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Ellen Banda-Aaku

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Ellen Banda-Aaku
Born
Ellen Banda

(1965-05-06) 6 May 1965 (age 59)
Alma materUniversity of Zambia(BA), Middlesex University(MA), University of Cape Town(MA)
OccupationAuthor
AwardsCommonwealth Short Story Competition (2007); Winner of Penguin Prize for African Writing (2010)
Websiteellenbandaaaku.com

Ellen Banda-Aaku (born 6 May 1965) is a Zambian author, radio drama and film producer who was born in the UK and grew up in Africa.[1] She is the author of two novels and several books for children, and has had short stories published in anthologies and other outlets.[2]

Background

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Born in Woking, Surrey, in 1965, she was the middle child of three, and grew up in Zambia.[3] She was educated at the University of Zambia, where she obtained her BA in public administration, and she also holds an MA in financial management with social policy from Middlesex University and an MA in creative writing from the University of Cape Town.[3]

Writing career

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Ellen Banda-Aaku's first book, Wandi's Little Voice, won the Macmillan Writer's Prize for Africa in 2004.[4] Of the title, the judges stated that the author's style reveals a rare gift for revealing the truth and contradictions at the core of human relationships. In 2007 she won the Commonwealth Short Story Competition for her story "Sozi's Box".[5] Her first novel, Patchwork, won the 2010 Penguin Prize for African Writing[6] and was shortlisted for the 2012 Commonwealth Book Prize. In 2006 Banda-Aaku sat on the judging panel for the Macmillan Writer's Prize for Africa.[7] African Writing Online, many literatures, one voice In 2012 she was awarded the Zambia Arts Council Chairpersons Ngoma Award for her outstanding achievements in literature.[8] She has conducted creative writing workshops in Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia.[9]

Her short stories have been published in anthologies in Australia, South Africa, the UK and the US, including in New Daughters of Africa (edited by Margaret Busby, 2019).[10]

In July 2020, Banda-Aaku was announced as chair of the panel judges for the Kalemba Short Story Prize 2020.[11]

She is co-author with James Patterson of a children's book entitled The Elephant Girl, which was published in July 2022.[12]

Awards

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  • 2004: Winner of Macmillan Writers Prize for Africa – Most Promising New Writer Award
  • 2007: Winner of Commonwealth Short Story Competition
  • 2010: Winner of Penguin Prize for African Writing
  • 2012: Zambia Arts Council Chairpersons Ngoma Award
  • 2012: Nominated for the Commonwealth Book Prize[13]

Published works

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Short stories

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  • "Sozi's Box" (winner of the 2007 Commonwealth Short Story Competition). Published in Cousins Across the Seas, Phoenix Education, Australia, 2008. ISBN 978-1-921085-73-4
  • "Lost", in Jambula Tree and other stories, The Caine Prize for African Writing, 8th Annual Collection, Jacana Press, South Africa. ISBN 978-1-904456-73-5
  • "Made of Mukwa", in The Bed Book of Short Stories, Modjaji Books, South Africa. ISBN 978-1-920397-31-9
  • "Ngomwa", in African Women Writing Resistance: Contemporary Voices, Wisconsin Press, USA. ISBN 978-0-299-23664-9
  • "87 Tangmere Court", in New Daughters of Africa, 2019.

Novels

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Books for children

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  • Wandi’s Little Voice, Macmillan Educational Publishers, UK, 2004. ISBN 978-1-4050-6040-0
  • Yours Faithfully Yogi, East African Educational Publishers, Kenya, 2008. ISBN 978-9966-25-556-3
  • Twelve Months, Oxford University Press, Kenya, 2010. ISBN 978-0-19-573609-0
  • Lula & Lebo, Head and Shoulders, Puo Publishing, South Africa. ISBN 978-0-9814386-7-2
  • E is for e-waste, Worldreader, online publication.
  • Sula and Ja, Farafina Tuuti (Kachifo Limited) and Worldreader.

Further reading

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  • Author Profiles, Ellen Banda-Aaku. African Writing Online, many literatures, one voice, ISSN 1754-6672 No. 11. Accessed 10 February 2013.
  • Browdy de Henandez, J., P. Dongala, O. Jolaosho, & A. Serafin (eds), 2010. African Writing Resistance Contemporary Voices, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Press.
  • Danro, A., 2011. "Ellen Banda-Aaku: A gifted writer", Times of Zambia, Lusaka. 26 February.
  • Kwei. R., 2004. "Women Here And There: Ellen Wins Macmillan’s Children’s Writer Award", Daily Graphic, Accra. 25 March.
  • Malan, R., ed. 2009. A – Z of African Writers: A guide to modern African writing in English. South Africa, Shuter & Shooter.
  • The Best of Zambia. 2011. Global Village Encyclopaedia GVPedia, Lusaka, Image Promotions.
  • 14th Time of the Writer[permanent dead link], 2011. Accessed 9 February 2013.

References

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  1. ^ "Ellen Banda-Aaku" Archived 25 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine, African Writing Online ISSN 1754-6672 No. 11.
  2. ^ "Ellen Banda-Aaku". Ellen Banda-Aaku. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Interview with Penguin Prize for African Writing Winning Writer, Ellen Banda – Aaku" Archived 24 September 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Geosi Speaks.
  4. ^ "African Books Collective: Wandi's Little Voice". www.africanbookscollective.com. Archived from the original on 8 March 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  5. ^ Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (20 November 2007). "Zambian Woman Wins Commonwealth Short Story Comp". Scoop. Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  6. ^ Books Live Penguin SA@bookslive, The winners of the Penguin Prizes for African Writing Archived 9 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed 10 February 2013.
  7. ^ "Ellen Banda-Aaku". African Writing Online. ISSN 1754-6672. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  8. ^ Ellen Banda-Aaku Archived 25 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine website.
  9. ^ "Awards & Citations". 96xrr1665641731076. Archived from the original on 7 March 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  10. ^ "New Daughters of Africa". Myriad Editions. Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  11. ^ Murua, James (13 July 2020). "Kalemba Short Story Prize 2020 judging panel announced". Writing Africa. Archived from the original on 12 May 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  12. ^ "The Elephant Girl". Kirkus Reviews. 15 May 2022. Archived from the original on 6 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  13. ^ "Ellen Banda-Aaku – Commonwealth Book Prize". Cove Park. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  14. ^ "Patchwork" Archived 2 June 2024 at the Wayback Machine at Amazon.
  15. ^ "Madam 1st Lady" Archived 2 June 2024 at the Wayback Machine at Amazon.
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