Professor Pius Adesanmi, a Nigerian-born, Canada-based scholar’s passing in 2019 was a monumental loss to the global African Studies community. In his honor, the African Studies Association of Africa (ASAA) established the Pius Adesanmi Memorial Award for Excellence in African Writing in 2019.
The Award honors an outstanding single-authored academic book focused on Africa and/or the global African world biennially within the broader field of African Studies. Nominations for this prize should be submitted by or on behalf of a scholar, activist, and/or artist. The Award committee will consider books from all academic disciplines within the broader framework of African Studies, 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 and that can demonstrate innovation and contribution to the field of African Studies.
The winner of the Pius Adesanmi Memorial Award for Excellence in African Writing will receive a cash prize and a plaque in recognition of their achievement. They will also receive lifetime membership of the ASAA. Funding for the prize is made possible by the ASAA.
Eligibility
Submitted works must meet the following criteria:
- Be a single-authored book within the field of African Studies, by a person of African descent, focused on Africa and/or the global African experience. School Guides, Textbooks and Edited volumes will not be considered.
- Be published in English or translated into English from French, Portuguese, from any other African language.
- Have a copyright date of no more than four years prior to the year of the award. Only books published between January 2020 to April 2025 will be eligible for the 2025
Submission Criteria
- Entries will open on March 01, 2025 and must be received by May 15, 2025 to be eligible for the 2025 award. Nominations should be emailed to piusadesanmimemorialprize@as-aa.org
- Submissions of not more than one book 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 one electronic copy and six physical copies of the book for review by each member of the Award committee. Physical copies of submitted books will not be returned.
- Please submit all electronic copies by email to piusadesanmimemorialprize@as-aa.org. The Prize Committee will share by email details of the mailing addresses 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 Cabo Verde, September 2025. The announcement will subsequently be posted on the ASAA website.
Enquiries
Enquiries should be sent to piusadesanmimemorialprize@as-aa.org. There will be two awards this year: one for creative writing and the other for non-creative writing.
Criteria for 2025
(Non-fiction)
- Contribution to African Studies
- Representation: regional, gender, minority race, disability, religion etc.
- Quality of writing (Style, language use, comprehensibility/ clarity)
- Creativity
Fiction
- Language and Style
- Relevance to the African/ Diaspora Experience
- Thematic cohesion
- Plot, Character, Thought Structure
- Writing Novelty