Femrite’s Namukasa scoops award
Jan 26, 2006
Macmillan Publishing Company has declared Glaydah Namukasa of the Uganda Female Writers Association (FEMRITE) winner of the 2005 Junior Category Macmillan Africa Prize for Literature.
By Geresom Musamali
Macmillan Publishing Company has declared Glaydah Namukasa of the Uganda Female Writers Association (FEMRITE) winner of the 2005 Junior Category Macmillan Africa Prize for Literature.
The prize, for original unpublished children’s literature in the age bracket of 7-13 years, carries $5,000 (sh9m). Namukasa’s manuscript is entitled Voice of a Dream and is to be published by Macmillan in September this year. It was in November last year short-listed for the Macmillan Junior Award, together with several other writers from Ghana, South Africa, Namibia, Kenya and South Africa.
Competition chief judge Meshack Asare said in a notice on the Macmillan website last week that Namukasa, a midwife at Namayumba Health Centre 4 in Wakiso District and a beneficiary of the British Council Crossing Borders writers programme, had won the junior prize.
Asare said Namukasa’s novel is, “a sincere and well-structured story, taking on the real issues of a teenage girl coping with the fallout from AIDS in her family, and resolutely following her dream.
“Namukasa demonstrates a warm understanding of teenage frustrations; the courage of her heroine shines through.â€
Asare said the judges were all impressed by the high quality of writing shown last year and that there was some lively debate between the judges about a number of worthwhile entries.
Sources said FEMRITE would soon hold a party in honour of Namukasa, only the second Ugandan after Suzan Mugizi Kajura, to scoop the award.
Macmillan Publishing Company has declared Glaydah Namukasa of the Uganda Female Writers Association (FEMRITE) winner of the 2005 Junior Category Macmillan Africa Prize for Literature.
The prize, for original unpublished children’s literature in the age bracket of 7-13 years, carries $5,000 (sh9m). Namukasa’s manuscript is entitled Voice of a Dream and is to be published by Macmillan in September this year. It was in November last year short-listed for the Macmillan Junior Award, together with several other writers from Ghana, South Africa, Namibia, Kenya and South Africa.
Competition chief judge Meshack Asare said in a notice on the Macmillan website last week that Namukasa, a midwife at Namayumba Health Centre 4 in Wakiso District and a beneficiary of the British Council Crossing Borders writers programme, had won the junior prize.
Asare said Namukasa’s novel is, “a sincere and well-structured story, taking on the real issues of a teenage girl coping with the fallout from AIDS in her family, and resolutely following her dream.
“Namukasa demonstrates a warm understanding of teenage frustrations; the courage of her heroine shines through.â€
Asare said the judges were all impressed by the high quality of writing shown last year and that there was some lively debate between the judges about a number of worthwhile entries.
Sources said FEMRITE would soon hold a party in honour of Namukasa, only the second Ugandan after Suzan Mugizi Kajura, to scoop the award.