Botswana: The Botswana National Library Service organized a literary competition for the talented individuals in the country. The results for the competition have been announced and the winners will be honored for their remarkable work and dedication to the craft.
The winning entries will get a spot on the shelves of the National Reference Library and receive recognition from all the members of the community.
Boitumelo Mmopi’s “Seana Marena: The Graduation Gown” came third in the first ever World Book and Copyright Day manuscript competition. “Lerato ke Toro,” a submission by Nkululeko Jackson, was awarded position 2. Meanwhile, the manuscript that surpassed them all was an entry by Busamoya Phodiso titled “Is it Still a Facade? “.
The call for submission of Non-Fiction Manuscripts was made in the first quarter of 2024. The announcement of the nonfiction contest attracted 52 submissions from writers all over Botswana.
The nonfiction writing competition is being hosted by the government of Botswana to commemorate World Book and Copyright Day. The commemorative event will be hosted on April 23 at the Thamaga Primary Hospital Grounds.
The organizers of the event hosted an online competition debriefing. The online meeting was held at the National Reference Library (NRL). The aim of the event was to promote the youngsters’ interest in the field of writing and content creation.
The Chief Librarian of the Botswana National Library, John Mmatli, has expressed his disappointment over the low volume of local content generated within Botswana. The problem is especially harsh in the field of non-fiction writing, which prompted him to host the competition.
An expert in the field of literary criticism, Tiro Sebina delivered a brief address at the event. The expert also served as the Chief Adjudicator of the session. He was delighted to see the volume of the submissions that were made.
He claimed that the subject matter of the submissions covered a wide variety of disciplines. The Chief adjudicator revealed that they read the manuscripts on topics of social institutions, social relations, environment, arts and culture.
He further encouraged the writers who had participated in the competiton to meet their fellow writers, Through this initiative, they can make their craft better and eventually write some remarkable and publishable products.
One of the competitors, Otladisa Lereo Serei, applauded fellow writers for their courage in entering the competition. The competitors urged the Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture to continue organizing such events.
One of the competitors in the nonfiction literary contest who is living with a disability reached out to appreciate the initiative. He highlighted the importance of inclusion for people living with disabilities as pivotal in the literary heritage.
The organization of the competition will play a significant role in reducing the gap of content generation within the nation.