Evidence Egwuono Adjarho, a JAY Lit Issue 7 contributor, has been revealed as the winner of the Afrocritik Prize for Criticism 2024 for her review of Peace Adzo Medie’s His Only Wife and the Exploration of the Messianic Expectation of Women in Society.
The winner was selected by the judging panel which consisted of Adedayo Agarau and Joshua Chizoma from Nigeria, and Kenyan writers Gloria Mwaniga Odary and Peter Ngila Njeri. Olúwatúnmiṣe Ọ̀tọ̀lórìn Akìgbógun and Daniella Oluwatomisin Kolade emerged as first runner-up and second runner-up respectively.
Adjarho’s review explores the societal expectation for women to aspire towards marriage, reflecting on Jamaica Kincaid’s Girl and Peace Adzo Medie’s His Only Wife. In His Only Wife, protagonist Afi Tekple must protect her husband from another woman, a role that highlights the broader expectations placed on women in patriarchal societies. Despite these burdens, Afi remains determined to pursue her passion for fashion design, akin to Adunni’s journey in Abi Dare’s The Girl with the Louding Voice. The novel also presents alternative narratives through characters like Evelyn and Muna, who reject traditional roles, showing that liberation from patriarchy is possible. Medie weaves romance naturally into the story, enhancing its appeal.
Afrocritik is a dynamic platform dedicated to celebrating and critiquing African literature, arts, and culture. It serves as a vital voice in the African creative landscape, offering insightful reviews, in-depth critiques, and thoughtful commentary on a wide array of artistic expressions. The Afrocritik Prize for Criticism was launched in 2024 to hallmark the third anniversary of the digital media platform. The initiative aims to encourage cultural engagement while promoting constructive criticism in the arts, which highlights the ethos at Afrocritik.
Evidence Egwuono Adjarho is a lover of everything godly. She is an avid reader, astute book reviewer and writer. She is currently an undergraduate and the student librarian of the Department of English, University of Lagos. She is the winner of the Atipo Prize for Book Review and also the Ken Saro-Wiwa Prize for Book Review. Her personal essays are in JAY Lit and Kalahari Review, with other writings in WSA-Nigeria, Readers Boon, and others.
To read Evidence’s full review, kindly click here.
Congratulations, Evidence! We’re immensely proud of you!
Bakare Oluwatobiloba
I write to educate, motivate and define history with literature. Just being me!
