Winners of The Gambia Prize for Literature 2022 Announced
With gratitude to the Young Writers of The Gambia (YWAG), the Writers Association of The Gambia, and the Community of Gambianist Scholars, we present the winners of the Gambia Prize for Literature (GPL) 2022. This was announced on the 15th of October 2022 and the final day of the maiden Kunta Kinteh International Book Festival (KKIBF) held at the premises of Alliance Francaise Banjul. The event was the first of its kind since the Gambia gained its independence from Great Britain in 1965. The program was organized by the Young Writers Association of The Gambia under the auspices of the Writers Association of The Gambia, with funding from the French Institute of Senegal and Alliance Francaise Banjul. The mastermind of the project, award-winning Gambian writer, Modou Lamin Age-Almusaf Sowe, was able to successfully reignite the love for Gambian literature by bringing together two generations of Gambian writers: the generation of Nana Grey-Johnson and the younger generation.
The Panel of Judges for The Gambia Prize for Literature 2022 were:
1. Professor Cherno Omar Barry, President, Writers Association of The Gambia (WAG);
2. Mr. Sheikh Omar Jallow, Director of Fine and Performing Arts at the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC);
3. Mr. Momdou Lamin Demba, Senior Lecturer at the University of The Gambia (UTG);
4. Mr. Michael Hamadi Secka, Author and Senior Education Officer at the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MOBSE); and;
5. Ms. Ndey Kumba Demba, Communications Officer at OIC Gambia.
Below are the winners:
1. The YWAG Prize for Gambian Literature
Male: Dr. Tijan M. Sallah
Female: Lady Augusta Jawara, aka Ramatoulie Kinteh, posthumous
2. The Dr. Tijan Sallah Prize for Gambian Poetry
Male: Dr. Momodou Sallah
Female: Dr. Juka Fatou Jabang
3. The Gabriel J. Roberts Prize for Gambian Drama
Male: Sir Charles Thomas
Female: Janet Badjan Young
4. The Ebou Dibba Prize for Gambian Fiction.
Male: Musa Bah
Female: Sally Saidy Singhateh
5. The Baba Sillah Prize for Non-fiction
Male: Dr. Baba Galleh Jallow
Female: Dr. Amina A. Sillah
6. The Momodou Sabally Prize for Spoken Word Poetry
Male: Omar Champion Cham
Female: Jainaba Touray
7. The Dr. Ralphina D’ Almeida, Nee Philott Prize for Gambian History
Male: Hassoum Ceesay
Female: Patience Sonko- Godwin
8. The Nana Grey-Johnson Prize for Emerging Writers
Male: Sanusi Camara
Female: Fatoumatta Bayo
Four other supplementary awards were given to:
- Gambian youth Pan-Africanist, Ousman Touray, as the Distinguished Youth Personality of The Year 2021- 2022;
- Hon. Yankuba Darboe, Commissioner General, GRA, as Award of Honor for Eminent Personality in National Development;
- Africell Gambia Limited, Award of Honor for Eminent Company in National Development; and:
- Ms. Justine Guschlbauer, DG, Alliance Francaise Banjul, Award of Honor for Eminent Personality of The Year 2022
Honorable Nana Grey-Johnson donated D2000 to each of the awardees while Hon. Momodou Sabally donated an undisclosed amount to the Young Writers Association of The Gambia.
The official opening on the 14th of October 2022 was attended by the French Ambassador to The Gambia, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MOBSE), the Director General of the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC), the Family of Kunta Kinteh and the Kunta Kinteh Foundation, Presidents of the Gambia Press Union (GPU), The Gambia Teachers Union (GTU), Music Union of The Gambia, The Gambia Theatre Association, and the Executive Secretary of the National Sports Council, among other dignitaries.
Activities on day one included a large exhibition of over 5000 books written by Gambians, a ribbon cutting, keynote speeches, a roundtable on social movement programs to support political transparency in The Gambia, and a national conference on education. The program was attended by hundreds of schoolchildren, teachers, book lovers, and parents. The book exhibitions were done by Timbooktoo Bookshop, the National Centre for Arts and Culture, The Gambia National Library, the Writers Association of The Gambia, Star Fish International, and the Young Writers Association of The Gambia.
The second day of the event marked the awarding of The Gambia Prize for Literature to 16 Gambian authors. Over 30 renowned Gambian writers attended the program. The night was complemented by performances of spoken word poetry, dramas, reading, book signing, music, and cultural entertainment.
The Official Opening of the event can be watched here:
Music Performance by Barhama Cham and Mariama Cham can be found here:
The award ceremony of The Gambia Prize for Literature can be watched here:
Activities on Day Two:
