Caine Workshop 2010

12 writers from 6 African countries participated in this year's Caine Prize Workshop, held Kenya from March 13 to 23. Here's a picture of some of the group taken after a dinner reading of works in progress.
L-R Front: Clifford Oluoch (Kenya), Vuyo Seripe (South Africa) Veronique Tadjo (one of the 2 'animateurs' whose task it was to challenge the writers to better and better stories) and Samuel Munene (Kenya).
L-R Back: Gill Schierhout (South Africa), Mamle Kabu (Ghana) - then the Nigerians, Ovo Adagha, Jude Dibia and MW.

Dinner was lit by hurricane lamps, attracting moths and such like. After dinner writers read from their works in progress and their colleagues commented on the stories. In the foreground in this picture: Nick Elam (organiser of the Caine Prize and these annual workshops, which always take place at an African location), Jamal Mahjoub (animateur) and Stanley Kenani (Malawian, currently based in Nairobi and previously shortlisted for the 2008 Caine Prize for his short story, 'For Honour').

Serenading us after dinner: Kenyan writer/participant, Alnoor Amlani.

• The 12 stories from the workshop will be published along with this year's 5 shortlisted stories (yet to be revealed) in the next Caine Anthology, to be published in time for the 2010 award dinner in July.