Mma Ramotswe author sets up writing competition for Batswana

The British writer is expected to visit the country in March next year to launch the competition. Arts Residency Centre (ARC) Botswana director, Ann Gollifer, said in a statement that prizes for the competition are sponsored by the legendary writer.

Gollifer also said P5,000 top prizes will be given for a short story and a set of poems. She stated there would also be a P2,500 prize to be awarded for a short story submitted by a young writer under the age of 18. McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency books, which are set in Botswana, are a global success. The series began in 1998 and features the character Mma Precious Ramotswe and it has been adapted for radio and television as well as film. Gollifer said after achieving so much over the years, McCall Smith now wants to help and inspire other writers with “The No. 1 New Writing Award”, in collaboration with the Gaborone-based ARC. Meanwhile McCall Smith said: “I find it hard to believe it’s been 25 years since I started.