09 Mar 2014

Black Crake Books has announced that Tlotlo Tsamaase has won first prize in its inaugural Black Crake Books Awards (BCBA) recently.

The prize was awarded by founder and director of Black Crake Books, Nick Green, at the National Museum’s Little Theatre. Her manuscript, The Skies Fall, is a young adult imaginary science fiction novel set in a futuristic Palapye, Botswana where people are being sucked up into the sky.

The Skies Fall will be published by Black Crake Books and should be in stores later this year. “I am beyond ecstatic!”she said. “I would like to thank Black Crake Books for this amazing competition and making publishing so possible for writers in our country. It makes writers feel appreciated.”

Tsamaase, a final year architecture student at the University of Botswana, won the University of Botswana Creative Arts and Culture Awards 2013 Design Architecture. Her novella, Unlettered Skies of the Sublime also won first category in the Bessie Head Literature Review.

Together with a publishing contract, Tsamaase received P2 500. The second prize which included a publishing contract and P1 500 was awarded to Julie Adams for her manuscript, Jolly – The Life of an Indian girl in Southern Africa. The third prize was awarded to Leungo Serumola for her manuscript Pleasant Break and P500.

Black Crake Books was founded to promote Botswana’s literary voice to the world and nurturing local talent; has since published four titles; and is looking forward to working with talented writers in Botswana and introducing them to the international market.

“The awards have shown that the talent and desire is there, and Black Crake Books is looking forward to unearthing and publishing more talented writers,” Green said.

“We are looking forward to working alongside these talented writers,” he added. “With regards to the next awards, submissions will commence later on this year in August. We are looking forward to discovering new talent and publishing more books. Ends