Cassava joins forces with Caine Prize for anthology

Cassava Republic is partnering with the AKO Caine Prize for African Writing to publish A Mind to Silence and Other Stories, the award’s anthology.

The annual award, this year won by Idza Luhumyo, recognises a short story by an African writer published in English. Both the prize and the press celebrate and champion the diversity of African literature, from authors writing in the continent and the diaspora. This year’s prize saw submissions from 27 countries, with the workshop taking place in Ghana.

The press, which is now the lead publishing partner, will release the anthology on 6th September. It will include the 2021 and 2022 shortlisted stories, in addition to stories from the Caine Prize workshop. Edited by Anwuli Ojogwu, the anthology will feature 21 stories by authors including Melon Hadero, Doreen Baingana and Rémy Ngamije. 

Ojogwu is an editor and the co-founder of Narrative Landscape Press. She has edited the works of authors including Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Petina Gappah, Binyavanga Wainaina and Uzodinma Iweala. She served as a consultant to the Rivers State Government on the landmark Unesco World Book Capital in Port Harcourt. She is also the co-founder of Society for Book & Magazine Editors of Nigeria.

The collection follows the Caine Prize award season, where the press had three shortlisted stories previously published in the Noir Series anthology. The nominated titles included "When a Man Loves a Woman" by Nana-Ama Danquah, "A Double-Edged Inheritance" by Hannah Giorgis and "The Labadi Sunshine Bar" by Billie McTernan. Other stories included in the anthology are Joshua Chizoma’s "Collector of Memories" published in Afritondo Prize Anthology, Afritondo  and 2022 winner Luhumyo’s "Five Years Next Sunday", published in Disruption: New Short Fiction From Africa by Catalyst Press/Short Story Day Africa.