The winner will be announced on September 19, 2024
By Hope Ibiale
The jury for the 2024 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize has announced the shortlist for its annual Best Published Novel category. On the shortlist that houses 6 authors, Nigerian writer, Chukwuebuka Ibeh, is shortlisted for his novel, Blessings.
Ibeh is shortlisted alongside Francesca De Torres, Derek B. Miller, Louis de Bernieres, C.E McGill, and Leo Vardiashvili. The winner will be announced on September 19, 2024, at a ceremony in London, UK. They will be awarded a cash prize of £10,000.
While speaking about the shortlist, Niso Smith, Founder of the Prize, said: “This award is a celebration of these authors and their remarkable novels, but it is also for readers. A great adventure novel should spark the imagination and ignite the spirit. This shortlist embodies the very essence of adventure. Congratulations to each of the authors behind these stellar works”.
Chukwuebuka Ibeh is a Nigerian writer. His work has appeared in McSweeneys, The New England Review of Books, Lolwe, and many other places. Blessings is his first novel.
The jury for the shortlist includes Matt Barr, Lee Craigie, Dr Alasdair Harris, Sarah Outen, and Emma Styles. One seat on the judging panel is reserved for readers.
The Best Published Novel award is an arm of the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize which was created to celebrate the best adventure stories of the last year. The award accepts entries by authors of any nationality, writing in English. Other arms of the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing prize are the Best Unpublished Manuscript and Author of Tomorrow.