The Safal-Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature was founded by Cornell English Professor Mũkoma Wa Ngũgĩ and Richmond American University London Assistant Professor Dr. Lizzy Attree. The award is sponsored by Cornell University’s Office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs, the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, the Safal Group, and the Ngugi wa Thiong’o Foundation.
The Safal-Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature has the express goal of recognizing writing in African languages and encouraging translation from, between, and into African languages. Winning entries are considered for publication in Kiswahili by Mkuki na Nyota Publishers (Tanzania), who then works with other regional publishers and book distributors to ensure maximum reach for the winning books. The winning poetry works are translated into English and published by the Africa Poetry Book Fund.
After being awarded the Undergraduate Studies and International Foreign Language Grant (UISFL) in 2019, Cornell’s Institute for African Development (IAD) has increased its commitment to African languages on Cornell’s campus. Specifically targeting continued undergraduate engagement in Kiswahili, Twi, and Tumbuka languages, IAD’s contribution to African languages has expanded in the form of academic programming, language offerings, and increasing overall student engagement in African languages.
This literary panel is the first formal collaboration between the Institute for African Development (IAD) and the Safal-Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature. It will showcase three recent literary winners of the Safal-Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature as they speak on poetry, travel, and Kiswahili intergenerational transcendence. Participants will learn about contemporary Kiswahili African literature, the role it plays in the American higher education system, and why it is essential to encourage academic engagement in this disciplinary focus.
If you have questions for the panelists, please submit them via email to:
iad@cornell.edu.
