A Senegalese couple, Mame Bougouma Diene and Woppa Diallo, has made history this week by winning the Caine Prize for African Writing. It is the first time in the history of the prize that it is awarded to a couple. Diallo is a lawyer and activist while French-Senegalese American Diene is a humanitarian and a short-story writer. They are married.
Their winning story, “A Soul of Small Places,” drew inspiration from Diallo’s personal experience of gender-based violence in Senegal. Her story highlighted themes of violence, revenge, love, and loss, mirroring her own life experiences. She revealed to the BBC that her personal struggles served as the inspiration behind the story.
Congratulations to this couple, and excerpts below are from the BBC. Please take the time to also read articles at the Guardian and the Caine Prize.
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Senegalese writing duo Mame Bougouma Diene and Woppa Diallo have won this year’s prestigious Caine Prize for African writing, making it the first time a pair has won the award.
Their story A Soul of Small Places is inspired by Diallo’s experience of gender-based violence in Senegal.
Her story weaves through themes of violence, revenge, love and loss.
“The story is simply my life. It’s the struggles I’ve been through that have inspired me,” Diallo told the BBC.
It was praised for its deep storytelling and ability to celebrate love while also addressing pressing global issues.
… They met when Diene was visiting a shelter in northern Senegal where Woppa was speaking about her advocacy against gender-based violence.
“The co-authoring comes from the fact that the story could not have been written if I hadn’t met Woppa and if I hadn’t heard Woppa speak,” he says.
… The Caine Prize winners receive a cash gift of £10,000 ($12,000), as well as featuring their work in the 2023 Caine Prize anthology.
The award for a short story by an African writer published in English had a record-breaking 297 entries from 28 different countries this year.
African Heritage 