Afreximbank Unveils New Anthology to Champion Next Generation of African and Caribbean Writers
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has unveiled a new anthology titled Instances of Exceptional Moments of Hunger, highlighting the voices of emerging writers from Africa and the Caribbean as part of its efforts to strengthen the continent’s creative industries.
The publication brings together 19 selected writers from 16 countries under Afreximbank’s Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) programme, which aims to discover and develop new literary talent across Global Africa.
The anthology features short stories developed during the 2024 CANEX Creative Writing Workshop, where participants received intensive training to refine their craft. The works explore themes of identity, resilience, longing and transformation, offering insight into diverse cultural and personal experiences.
Some of the stories were originally written in Arabic, French and Portuguese before being translated into English to reach a wider global audience. The collection has been published in collaboration with Narrative Landscape Press, an independent publisher based in Nairobi and Lagos.
Afreximbank’s Executive Vice President for Intra-African Trade and Export Development, Mrs Kanayo Awani, described the anthology as a strategic investment in Africa’s creative future.
“This anthology represents far more than a compilation of stories. It is a strategic investment in Africa’s creative future,” she said. “Through the CANEX Creative Writing Workshop, Afreximbank is nurturing talent and building globally competitive intellectual property.”
Narrative Landscape Press publisher Dr Eghosa Imasuen said the workshop provided emerging writers with a focused space for growth and development, adding that the anthology marks the “arrival” of a new generation of literary voices.
Beyond its literary value, the anthology is also part of Afreximbank’s wider strategy to position African storytelling within the global creative economy. Through its investment arm, CANEX Creations Inc, the bank aims to support the commercialisation of intellectual property and explore opportunities for film, television and other adaptations.
Selected works from the anthology have also been submitted for consideration for the Caine Prize for African Writing, one of the continent’s most prestigious literary awards.
The CANEX programme continues to promote creative industries as a driver of economic growth, job creation and export diversification across Africa.
The anthology is now available in paperback on Amazon (http://apo-opa.co/3OPpkLE) in paperback. and through Narrative Landscape Press (http://apo-opa.co/4d883qa).
