Kuils River authors celebrated at the Mulher Forte African Literature Awards

Kuils River’s Latifah Jacobs joined the celebration at GrandWest Casino and Entertainment World after she was among 11 authors who won awards in Botswana.

Eleven authors from South Africa were nominated for the 5th Mulher Forte African Literature Awards in May, but the event was postponed to June 21 at the University of Botswana, in Gaborone, according to Haroldene Tshienda, who went to collect the awards on behalf of South African winners.

Ms Tshienda, also from Kuils River, handed the awards to the winners on Friday, July 18, at the celebration evening in GrandWest.

Her publishing company was named the Best Publishing Company.

She congratulated all the winners and said, "It's an honour to be your midwife for your books. You deserve this recognition because you worked hard to get your book out in the world. Keep writing and telling your story unapologetically."

Ms Jacobs won the Best Poetry Award for her book titled A Letter To My Perpetrator.

“It’s moments like these that remind us why we do the work we do — telling stories, sharing truth, and keeping the flame of African literature alive,” she said.

The Mulher Forte African Literature Awards recognise and celebrate literary excellence across the African continent, promoting cross-cultural understanding and collaboration among African writers. 

The awards are presented annually through a competition and also include interactive literature webinars, workshops, and debates.