Professor Pius Adesanmi, a Nigerian-born, Canada-based scholar’s passing was a monumental loss to the global African Studies community. It is in his honour that the African Studies Association of Africa (ASAA) established the Pius Adesanmi Memorial Award for Excellence in African Writing.
The award honours an outstanding single-authored book focused on Africa and/or the global African world biennially. Nominations for this prize should be submitted by or on behalf of a scholar, activist, and/or artist. The award committee will consider books that cover any historical period and come from any discipline or combination of disciplines, published in English, French, Portuguese, or an African language. The award committee is particularly interested in books that are theoretically, conceptually, and/or methodologically innovative and demonstrate excellence in African writing.
The winner of the Pius Adesanmi Memorial Award for Excellence in African Writing will receive a cash prize and a plaque in recognition of his/her achievement. S/he will also receive lifetime membership of the ASAA. Funding for the prize is made possible by the ASAA. Information on previous winners can be found at https://2019conference.as-aa.org/announcing-the-winner-and-finalists-of-the-2019-pius-adesanmi-memorial-award-for-excellence-in-african-writing/
Eligibility
Submitted works must meet the following criteria:
- Be a single-authored book focused on Africa and/or the global African experience. Edited volumes will not be considered.
- Be published in English, French, Portuguese, or any African language.
- Have a copyright date of no more than four years prior to the year of the award. Books published between 2016 and 2021 will be eligible for the 2022 award.
Submission Criteria
- Entries will open on September 6, 2021 and must be received by October 30, 2021 to be eligible for the 2021 award. Nominations should be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Submissions of not more than three (3) books may be made by the publishers or authors of nominated books.
- Nominations for the award must include a short description of the book, its theoretical, conceptual, and/or methodological significance, and what makes it an example of excellence in African writing.
- Nominations must be accompanied by six physical and electronic copies of the book for review by each member of the award committee. Physical copies of submitted books will not be returned.
- Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. after September 15, 2021 for details of the mailing address for physical books.
Announcement of Winner
The winner will be announced and recognized at a special ceremony during the closing banquet of the ASAA Biennial Conference in April 2022 in South Africa. The announcement will subsequently be posted on the ASAA website.
Enquiries
Prior to Mid-September 2021, all enquiries should be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. From mid-September 2021, please send all enquiries to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.