The African Literature Association is now accepting nominations for awards that will be presented in the next ALA conference in Washington DC from May 27th – June 1st, 2020. The deadline for all nominations has been extended to November 1st, 2019. All current and individual paid members of the ALA are therefore invited to make nominations for the different awards. Members are also urged to help their colleagues and students to earn the recognition they richly deserve. To submit your nominations, please send the items listed under each of the awards as an attachment to the specific emails listed. The guidelines for submission and the required documents for each of the awards are listed below:
Fonlon-Nichols Award
This award is presented for excellence in creative writing and contributions to the struggle for human rights and freedom of expression. To nominate send the following documents by email to the ALA vice president at negashg@ohio.edu
The nomination statement for this particular award should contain:
- A biographical profile of the nominee.
- A detailed justification for the nomination. This should not be more than 2 single-spaced or 4 double-spaced pages.
ALA Distinguished Member Award
This award is given for outstanding record of service to the ALA and commitment to teaching and scholarship in African Literature. To nominate send the following documents to the ALA vice president by email at negashg@ohio.edu
- A biographical profile of the nominee.
- A detailed justification for the nomination. This should not be more than a single spaced or 4 double-spaced pages.
Graduate Student Best Essay Award
This award is awarded for an outstanding paper in African Literary studies by a graduate student. Remember that authors must be current members of ALA and the paper must have been presented at the preceding ALA conference (i.e. 2019). (The expectation is that authors have had the benefit of comments at the conference and have revised the paper). To nominate send the following documents by email to the ALA vice president at negashg@ohio.edu
- The paper and an abstract, in a Word document, with no name or any other identifying mark anywhere.
- A pdf of the 2019 ALA conference program page showing the panel in which the paper was presented.
- CV and bio.
Abioseh Porter Best Article Award
This award is given for an outstanding article in African literary studies published in major peer-reviewed journal in the preceding calendar year (2018). Authors must be current members of the ALA. Authors or their publishers can make nominations.
- To nominate send a pdf copy to: negashg@ohio.edu
Best Short Story Award
This award is given for an outstanding African short story published in the preceding calendar year (2018) by an African writer. Authors or their publishers can make nominations. Authors must be current members of ALA.
- To nominate send a pdf copy to: negashg@ohio.edu
Book of the Year Award - Creative Writing
This Award is given for an outstanding book of African literature, whether novel, non-fiction prose, play, or poetry collection, published in the preceding calendar year (2018) by an African writer. Authors must be current members of the ALA. Authors of their publishers can make nominations. To nominate send an author bio, one-page book description, and 5 copies to:
James McCorkle, Africana Studies
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
300 Pulteney Street
Geneva, NY 14456
mccorkle@hws.edu
Book of the Year Award - Scholarship
This award is given for an outstanding book in African literary studies published in the preceding calendar year (2018). Authors must be current members of the ALA. Book must be published by a reputable peer-reviewed press. Authors or their publishers can make nominations.
To nominate, send an author bio, one-page book abstract, and 5 copies to:
James McCorkle, Africana Studies
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
300 Pulteney Street
Geneva, NY 14456
mccorkle@hws.edu
First Book Award - Scholarship
This Award is given for an outstanding book in African literary studies, which is the first book by the author, and published in the preceding calendar year (2018). Authors must be current members of the ALA. Book must be published by a reputable peer-reviewed press. Authors or their publishers can make nominations. To nominate, send an author bio, one-page book abstract, and 5 copies to:
James McCorkle, Africana Studies
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
300 Pulteney Street
Geneva, NY 14456
mccorkle@hws.edu