Local writer in continental finale
Local budding writer Ekari Mbvundula has reached the finals of a Pan-African contest, The Writer Competition.
Having published her work both locally and internationally, Mbvundula, whose writings cross literary genres, is battling for the $1 000 (about K72 000) top prize with the Nigerians Alexandra and Suyi Davies Okungbowa.
Announcing on her social page Facebook after making it to the finals, Mbvundula, whose motto is ‘weaving words into worlds’, could not hide her excitement.
“I’m a writer, but I can barely describe the feeling! It’s a dream coming true. It makes me feel like my skin is not big enough to contain the joy. It’s the ultimate validation that my work is enjoyed and respected. I want to keep going! The Writer 2016 is not the end.
“I will be one of three prize winners so I’ve already won in my head! As for my chances of being The Writer? I don’t know. I’m already The Writer to so many new fans that read my work for the first time in this competition. That is beyond amazing,” said the 28-year-old.
The second and third place winners, whose announcement will be made this week, will receive $750 (about K54 000) and $500 (about K36 000), respectively.
For the finals, the contestants are writing a true life story.
“The theme is Creative Non-Fiction that means we were challenged to write a true story from our own lives. You may think it’s easy because all the facts are already there, but lives are messy. I had to figure out where the start and end of a small section of my life was. It still had to have an entertaining feel to it rather than an autobiographical timeline of events,” she said.
