On the night of May 20th, acclaimed author and African literary figure Helon Habilah took the stage to announce Jowhor Ile as the 2017 Etisalat Prize for Literature winner. Before the big revelation, Mr. had Habilah described the consensus among the panel about the quality of the shortlisted books.
For Jowhor Ile, whose debut, And After Many Days was to carry the shiny new seal of prize winner, Helon stated that the work fulfilled the cardinal rule of writing: show, don't tell. He also touched on concepts surrounding literature and development in Africa over the course of his speech. While Habila commented on the increasing number of magazines publishing and supporting writing and editorial talent these days, he also dipped into the state of publishing in Africa and expressed hope for the future. Equally, he paid homage to the Etisalat Prize for its unique quality of providing all the sort of support a writer needs: Easing one's financial burden significantly, providing a platform for promotion on a large scale and continued support for the scholarly development of the craft.
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