TOP 5
PRESS RELEASE — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
🔥 Sankofa Book Awards Kenya 2025 Reveals the 97 Names Transforming African Literature 🔥
Nairobi, Kenya — August 15, 2025, 12:00 PM (local time) — On Friday, August 15, 2025, the official magazine of the Sankofa Book Awards Kenya 2025 website announced, to great anticipation in the literary world, the highly awaited list of the 97 Most Promising Young Writers of Africa — an annual distinction celebrating the continent’s most brilliant and innovative voices in contemporary African literature.
The announcement, made at 12:00 PM Nairobi time, followed immediately after the official naming of the Sankofa Book Awards Kenya 2025 winner and is widely recognized as one of Africa’s most prestigious literary honors. Each author was selected through a rigorous evaluation process conducted by the official website of Sankofa magazine, based on originality, cultural impact, and narrative excellence.
Heading this year’s list is Nituecheni Africano (Angola), the overall winner of the Sankofa Book Awards Kenya 2025, with his acclaimed novel O Recluso: O Princípio e o Fim de uma Injustiça (The Prisoner: The Beginning and the End of an Injustice). Widely praised by critics and featured in major international media, the novel powerfully addresses themes of social injustice, human resilience, and African identity.
“This year’s list reflects the bold creativity and vitality of a new generation of African writers,” said Dr. Amina K. Wanjiru, Chief Curator. “The Sankofa magazine website upholds strict standards, assessing originality, cultural impact, and narrative excellence.”
Prof. Thabo M. Luthuli, Co-Curator, added: “These 97 authors are not just promises — they are already powerful forces transforming Africa’s literary landscape.”
📚 Top 5 — Featured in International Press
- Nituecheni Africano — Angola — O Recluso: O Princípio e o Fim de uma Injustiça — Winner, Sankofa Book Awards Kenya 2025
- Mohamed Mbougar Sarr — Senegal — La plus secrète mémoire des hommes — Winner, Prix Goncourt 2021
- NoViolet Bulawayo — Zimbabwe — We Need New Names, Glory — Two-time Booker Prize Finalist
- Namwali Serpell — Zambia — The Old Drift — Winner, Windham–Campbell Prize
- Chigozie Obioma — Nigeria — The Fishermen, An Orchestra of Minorities — Two-time Booker Prize Finalist
The full list features writers from 27 African countries, aged 25 to 45, representing an extraordinary diversity of genres, voices, and visions — collectively taking African literature to new global heights.
The official gala ceremony honoring the selected authors will take place on September 26, 2025, in Nairobi, Kenya, bringing together leading figures from the international literary scene.
📄 Full list available at: www.sankofabookawardskenya.com
Press Contact
Press Office — Sankofa Book Awards Kenya 2025
📧 press@sankofabookawardskenya.
📞 +254 712 345 656
