The Abena Korantemaa Oral History Prize

The Abena Korantemaa Oral History Prize

The Abena Korantemaa Oral History Prize is an annual award for Oral History written by 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, an initiative of Nana Malone, a USA Today bestselling romance writer. The competition opens from 21st October 2017 to 28th February 2018.

The Abena Korantemaa Oral History Prize has three aims: (a) to honour older Ghanaian women who through oral traditions preserve knowledge, passing it on from generation to generation. (b) Encourage younger Ghanaians to document the stories of older Ghanaian women who are not in a position to tell their own stories to a wider audience. (c) Inspire the production of creative non-fiction from Ghana and Africa.

To be eligible for this competition you must be an African resident in Ghana, as should be the narrator of the oral history, who should, in addition, be 65 years or older. Proof of these will be required during the second stage of the competition, by means of identification issued by national authority (example, passport, national ID card, etc).

To enter, submit a 400-word long written synopsis in English, giving a summary of an oral factual story as told by an older African woman 65 years and above, indicating the context and relevance of the narrative.

The synopsis should have your name, postal address, and telephone number. Send the synopsis by e-mail to: wpgcompetitions@gmail.com and include in the subject, "Abena Korantemaa".

There are no limitations to the content of the submissions, but there will obviously be a preference for stories about the community and country, rather than personal histories. The synopsis must be in English, however, the oral history can be told in any Ghanaian language (Further conditions may apply here).

Shortlisted contestants shall be provided with technical assistance to enable the recording and submission of an oral history, of length between 30 minutes and 50 minutes, along with a transcript. The shortlisted submissions will go for the final judging process. The competition opens from 21st October 2017 to 28th February 2018. Prizes will be awarded in October 2018.

For more details send an e-mail to info@writersprojectghana.com.

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.