We are delighted to announce this year’s Island Prize longlist for a debut novel by an African writer
“As African writers, we are often faced with a double dose of challenges. Firstly, getting published within African countries can be incredibly difficult because local publishers are often constrained by finances. Secondly, for many writers getting published overseas is almost impossible because the rest of the world has certain ideas of what an African story should be. Having experienced these challenges first- hand – being told that a novel is ‘too African’ or ‘not African enough’ – I know how important it is that stories from Africa be given a wide variety of platforms so that they can be shared at home and abroad without the need to fit certain moulds. I am proud to be part of The Island Prize for a Debut Novel from Africa. This is one step towards bridging the gap between here and there, us and them. In fact, it is through prizes like these that authors across the continent can gain the confidence to tell stories as they wish. The hope is that, with time, such stories will become appreciated across the globe, without first being labelled as an exception or a surprise.” – Karen Jennings
The Island Prize is an annual competition held by Holland House Books. It offers both a small monetary reward and assistance in navigating the difficult world of the publishing industry, such as working on the winning manuscript with the author and assisting them in approaching agents and publishers.
The Island Prize 2025
‘The 2025 Island Prize longlist has now been agreed; this has been the most difficult so far, because the general quality is the highest we have ever had – at one point it seemed as though we might have a longlist of more than 20 books! However, we now have a final nine, and a further ten which deserve special mentions. Not only has the quality been exceptional, the range of subjects and styles has been exciting, with entries from all over the continent. There are some trends, in particular the increase in fantasy stories – which often draw on African mythology and folk tales – and stories about female experience and the cultural challenges felt across the continent. Soon, of course, we will face the even greater challenge of arriving at a shortlist of three books, due on 5 May … But meanwhile, we want to celebrate the authors who have been chosen from over 150 entries.” – Robert Peett
The Island Prize longlist 2025
The Island Prize 2025 longlist areAzags Agandaa (Ghana), Izzy Agu (Rwanda/Nigeria), Rafeeat Aliyu (Nigeria), Wame Molefhe (Botswana), Kuzivashe Kudzerema (Zimbabwe), Kristien Potgieter (South Africa), Geoffrey Irungu (Kenya), Zabu Wamara (Uganda) and Herbert Ambesi Che (Cameroon). Photos: provided
A small patch of earth – Azags Agandaa (Ghana)
Fati and her nomadic clan wander across the Sahel region of West Africa, fleeing drought and violence, and seeking a safe grassland home. In Niger, Fati is married off to a cattle buyer from Burkina Faso and hopes to secure a patch of earth there for the clan. Her life gets intertwined with that of two other characters – Bobo and the fugitive – both wanted by the regime, and Fati’s quest to reunite with the clan is hindered by one crisis after the other.
A dream bewitched – Izzy Agu (Rwanda/Nigeria)
When Emperor Kirina of Mali sets his sights on conquering the unfortified city of Gao, his son, Prince Ishaq, prepares for war at his father’s behest. But Ishaq’s fate takes a turn when a cursed talisman pulls him into a dream world, binding him to Gao’s princess, Yewa. This dream realm is no mere illusion – it’s a prison forged by an ancient force that grows stronger with every passing night. Escaping it may come at an unbearable cost.
To wake in happiness – Rafeeat Aliyu (Nigeria)
To wake in happiness is an intergenerational family saga rooted in the African past with stories spanning over four hundred years. Mofe, the estranged daughter of the family in the present day, is drawn back home with the promise of an inheritance, and finds herself immersed in family history.
Delayed destiny – Herbert Ambesi Che (Cameroon)
Ngum, a young girl from a small village in Cameroon, dreams of pursuing an education and a better life. When she is taken to Yaoundé by her father’s friend she hopes to fulfill her ambitions. However, the reality of her new life quickly turns grim …
Back against the wall – Geoffrey Irungu (Kenya)
Wangwacĩ, a traditional male chauvinist in a rural society, faces an extraordinary situation where drought and famine rule, the political administration is incorrigibly in bed with a powerful village elite, while perpetual land squabbles disrupt community. While trying to keep old, outdated values, he struggles to keep his family together, fed and sheltered. Can he find a way or a compromise, even as the every route is fraught with uncertainty and danger?
I looked up – Kuzivashe Kudzerema (Zimbabwe)
When Kay, once a child prodigy, drops out of college after failing his studies, he faces a year of deep personal uncertainty in his rundown, hometown in Zimbabwe. After his father disowns him and his girlfriend is a victim of an assault, he spirals into a depression and in order to survive he must adjust to an unwelcome reality.
Love across borders – Wame Molefhe (Botswana)
Masa searches for the truth about her father’s disappearance during apartheid, a quest that takes her from South Africa to Botswana. She falls in love with Kgololo, who is also digging for answers about his family history. But the dead return to haunt the living, changing their relationship irrevocably.
In the valley of bones – Kristien Potgieter (South Africa)
When Mina Kruger, a disgraced trainee nurse, was sent by her father to a small town in the Karoo, she expected to be bored; she didn’t expect the horror waiting there for her. Strange events begin almost at once, with small dead animals waiting in her bedroom each morning; the town is being preyed upon by a leopard from the mountains, and Mina slowly discovers the truth about her employer, Dr Nieuwoudt, and his elderly mother: both are vampires - and then she discovers what they intend for her. Told in letters to Becky, her great love, and the cause of her banishment, her growing fear and her fate are revealed.
Night dancer – Zabu Wamara (Uganda)
Back at her internship in Kampala after an academic leave following her best friend’s death, Amani anticipates long clinic hours and challenging cases. But when one patient mirrors her own struggles, trying to help the girl awakens demons Amani has been avoiding, she becomes desperate to help – to save the young girl.