If there’s one thing you have to give the Commonwealth countries, its how news spreads. In Uganda, call for stories aside, there’s recognition that one of the judges for the books this year is Goretti Kyomuhendo, whose involvement and advocacy for reading and writing is a familiar story that goes way back to the founding of Femrite in the mid 90’s.
But i think it is also important for writers to keep on writing without the public pressure and their own anticipation to win prizes. While a prize can be motivating, not everyone who writes a great story gets to win. Writing is an ambition task as is. If every writer can ask themselves why they write, and hopefully find comfort in their answers, they’d be able to brace for whatever is to come.