The Wahome Mutahi Literary Prize was launched in 2006 in recognition of the the late Wahome Mutahi’s contribution to publishing in Kenya. Wahome, (October 24th 1954 – July 22nd 2003), an author, satirist and playwright, drew strong parallels to the internationally acclaimed Nikolai Gogol. He was popularly known as Whispers after the name of the column he wrote for The Daily Nation from 1982 to 2003. Mutahi was equally well-known in theatre where he wrote and acted in English and Kikuyu language plays. Outside of Kenya, he wrote humour columns for Ugandan publications The Monitor and Lugambo.
Among his books are Three days on the Cross which won the prestigious Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature (1992), Jail bugs, Doomsday, How to be a Kenyan, The Miracle Merchants, Mr. Canta, Hassan the Genie, The Ghost of Garba Tula and Just wait and see.
In memory of this great and popular author, Kenya Publishers Association started the bi annual Wahome Mutahi Literary Award in his honour in 2005.
The first edition of the Wahome Mutahi Literary Award was held in 2006 and was won by Onduko bw’ Atebe with “Verdict of Death” and John Habwe with “Paradiso”.
This year’s NIBF in September will host the the 2nd edition of the Wahome Mutahi literary Award ceremony and promises to be a nail biting affair.
The nominees for the English category are:
- Meja Mwangi with The Boy Gift, published by EAEP
- Tuff Mulokwa for Shadow Man, published by Sasa Sema
- Okiya Okoiti Wamtata with his play Ndoto ya Almasi, published by Macmillan
The nominees for the Kiswahili category are:
- Kyalo Wamitila with Msimu wa vipepeo, published by Vide-Muwa
- Mwenda Mbatia for Vipanya vya Maabara, published by JKF
- Ken Walibora with Ndoto ya Almasi, published by Macmillan
All his life he expressed his solidarity with the average Kenyan through his refrain: "I am neither too foolish nor too clever." |
