Nigerian author Rotimi Babatunde has won the 2012 Caine Prize for African Writing for his shortlisted story Bombay's Republic. It was announced this evening (July 2nd) at the Bodleian Library in Oxford. Bernardine Evaristo said it 'vividly described the story of a Nigerian soldier fighting in the Burma campaign of World War Two. It is ambitious, darkly humourous and in soaring, scorching prose exposes the exploitative nature of the colonial project and the psychology of Independence'. As Bombay's Republic was in my top 2 stories, I'm happy it won as I really enjoyed it. My thoughts on it here, read 'Bombay's Republic' here, and the press release from the Caine Prize here.
Rotimi Babatunde's Bombay's Republic was shortlisted along with 'Urban Zoning' by Billy Kahora, 'Love on Trial' by Stanley Kenani, 'La Salle de Depart' by Melissa Tandiwe Myambo and 'Hunter Emmanuel' by Constance Myburgh. Congratulations to Rotimi Babatunde for his win. Oh and check out 3bute's adaptation of Bombay's Republic here.
