No Nigerian author made the prize shortlist

Nigerians predicted that 'The Fishermen' by Chigozie Obioma would definitely made the list, but sadly this year's competition has better books.

Also 'On the Bank of the River', a beautiful African literature book about a girl named Enitan and her love hate relationship with her mother by Nigerian Ifeoluwapo Adeniyi did not make the final three.

The judging panel who shortlisted the books include literary critic Ato Quayson from Ghana, director of the Centre for Diaspora and Transnational Studies at the University of Toronto, Canada, South African author and journalist Zukiswa Wanner, and one of Nigeria's best author writer, editor and journalist Molara Wood.

The shortlisted books for the 2015 Etisalat Prize for Literature include:

1. The Story of Anna P, as Told by Herself by Penny Busetto (South Africa)

2. Tram 83 by Fiston Mwanza Mujila (Democratic Republic of Congo)

3. What Will People Say? by Rehana Rossouw (South Africa)

The shortlisted writers will go on a multi-city tour and will have 1,000 copies of their books purchased by Etisalat for distribution to schools, libraries and book clubs across the Continent.

The Etisalat Prize is awarded annually to a work of first fiction of over 30 000 words, published in the last 24 months and written by authors of African citizenship.

Zimbabwean NoViolet Bulawayo won the inaugural Etisalat Prize for We Need New Names in 2013, and Songeziwe Mahlangu won the 2014 edition for Penumbra.

The third annual Etisalat Prize comes with prize money of £15 000 (about 5 million naira) and a fellowship at the University of East Anglia under the mentorship of Professor Giles Foden, the award-winning author of The Last King of Scotland.

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