Molosi wins African Authors award 2019

The recently released, Dear Upright African manifesto has clinched its first international accolade. The book authored by Botswana’s award winning actor, producer and author Donald Molosi will this July be bestowed with an African Authors Award.

MOLOSI IS THE FIRST MOTSWANA TO WIN THE AWARD
The 2019 edition of the ceremony is pencilled to take place at the end of July in Melrose Arch, Johannesburg. News about the award come a month after the worldwide release of Molosi’s manifesto Dear Upright African.  Confirming the news on social media, spokesperson for Africa Writers’ Awards, Anthea Ambursley wrote that, “the African Authors Awards 2019 cannot wait to host and honour Molosi in July 2019.”

Molosi has been in Kenya for the last month on a pre-release promotion tour which included Molosi’s several meetings with celebrated Kenyan writer Ngugi wa Thiong’o ahead of the release of the book.

Dear Upright African bears a powerful foreword by acclaimed Zimbabwean writer Tsitsi Dangarembga, author of Nervous Conditions.  Molosi previously won many awards for his first book, We Are All Blue which is currently being taught at universities around the world. He first shot to stardom with his Broadway debut in New York in 2007 and his film role opposite Matt Damon in the same year.

He has since starred in A United Kingdom opposite Academy-Award nominee Rosamund Pike. Molosi’s next acting role is in the British film called 2064 set for release this year. In a statement regarding his upcoming honour, Molosi says in a statement, “I am humbled and emboldened at once. I wrote Dear Upright African to be part of the change I desire as a self-loving decolonized Pan-African.

So, I am elated that this conversation will now involve many more key voices, thanks to the African Authors Awards 2019.” The African Authors Awards are an annual award ceremony held in Johannesburg. At the ceremony, authors from all over Africa are honoured and given awards by fellow African literati.

“I dedicate this specific honour to the memory of Dr. Kgalemang Tumediso Motsete who sought to decolonize the African classroom in as early as 1930 and built schools to that effect all over Africa. May we have the decolonized foresight to continue where we stopped, as a continent!” Molosi said about the honour. In Dear Upright African, which was released in February 28, 2019 in New York City, Molosi shares his experiences attending school in Africa and calls for the decolonization of the African classroom.