The inaugural Nommo Awards were presented November 16 during the AkeFest in Abeokuta, Nigeria.

Tade Thompson

The awards are sponsored by the African Speculative Fiction Society of professional and semiprofessional African writers, editors, publishers, graphic artists and film maker. ASFS was founded last year with 60 charter members.

The winners are:

BEST NOVEL – The Ilube Award

• Tade Thompson for Rosewater

BEST NOVELLA

• Nnedi Okorafor for Binti

BEST SHORT STORY

(Tied)

• Lesley Nneka Arimah with “Who will Greet You at Home”
• Tendai Huchu with “The Marriage Plot”

BEST COMIC OR GRAPHIC NOVEL

• Chimurenga’s “Chronic: The Corpse Exhibition and Older Graphic Stories” – Chronic no. 3. Various writers and artists. Edited by Ntone Edjabe.

The Nommos are voted on by ASFS members. Eligible works must be produced by Africans, and may be self-published.

ASFS’ definition of who is an African includes:

• citizens of African countries,
• people born on the continent and raised there for substantial periods of time,
• citizens or people born on the continent who live abroad
• people who have at least one African parent or
• Africans without papers, and
• some migrants to African countries*.

*’African country’ is defined as any country or contested area on the Continent of Africa, ending at the Egyptian border, and including islands such as Zanzibar and Madagascar.

The award has been funded for four years, by Mr Tom Ilube. The prize for best novel is $1,000, best novella $500, best short story $500, and best graphic novel $1000 to be shared.

[Via Locus Online.]