Women have dominated this year's Bessie Head Literature Awards, taking six out of the nine places contested for in the competition.

The first-prize winner in the novel category is Cheryl Ntumy whose manuscript, Crossing, won her P2,500. Another woman, Kagiso Madibana, won second place for her story The Way It Goes followed by Monametsi Paul for The Reunion.

In the short story category, another woman, Gothataone Moeng, snatched the P 1, 500 first prize for her story Putting on Faces. The second prize went to Wanja Njuguna for her work, Forbidden Love. Galefele Maokeng won third prize for The Easter Trial.

Women also continued to prove that they are a force to be reckoned with when they swept the poetry category with the P 1, 000 first prize going to Luda Sekga for her poem He Was My Oppressor. Goabilwe Mogapi got position two for his piece Memoirs of a Child Soldier while third place went to Masego Morima for her poem, The Man Who Walks.

All the runners-up have won themselves a set of books, courtesy of Exclusive Books.

In response to Mmegi's observation that women dominated the awards, one of the organisers, Tom Holzinger, said: "The results merely reflect the play of chance."

Interestingly, it looks like since the times of Bessie Head, Batswana women have been dominating the literary world in Botswana including the award-winning Lauri Kubuitsile, Wame Molefhe and Bontekanye Botumile being particularly outstanding. Another woman who has been making a mark as an author is former High Court judge, Unity Dow who will be presenting the Bessie Head Literature awards that are slated for July 19, at the Little Theatre at the National Museum and Art Gallery in Gaborone.

Winning titles from last year's competition will be launched at the ceremony.

The Bessie Head Literature Awards are sponsored by Pentagon Publishers and administered by the Bessie Head Heritage Trust. The awards are meant to honour the memory of the woman who remains Botswana's leading writer.

Head published widely-acclaimed works among them A Question of Power, Maru, When The Rain Clouds Gather, The Collector of Treasures and Serowe: Village of Rain Wind. She has been described as a "novelist of unusual perception" by some critics.

Last year's winners were Phidson Mojokeri, Lauri Kubuitsile and Ita Mannathoko in the novel, short story and poetry categories respectively.