The 2024 Winner of The AprilCentaur Prize.
Enit'ayanfe Akinsanya - An Extinct Language.
In “An Extinct Language,” Enit’ayanfe handles, with narrative precision, diverse themes relating to the struggle for identity, the push and pull of family, the queer contradiction, and imparts to our eyes a glimpse into his vision of traditional culture.
It was a whirlwind from start to finish, with its poetic style unraveling a man trapped and struggling for breath in its first scene. His flow carried us through different vestiges of time and navigated us through moments of unfurling and agitation in an otherwise complicated family struggle.
Peace Yetunde Onafuyeye, the judge who decided this year’s winner, an associate editor for ‘THE REPUBLIC,’ fell in love with his vivid and poetic style that took the reader back and forth in time.
It was an evocative story for those with holes of confusion even separate from its general theme, as it forces the mind to contemplate the horrors in our society and our reaction to what we do not understand or fear.
‘An Extinct Language’ stands out for its demanding question and its inquiry into right and wrong. It questions our worldview and asks us to judge. Its end does justice to the passion that flows through every ebb of the piece.
Following closely behind came Desmond Udeh’s “A Big Canoe,” which is a masterclass in its own sense. The writer starts without revealing too much for us. He takes us through steps of a different but familiar world, a created language, a visceral world shining, and transports our senses into its vibrant and lively environment.
We are taken through an experience, and Peace, our chief judge, loved his use of language that reimagined and presented a historical story most of us already know. She lauded his ability to demonstrate great writing craft, especially in light of the vast world he created for such a short story. “The writer effectively incorporates elements of fantasy, which is evident in the story's world-building,” she said.
This year’s winners deserved every bit of their reward.
And we are overjoyed to find talents of this caliber.
Celebrate them for their win because, in coming years, they’ll be decorated with most of the prestigious writing accolades.
You can read the two top stories below:
About the Prize.
The AprilCentaur Short Story Prize, now in its second year, continues to revitalize the Nigerian dream of churning out world-class writers and filmmakers from the large pool of young talent.
We rewarded the winning four writers with a total sum of $2000 and a lucrative deal to write a joint anthology with four other shortlisted authors.
Our mission remains to empower the next generation of African storytellers who will imprint new ideals in the hearts of its people.
The written word has power, we believe, and our organization aims to encourage young minds to explore the limitless possibilities of storytelling. By providing a platform that amplifies young voices and celebrates their perspectives, we strive to revive the rich tapestry of African culture and spur decisive action.
Join us as we catalyze our needed literary renaissance and birth a new purpose in our generation.
Let the power of words shape our future!
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Since its inception, the AprilCentaur Network has been solely funded by a young Nigerian student. It takes more than one hand to build a nation, so we invite you to join us in our mission. When you assist us, you will have helped one person achieve their long-standing dream.
Thank you for your support and reading this far.