The Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa was established by The Lumina Foundation in 2005. The prize honors Africa’s great writers bringing recognition to their work. They also make books available and affordable by subsidizing the publication of books in their top list.

The Accra-based Pan-African Writers’ Association (PAWA) has been co-opted as a partner of the awards and to assist in enhancing the awareness of the awards on the continent.  Previous winners of the award include  Kopano Matlwa (South Africa), Wale Okediran (Nigeria), Adaobi Tricia Unwaubani (Nigeria), Sifiso Mzobe (South Africa), Nnedi Okorafor (Nigeria) and Sefi Attah (Nigeria).

The ceremony will be a three day event which will also commemorate the 80th birthday of Africa’s first Nobel Laureate in Literature, Prof. Wole Soyinka. The celebration will commence at Abeokuta, where Wole Soyinka’s play will be staged. There will be a conference of African writers in Ghana who will have an opportunity to interact with Prof. Wole Soyinka on the second day. This will culminate in the award night on the third day.

The foundation is currently looking for submissions and the rules can be read on the website. The Foundation will start to receive entries for the 2014 edition of Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa on February 1 2013. The deadline for submission is August 10, 2013. All entries must be received at The Lumina Secretariat, before August 10, 2013.