Hello my Freaky Darlings,

I’m very excited to announce that the African Speculative Fiction Society has been launched! Here’s the official press release.

African Speculative Fiction Society

PRESS RELEASE AUGUST 2016

ANNOUNCING NEW AWARD FOR AFRICAN SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY & NEW BODY FOR AFRICAN SFF PROFESSIONALS

A new award for African Science Fiction and a new professional body for Africans SFF professionals will be formally announced at the upcoming Ake Festival.

The African Speculative Fiction Society will promote science fiction and fantasy by Africans. Its 60 invited Charter Members include writers, editors, artists and publishers.

The members will nominate and vote on the new, multimedia Nommo Awards for African Speculative Fiction.

The Nommo Awards have four years’ worth of prize money in advance thanks to benefactor Tom Ilube. Says Mr Ilube, “Science fiction is important because it looks ahead to African futures.  Fantasy and fiction based on traditional tales is important because the link us back to our forebears.  Both are important for African development.  I wanted to make sure that the explosion of African science fiction gets the recognition it deserves.” 

The Nommo Awards and the ASFS will be formally announced at the Ake Festival this coming November. From then on members of the African Speculative Fiction Society will be able to nominate works in four categories: Best novel, best novella, best short story and best graphic novels. Each year, prize winners will share $3,000 of prize money.

The first prize-giving ceremony is scheduled for November 2017, as part of the Ake Festival. Plans are afoot though to alternate the ceremony between West and East Africa.

Chinelo Onwualu, editor and co-founder of Omenana magazine is the lead spokesperson for the African

Speculative Fiction Society. She says … “The ASFS will provide a place where writers, readers, and scholars can come together to find information, connect with each other, and act as watchdogs for their collective interests.” 

The award is pan-African and is open to authors and artists with African citizenship, or who grew up in Africa or who live abroad and have at least one African parent.

ASFS NATIONAL SPOKESPEOPLE

FOR FURTHER DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT US ON info@africansfs.com OR VISIT www.AfricanSFS.com

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