A Nigerian writer, Jumoke Verrisimo, has been awarded the 2020 edition of Aidoo-Snyder Prize for Best Creative Work for her debut novel, “A Small Silence”.
Runner-ups for the prize include Peace Adzo Medie for “His Only Wife” and Gabeba Baderoon for “The History of Intimacy”.
Named in honour of celebrated Ghanaian author, Ama Ata Aidoo and Margaret Snyder who is the founding director of UNIFEM, The Aidoo-Snyder book prize is awarded by the Women’s Caucus of the African Studies Association for “an outstanding book that prioritizes African women’s experiences.”
Winners go home with $500 in cash.
Announcing the winner, the administrators of the prize, Maha Marouan and Anita Plummer, said: “We are happy to announce that the 2020 Book Prize committee has selected Jumoke Verissimo’s “A Small Silence” (Cassava Republic, 2019) as the winner of the Aidoo-Snyder Prize for best original creative work. A Small Silence is impressive for several reasons: its moving portrait of post-traumatic stress disorder, its believable point of view, its connections to real-world problems, its engaging depictions of everyday life, its lyrical style, and its sense of humor.”
Published by Cassava Republic Press, “A Small Silence” revolves around two characters coming to terms with deep-seated traumas and how their worlds are bound to change forever when they finally connect. The novel was included in our recommended reads for books that explore mental health as well as our Top 15 debut books of 2019.
Verissimo, who also has two collections of poetry, had previously been shortlisted for ANA Prize and longlisted for NLNG Prize.
She is presently a doctoral student in the Department of English and Film Studies at the University of Alberta, Canada.
