Commonwealth Writers’ Prize – Africa shortlists

I don’t think I could do any better than the Africa is a Country blog in mentioning the Africa shortlists for the 2011 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize.

I am always happy to see these annual shortlists, to see whether there is anything I have read or should put on my TBR pile.  I suspect I will add Helon Habila’s book Oil on water to a reading wishlist, as well as Aminatta Forna’s The memory of love and E C Osondu’s Voice of America.

I am a little embarrassed to admit that not only are the many South Africans on the list are unknown to me, but I suspect likely to remain so.  There isn’t much South African fiction available here in Ghana, despite a fairly large community of South Africans living and working here.

A pity there was no Ghanaian nominee this year, but not too surprising.