Stickfighting Days
"Stickfighting Days" is the second short story of Sierra Leonean writer Olufemi Terry. It is the winner of the 2010 Caine Prize for African Writing.[1] It was originally published in the pan-African magazine Chimurenga (vol. 12/13).[2]
| "Stickfighting Days" | |
|---|---|
| Short story by Olufemi Terry | |
| Country | Sierra Leone |
| Language | English |
| Publication | |
| Publisher | Chimurenga, Vol. 12/13 |
| Media type | Short story |
The story follows a group of glue-sniffing boys in a dump who fight with sticks.[3] Terry said the story originally came into his head as "the idea of street boys in Nairobi, in rags, sniffing glue", adding: "The stickfighting element just popped into my head—there wasn't any obvious connection between the two strands, but somehow I found myself working with these two elements and the story just poured out of me".[2]
"Stickfighting Days" won the Caine Prize for African Writing on 5 July 2010. It defeated shortlisted entries by writers from across Africa, including Ken Barris (South Africa), Lily Mabura (Kenya), Namwali Serpell (Zambia), and Alex Smith (South Africa).[4] Fiammetta Rocco, judges' chair and literary editor with The Economist, said: "Ambitious, brave and hugely imaginative, Olufemi Terry's 'Stickfighting Days' presents a heroic culture that is Homeric in its scale and conception. The execution of this story is so tight and the presentation so cinematic, it confirms Olufemi Terry as a talent with an enormous future".[2]
References
- Flood, Alison (6 July 2010). "Olufemi Terry wins Caine prize for African writing". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
- "African literary prize goes to Cape Town writer". CBC News. 6 July 2010. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
- "Sierra Leone's Olufemi Terry wins Caine writing prize". BBC News. BBC. 6 July 2010. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
- Frenette, Brad (6 July 2010). "Olufemi Terry wins 2010 Caine Prize". National Post. Canwest. Archived from the original on 10 July 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2010.