Abena Korantemaa Oral History Prize -- 2019

Abena Korantemaa Oral History Prize -- 2019

Writers Project of Ghana announces the extension of the deadline for submissions to the Abena Korantemaa Oral History Prize to Friday, 30th August, 2019. The Abena Korantemaa Oral History Prize an annual award for Oral History by emerging African writers and storytellers resident in Ghana. This prize was established by the family of Abena Korantemaa, and is sponsored by MAKEDA PR and Sankofa Girl.

The first part of the competition ends on 30th August, 2019.

Contestants are requested to prepare an audio recording of a piece of oral history narrated by an African woman resident in Ghana. The woman must be at least 65 years old.

The contestant can however be of any age.

To be eligible for this competition you must be a Ghanaian resident in Ghana. Proof will be required during the second stage of the competition, by means of identification issued by national authority (example, passport, national ID card, etc).

After the first part of the competetion, shortlisted contestants will be invited to provide a more detailed synopsis, which will go in for a second selection process. Successful applicants will then be required to provide a recording of an oral history between 30 minutes and 50 minutes long. Technical assistance can be provided for this on a case by case basis.

There are no limitations to the content of the submissions, but there will be a preference for stories about the community and country, rather than personal histories.

Prizes will be awarded in October 2019. The first prize is GhC 2,500.00.

Please fill the form below to enter the competition:

About Abena Korantemaa: Abena Korantemaa, popularly known as ‘Maa Fri’, is over 100 years old. She has worked variously as a trader, and became recognized as ‘the queen of the onion traders’ in Nkawkaw, the Eastern Region of Ghana. To date she still performs this leadership role, advising various market women, and resolving any disputes. Maa Fri is regarded as the matriarch of her family clan. She has passed down the history of her ancestors in written, audio and video form. This prize is instituted in her name to recognize those women who through oral traditions preserve knowledge, passing it on from generation to generation.