The Bank Windhoek Doek Literary Awards announces 2023 concept and prizes
The Bank Windhoek Doek Literary Awards (BWDLAs) recently revealed its 2023 Concept and Logo: The Aloe (Aloe littoralis).
A common sight in Windhoek and greater Namibia, the aloe uses its unique biological attributes to survive challenging weather conditions. Its thick succulent leaves store moisture that sustains it through long periods of low rainfall. In autumn and winter, it produces dull rose-red or bright red-yellowish flowers that seem to crown the plant with a warm flame. Able to survive temperatures as low as -3.9 Degrees Celsius, it withstands the coldest Namibian winters in resolute majesty. The aloe’s flowers and leaves are edible and can be harvested from the wild as local food and for their medicinal properties.
Founder of Doek Literary Awards, Rémy Ngamije, said that Bank Windhoek, Doek, and Namibian literary artists mirror this wonderful local plant in interesting ways. He said they have adapted to the country’s demanding artistic climate while producing stories and art nourishing their respective communities.
“Together, Bank Windhoek, Doek, and Namibian writers, poets, and visual artists are committed to bringing the country’s hidden stories to local and global audiences and archiving them for present and future generations,” said Ngamije.
The Bank Windhoek Doek Literary Awards (BWDLAs) are awarded every two years to celebrate the works of four Namibian literary artists published in Doek! Literary Magazine, Namibia’s first and only literary magazine.
“As part of Doek’s mission to foster a robust literary community in the country, the BWDLAs seek to bring a wider Namibian and international audience to the selected works and literary artists,” said Ngamije.
The 2023 concept and logo were designed by Clara Mupopiwa, an award-winning multidisciplinary Namibian designer and educator. “The concept will be translated into a physical award designed by Erik Schack, an award-winning Namibian sculptor. Every ten years, an exhibition of the various awards shall be held to showcase these special pieces of art and the concepts that inspired their creation,” said Ngamije.
This year’s BWDLAs have been endowed with prizes designed to support writers, poets, and visual artists as they bring their visions and tales to life in Namibia. Led by Bank Windhoek, the official sponsor of the Doek Literary Awards, the winners of each category – fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual art – will be awarded N$5000 in cash.
Each winner will also receive a Gondwana voucher, Namibia’s premier collection of lodges and resorts. The Wine Bar, one of Namibia’s leading wine distributors, will provide wine to all shortlisted literary artists and judges. Namibia Dairies will provide hampers containing some of their most popular products to writers, poets, and visual artists whose works make it to this year’s shortlist.
Ngamije concluded that all the longlisted writers, poets, and visual artists will be invited to participate in creative writing and storytelling workshops focusing on their specific creative fields. Bank Windhoek will sponsor the attendance fees and materials needed to participate in these workshops. For more information, please visit the following link: https://doeklitmag.com/awards/.
