The AKO Caine Prize for African Writing
The AKO Caine Prize for African Writing is a registered charity whose aim is to bring African writing to a wider audience using an annual literary award. In addition to administering the Prize, they work to connect readers with African writers through a series of public events, as well as helping emerging writers in Africa to enter the world of mainstream publishing through the annual Caine Prize writers’ workshop which takes place in a different African country each year. It is named after the late Sir Michael Caine, former Chairman of Booker plc, who was Chairman of the ‘Africa 95’ arts festival in Europe and Africa in 1995 and for nearly 25 years Chairman of the Booker Prize management committee. After his death, friends and colleagues decided to establish a prize of £10,000 to be awarded annually in his memory.
In 2007, the Lannan Center, the Georgetown University English Department, and Caine Prize committee partnered to bring the annual Caine Prize winner to Georgetown for a yearly event hosted by the Lannan Center.