Category: Award Ceremony

Arthur Anthony Moody Awori is the Highest Bidder in “Have a Cup of Coffee With Your Shortlisted Author” Auction! for Muthoni Maina

The “Have a Cup of Coffee With Your Shortlisted Author” Auction! for the 2022 and 2023 shortlisted authors has ended, raising a total of Ksh.4,900 toward the 2023 Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize by Mystery Publishers, bringing the total amount raised through different platforms to Ksh.51,743. Reader and lover of literature, Arthur Anthony Moody Awori, is the highest bidder for a coffee session with the 2023 Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize shortlisted author, Muthoni Maina. The two will have engaging conversations about the author’s books, writing process, and more.  It is also a chance to ask burning questions and gain insight into the world of literature. Other bidders for Muthoni Maina were Paul Nguyo and Laura Ogana. To all the bidders, your bids mean a lot to us; they will help us get one step closer to changing the lives of aspiring independent writers and improving the reading culture in Africa. We hope you feel our gratitude and can’t wait to share the upcoming fundraising campaigns we’ve planned to continue making progress toward our goal. You are a part of this essential community, and we couldn’t make this positive impact on our community without you. Muthoni Maina is an accomplished writer with a journalism background and a passionate advocate for women’s development. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Development Communication from the University of Nairobi before embarking on a career that has taken her from Supporting Empowering Women (SEW) Tanzania to Toto Care Box Africa Trust. Muthoni is the author of The Leaves of May, a captivating exploration of the unique points of view of three women from different points of African history. Arthur and Muthoni will have a coffee session on Friday 15 December 2023 at a time and place that shall be communicated to them later, before the 2023 Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize Award Ceremony, which shall be held at Alliance Française de Nairobi from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. On behalf of the entire Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize team and Mystery Publishers, we appreciate you and want to tell you just how much your donation towards the Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize means to us. Thank you so much for supporting our initiative in the African Ubuntu spirit. ARIBP Team Mystery Publishers

2023 Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize Award Ceremony to be Held on Fri 15 Dec 23 from 4:00 PM at Alliance Française de Nairobi Library

Mystery Publishers invites Kenyan writers, readers, book lovers, and the general public to the 2023 Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize award ceremony to celebrate Kenyan independent writers and award the 2023 winner. The Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize is awarded annually for the best independently published book (fiction, poetry, and creative/narrative non-fiction). The Prize is open to African independent writers resident on the continent and/or the diaspora. (The 2023 Prize was open only to Kenyan writers.) 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 not more than three (3) years old since publication. The ceremony will be held at the Alliance Française de Nairobi Library on 15 December 2023 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Please, come and join the 2023 shortlisted authors to celebrate independent African writing in style. Privacy Policy: https://mysterypublisherslimited.com/privacy-policy/ Attendees grant Mystery Publishers and the author non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide rights to use the photos taken during the event for any purposes, including but not limited to posting on online platforms, use in the media (newspapers, TV, etc), adverts, or any other use Mystery Publishers may deem fit.

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.

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.