A final-year Business Administration student of the University of Ghana, Legon, Ms Rachel Lawerh, has been crowned the winner of the short story category of the maiden Ghana Writers Awards.

Ms Lawerh’s unpublished short story: “Give them my other leg” won her the overall winner prize in the short story category in the awards ceremony organised Saturday, October 29, 2016 at the Marvels Ghana Mini Golf Course at Dworwulu in the Greater Accra Region.

Ms Lawerh beat eight other unpublished writers in the short story contest to win the prize.

A citation accompanying her award said “You demonstrated originality in your presentation. Your characters conveyed your message clearly. Your ability to carry your readers along in your story was superb”.

Other writers who won prizes for themselves at the awards night included Dr Michael Osei Agyapong (Winner of Ananse Prize for Literature or the overall winner of the night) and Mr Bawa Sadique Anyame (winner of the poetry category).

In a related development, some individuals and cooperate bodies, including Efua Sutherland, Nana Asaase, Adjei Agyei Baah, Citi Fm, Graphic Communications Group Limited, and Karis were also presented with citations for their contributions towards the promotion of the Ghanaian literary arts industry.

Ghana Writers Awards is a literary prize instituted by some young Ghanaian literary compatriots to celebrate and promote Ghanaian writers and literature.

The awards was organised on the theme: "Preserving the Ghanaian culture through creative writing: the role of writers".

Patrons at the awards night were entertained by spoken word and acoustic artistes such as Sabukie, Ohene, Nene Narh, Kukporlikpor, Village Minds Production, Village Thinkers, and Fadi Dabbousi among others.

The awards was organised in partnership with KARIS, Mensa Press (USA), Turf, Tangent Studios, Bea Works, Media Mall, Zulu Nation, Writers International Network (Canada), and the Arachneed (India).

Below is the list of the nominees for both poetry and short story categories

SHORT STORY NOMINEES

Nana Ama Gyemaah Otuahene: The African old maid

Josephine Abena Amofaah Nketia: The Woman in White

Josephine Amoako: Black Night; Orange Sky

Rachel Lawerh: Give Them My Other Leg

Samuel Owusu Achiaw: A Sunset

MelodyBoakye-Dankwa Aninwa: The Paradox

Michael Osei Agyapong: Changing hands

Cecil Nii Odenkey Abbey: In The Land Of Chickens

POETRY NOMINEES

Kweku Feni Adow: When Awakened

Victoria Naa Takia Nunoo:Water

Abelumkemah Betrand Azags: Ululato

Kojo Frimpong: Break Me

Victoria Naa Takia Nunoo: The Ones Born of Nature

Kofi Acquah: Papyrus Underground

Emmanuel Agyei-Poku: The Fruit of War

Agyei Sarpong Amos: The Other Butterflies

Anim Asatewaa Millicent: Beneath The Mask

Bawa Sadique Anyame: Ruses of the gods