Staff Reporter
WINDHOEK, Sept. 20 — The Bank Windhoek Doek Literary Awards (BWDLA) recently unveiled its shortlist of candidates, a testament to the rich literary talent within Namibia as showcased in Doek! Literary Magazine.
In the fiction category, Filemon Iiyambo, a member of the 2022-2023 Doek Collective, returns for his second appearance on the Bank Windhoek Doek Literary Awards stage. He is joined by fellow Doek Collective members Charmaine //Gamxamus and Kay-Leigh De Sousa, both featured writers at the 2022 Doek Literary Festival, another literary initiative supported by Bank Windhoek. These three writers, //Gamxamus, De Sousa, and Iiyambo will also have their short stories published in the upcoming Doek Anthology. The category also boasts the presence of notable local writers such as Emmerita Ambata, Roxane Bayer (also a member of the Doek Collective), Karin Eloff, Maria Iita, Delila Katanga, and Andelaine Tsowases, all of whom have contributed depth and texture to Namibian literature.
In the nonfiction category, two accomplished writers grace the list, both no strangers to the Awards’ longlist. Frowin Becker longlisted for nonfiction in 2021, and Nina Van Zyl, who previously contested the visual arts category, have earned recognition this year with their thought-provoking essays.
Poetry remains a fiercely competitive section in Doek! Literary Magazine, attracting the country’s most creative poets. This year’s longlist includes Ros Limbo, a 2021 longlistee in the same category, alongside BWDLA newcomers Kina Indongo, Veripuami Nandee Kangumine, Frieda Mukufa, Vivian Tjijandeua Ojo, Tjizembua Tjikuzu, and Keith Vries. Each poet has made a lasting impact on the national, continental, and international literary landscapes.
The fiction, nonfiction, and poetry categories will undergo adjudication by Dr. Nelson Mlambo, a lecturer and African literature expert from the University of Namibia, and Natasha Uys, a well-known journalist whose writings have resonated with the Namibian reading public. Uys was also the inaugural nonfiction winner of the 2021 Bank Windhoek Doek Literary Awards.
The visual art category encompasses works from Namibian creatives, both locally and abroad. For Katherine Hunter, a member of the Doek Collective, and Jean-Claude Tjitamunisa, this is their second appearance on the Bank Windhoek Literary Awards longlist, with previous contributions to Doek! Literary Magazine. Nicola Brandt, who divides her time between Namibia and Germany, makes her debut on the longlist. All three visual artists have produced exceptional works that promise to challenge the selected judge, Namafu Amutse, the inaugural visual arts winner of the Bank Windhoek Doek Literary Awards.
The following Namibian literary artists were published in Doek! Literary Magazine, are longlisted for the 2023 Bank Windhoek Doek Literary Awards:
Fiction: Charmaine //Gamxamus, Emmerita Ambata, Roxane Bayer, Kay-Leigh De Sousa, Karin Eloff, Maria Iita, Filemon Iiyambo, Delila Katanga, and Andelaine Tsowases.
Nonfiction: Frowin Becker and Nina Van Zyl.
Poetry: Kina Indongo, Veripuamu Nandee Kangumine, Ros Limbo, Frieda Mukufa, Vivian Tjijandjeua Ojo, Tjizembua Tjikuzu, and Keith Vries.
Visual art: Nicola Brandt, Katherine Hunter, and Jean-Claude Tjitamunisa.
Bank Windhoek, Doek’s patron and trustees, extend heartfelt congratulations to the longlisted writers, poets, and visual artists. To learn more about the 2023 Bank Windhoek Literary Awards, please visit the following link: [Link to Awards Details](https://doeklitmag.com/awards/).
