Zimbabwean writer and filmmaker Tsitsi Dangarembga has been awarded the Sharjah Lifetime Achievement in Literature Award at the second edition of the Sharjah Festival of African Literature, in recognition of her impact on African storytelling.
The award was presented during the festival’s opening ceremony at Sharjah University City.
Dangarembga’s work—spanning novels, essays, and film—has consistently interrogated questions of colonial history, identity, gender, and education, positioning her as one of the most influential literary voices to emerge from the continent over the past four decades.
Speaking to Daily Times Online TV after receiving the honour, Dangarembga said:
“This award is not just a personal recognition. It affirms that African stories matter and that our narratives are being recognised beyond our borders. Festivals like this are crucial for preserving culture and ensuring African voices continue to be heard globally.”
She is best known for the Tambudzai Trilogy: Nervous Conditions, The Book of Not, and This Mournable Body. Nervous Conditions won the Commonwealth Writers Prize, while This Mournable Body was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2020.
Participating writers included British poet Lemn Sissay, Zimbabwean novelist Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu, Rwandan author Scholastique Mukasonga, Nigerian writer Sefi Atta, Tanzanian children’s literature expert Nahida Esmail, Ugandan speculative fiction writer Dilman Dila, and Nigerian linguist Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún.
Held over five days under the theme “The African Way,” the festival was officially opened by Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority. The programme brought together 29 writers—20 from across Africa and nine from the United Arab Emirates—for a wide range of activities, including panel discussions, poetry readings, children’s workshops, culinary showcases, book signings, and live performances.
Congratulations, Tsitsi Dangarembga!
