practitioner, academic, and entrepreneur from Ghana living in Scotland, attempting to share as much as he can of himself with the rest of the world. He is an Educationist, Film and TV Director, Thespian, and Artistic Researcher. He works in the School of Education at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of AdinkraLinks,  a network for poets worldwide interacting through writing, co-creating, sharing and facilitating treasured creative opportunities, and founder composer and director of Ha Orchestra. He makes music, theatre, films, clothes and so on. Many people in Ghana know him as the Grandpa who used to tell folktales on GTV in their childhood. Dr Gameli set up Meli Creative in Scotland, which he uses to support various creatives in Scotland and Africa. He is a Critics Award for Theatre in Scotland winner and publishes the AdinkraLinks Anthology series, a fertile platform and springboard for young and undiscovered authors of all sorts. Dr Amakove Wala – Kenya Dr Elizabeth Amakove Wala is a Pan-Africanist Kenyan creative writer, visionary and strategic award-winning Health Systems Strengthening Expert. She is at the forefront of articulating the vision and strategy to shape and advance Public Health impact in Africa and drive Health Systems Strengthening strategies and projects to build community resilience and improve health systems and the health of populations in Africa. She is a transformational leader, effective in building public-private cooperation (with national governments, county governments, donors, ministries, development partners, local/international organisations, and professional associations in Africa) and navigating complex political contexts to strengthen health systems, influence policy formulation, mobilise resources, advocate for innovations in public health to achieve broader and sustainable impact for health and HSS programmes/projects. Dr Wala is also a strategist and communicator with an extensive network of key health sector and private sector partners in Africa, solid understanding and practical experience in health care delivery in Africa, and health management experience spanning 36 African countries. Dr Robert Aron – USA Dr Robert Aron has many years of diverse experience in project and program management, curriculum development,  training, and organisation development. At Motorola University, he provided leadership in global, corporate-wide training initiatives in areas such as technology, leadership, project management, and software engineering. Aron has combined principles of the learning organisation with systematics engineering approaches such as technology road-mapping and incremental, evolutionary development. He has extensively consulted with companies such as Reliance Industries (India), focusing on corporate university development and learning platforms, and needs assessment at Adidas. He has provided leadership in developing the software industry in Egypt, the transfer of management technology to many countries, supported post-tsunami psychological trauma amelioration initiatives in Japan and architected entire degree programs for schools in the United States, India, Indonesia, South Africa, and for Angola University. Dr Aron graduated with BA in East Asian Languages and Literature from the University of Iowa, with a year at the International Christian University in Tokyo. He received his MA in International Relations from the University of Chicago, an MBA from the Illinois Institute of Technology, an MA in Education and a PhD in Instructional Design and Organization Development from The Ohio State University. He was a J. Harris Ward Fellow at the University of Chicago and has edited and contributed to several science textbooks. Mbizo Chirasha – Zimbabwe Mbizo Chirasha is a dedicated multidisciplinary artist whose impact spans decades. He is an avid reader and poet. Since 2007, he has curated blog content such as the Porcupine-Quill and contributed to the African Writers Caravan. He is the chief editor at Brave Voices Poetry Journal. He has also been a Jury President at Shungunamutitima Film Festival (Livingstone, Zambia). His work has been appreciated globally, spanning Europe, Africa, and the United States of America. In 2020, Mbizo was featured as a UNESCO-RILA Affiliate Artist (University of Glasgow, School of Education, Scotland) and a guest Writer at the University of Glasgow Creative Writing Programme. Mbizo Chirasha is also the founder of the Writing Ukraine Prize. Damaris Agweyu – Kenya Damaris Agweyu’s passion for storytelling for impact can be traced back to a childhood spent in Europe—one that opened her eyes to the persistently harmful stereotypes about her home continent, Africa. From this experience, she learned the potency of narratives; their ability to either build and edify or malign and destroy. Damaris’ conviction led her to found Qazini, a media platform that consciously and relentlessly champions the voices of Africans. Through Qazini, Damaris strives to share

The 2022 Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize to be Held at Alliance Française de Nairobi – of Strategic Collaborations and Support of African Indie Authors

On the 13th of April 2023, the Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize (ARIBP) will celebrate the winner of the 2022 call for indie authors. Echoes of Military Souls by Jerusha Kananu Marete scooped the win ahead of Vincent de Paul’s Inevitable Desires: First Love and Duncan Ouma’s City of Cannibals, which came in second and third, respectively. Jerusha writes passionately about the scourge of terrorism in Somalia, the Central African Republic, Mozambique, and the Boko Haram menace in West Africa. Families across the continent have been devastated by the effects of war, militia committed to a faceless enemy and gallant soldiers who never give up unless in the hands of death. The colourful one-of-a-kind event will be held at Alliance Française de Nairobi, at the heart of Nairobi City. The Prize, managed by Mystery Publishers, aims to recognise and promote the quality of self-published books that tell extraordinary stories addressing the current state of the African continent and the future we want to see. The event has drawn the support of many partners and stakeholders who support its noble mandate, key among them the venue sponsor partner— Alliance Française de Nairobi. Alliance Française de Nairobi is a hub for fostering arts and culture in Nairobi. The organisation has set up centres worldwide to support the propagation of higher education and certification. They also host programs supporting film, music, and visual arts. The space is also known for hosting music festivals and book clubs. Therefore, the Alliance Française de Nairobi, as a sponsor, is a lifelong strategic partner for the Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize because of its rich potential to encourage dialogue in contemporary society. The partnership seeks to give voice to a new generation of budding writers for whom traditional publishing has confined to the sidelines. This collaboration is set to transform African independent publishing by building an audience for experimental works of literature and propelling the reading culture in Kenya and beyond.

Introducing the 2023 Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize Judging Panel

Introducing the 2023 Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize Judging Panel We are pleased to announce the 2023 Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize judging panel. The panel is drawn from academicians, editors, publishers, writers, and readers. We’re honoured to have the wonderful and committed team at this year’s Prize and work together in recognising self-published authors in Kenya. Deadline for Submissions Submissions close on 15 April 2023. 2023 Judging Panel Dr JKS Makokha (Lecturer & Columnist) – Kenya | Chairperson Dr Michael Dickel (Writer, Editor, Artist) – Israel | Member Lucas Wafula (Editor & Publisher) – Kenya | Member Empress Ciku Kimani-Mwaniki (Writer & Editor) – Kenya | Member Philip Matogo (Writer, Poet & Columnist) – Uganda | Member Brian Lesalon Kasaine (Writer) – Kenya | Member Lexa Lubanga (Reader & Founder Kenyan Readathon) – Kenya | Member Xavier Omweri (Reader, Book Reviewer & Literary Critic) – Kenya | Member Click Here to check out their profiles.

2023 Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize Open for Submissions on 01 February 2023

The 2023 edition of the Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize for quality, independently published books (fiction, poetry,  and creative/narrative non-fiction) by Kenyan authors shall open for submissions on 01 February 2023. About the Prize.        The Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize is an annual prize managed by Mystery Publishers, a Kenyan premier pan-African independent publisher with a bias toward African speculative fiction and genre/pop literature stories. The 2023 winner will be awarded Ksh.30,000. GUIDELINES The Prize is open to Kenyan authors. A Kenyan is a citizen by birth if, on the day of the person’s birth, whether or not the person is born in Kenya, either the mother or father of the person is a citizen or through naturalisation. Self-publishers may submit books on behalf of their authors. Books Eligible Print (hard copies) and eBooks (PDF only). Books submitted should be published in English. Not more than three (3) years since publication (only books published in 2020 and later). Traditionally published books are not eligible. eBooks should not be a gift to download from Amazon. This is because the gift goes to just one person. Because of the judging process, the ebook may need to be read by multiple people. We will not accept invitations to download files from websites. Books submitted should tell an extraordinary story about the present or future of Africa (Afro-currency and Afro-futurism). Submissions end on 15 April 2023. Submission Fee Print books – Ksh.2000 per title. eBooks – Ksh.1,000 per title. Payments to be send to Mystery Publishers through one of the following methods: PayPal or Payoneer, email address mysterypublishers@gmail.com for those using PayPal/Payoneer/international writers, or  Lipa M-Pesa, Pay Bill No. 909534 with your name as the account number, Credit/Debit Card payment through Publisher’s online payment gateway, DPO Payments (the Author to contact the publisher for procedures), or Mobile Banking using M-Pesa: Go to M-Pesa>Paybill (put KCB Paybill 522522)>Account No. 1203888244>Amount>Enter your M-Pesa PIN>OK  Direct Bank Deposit to: A/c. Name: Mystery Publishers Limited A/c. No. 1203888244 A/ Currency: Kenya Shillings (KES) Bank SWIFT CODE: KCBLKENX Bank: Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) Branch: Tom Mboya, Nairobi, Kenya Bank Clearing Code: 01107 Submission Guidelines Five (5) hard copy books for every title submitted are to be dropped at/sent to Nuria Bookstore, The Bazaar Building, Moi Avenue, 11th Floor, Suite No. 1105, Nairobi, addressed as follows: To Mystery Publishers Limited Tel: +254 718 429 184 Book Prize Submission By [Your Name and Contact Details] Once you send or drop your books at Nuria Bookstore, please let us know via email at bookprize@mysterypublisherslimited.com eBook submissions should be through email (bookprize@mysterypublisherslimited.com) as follows: subject heading: ‘Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize submission by YOUR NAME’; Cover email and the eBook attached. PRIZE CRITERIA Selection of submitted books by Mystery Publishers. We look for professionally published books (whether a book is well presented—cover, pictures [if relevant] and layout) following industry standards. The selected books are then taken through public voting, where readers vote for the book with the most extraordinary story to produce a shortlist of ten books. The shortlisted books are forwarded to a judges’ panel comprising beta readers, editors, authors, and publishers. They are given Book Score Sheets to complete for every book received. In general terms, the most important aspects they will be looking for are: whether a book is well written (including structure and style), and Afro-currency and Afro-futurism in the themes. The winning book is announced at an award ceremony at Alliance Francaise de Nairobi, and the winner is awarded the prize money, a trophy, and a certificate. The first and second runners-up will be awarded a certificate. Mystery Publishers shall print 1,000 copies of the winning book and donate them to schools and community libraries. The winning author shall be expected to accompany MPL during these events.

Echoes of Military Souls by Jerusha Kananu Marete Voted the Best Book for the 2022 Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize 2022

A military poetry book of its kind, Echoes of Military Souls by Kenyan writer and theatre expert Jerusha Kananu Marete, has been voted the best book for the 2022 Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize, with over 800 votes, which translates to 81.84% of the votes cast. Vincent de Paul’s Inevitable Desires: First Love came in second, with 94 votes (9.28%), and City of Cannibals by Dancan Ouma Obuya took the third position with 56 votes (5.53%). View the voting results Here. Published in 2019, Echoes of Military Souls presents the nexus between war and women’s experiences and the trauma of broken families from losing a loved one because of war. The book addresses what is happening currently in Africa: the scourge of terrorism in Somalia, the Central Africa Republic, Mozambique, and the Boko Haram menace in West Africa. Families are devasted across Africa because of war, militaries committed to a faceless enemy, and the gallant soldiers who never give up. Thus, it has compellingly addressed Afro-currency. The winning author will be announced during an award ceremony in the last week of February 2023. Buy the Winning Books from Mystery Bookstore or Amazon, Nuria Bookstore, or Kibanga Books.

Vote | Nominees for 2022 Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize

Voting ends on 30 November 2022 The Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize is awarded annually to the best independently published book (fiction, poetry, and creative/narrative non-fiction). The Prize is open to Kenyan independent writers resident in Kenya, on the continent, and in the diaspora. The Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize is managed by Mystery Publishers, a Kenyan premier pan-African independent publisher with a bias toward African speculative fiction and genre/pop literature stories. The Prize aims to recognise quality self-published books with unique and extraordinary stories addressing current and future Africa (Afro-currency and Afro-futurism) for books at most three (3) years old since publication. The winner shall receive Ksh 20,000, scholarships to select creative writing courses at Mystery Creative Writing Training Institue, and a book distribution offer to all Mystery Publishers distribution channels. The 2022 Prize was only open for Mystery Publishers’ books/authors, and after thoroughly considering the books published since 2019, public voting is now open for the 2022 shortlisted books. Please, vote for the book with the most compelling story that you feel addresses our current and future Africa. Click here to vote