The First International German Black Literary Prize Award (May Ayim Award)
Despite all obstacles, Blacks in Germany are developing and implementing ideas, organizing events and paving the way for a self-empowered Black community. The way to achieving the goal may still be long, but Black visionaries and organizations are taking up the challenge. A challenging event was initiated and turned into reality. It is The first International German Black literary Prize Award (May Ayim Award).
The name “May Ayim” was chosen for the award in recognition of the fundamental work of late May Ayim in bringing Black German literature to public awareness as well as her relentless efforts in the Black German movement to achieve self-empowerment. May Ayim, a Ghanaian-German born in 1960, grew up and studied in
The book was later translated and published in English under the title Showing our Colors (Amherst 1992). It became one of the most referenced books in publications relating to Black/Afro-German issues.
The first International German Black literary Prize Award ceremony took place on the 29th October 2004 at the House of World Cultures in Berlin , Germany . The award named May Ayim Award was initiated by Michael Küppers-Adebisi, and organized in cooperation with the House of World Cultures, German Commission for UNESCO, the online portal CyberNomads of which Küppers-Adebisi is a founding member, a team of authors called Macht der Nacht and the artist/sculptor Stephen Lawson who donated the awards sculpture. The event was also supported in numerous ways by businesses and individuals from the Black community within and outside Germany. According to the organizers of the event, the award is aimed at Black contestants worldwide working/involved in literary arts. The submitted work may incorporate May Ayims vision; constructively overcoming isolation of individual Blacks in the mainstream society of Whites, promotion of heritage identity and self-empowerment.
The call for submission of literary works was published early 2004 in the media. A couple months later, works including stories, fine art, multimedia CDs and music videos were submitted to the organizing committee. Works were received from as far as the USA and Canada . A jury was elected comprising Peggy Pieche, Dr. Marion Kraft, Adetoun Kueppers-Adebisi, Robert Ajani and Ekpenyong Ani.
EPIC
First Prize
Name: Mario Curvello
Work/Title: Die letzte Fabel der Schildkröte
Second Prize Name: Kofi Yakpo
Work/Title: Love of Convenience
Third Prize Name: Luc Degla
Work/Title: Ein ganz normaler Abend
LYRIC First Prize Name: Olumide Popoola
Work/Title: Undercurrents
Second Prize Name: Amatoritsero Ede
Work/Title: The Skinheads Lords Prayer
Third Prize Name: Hakim Al-Jamil aka Harold Lee Rush
Work/Title: Who killed McDuffie? A definitive question
MULTIMEDIA First Prize Name: MC Santana
Work/Title: Watch Your Wayz
Second Prize Name: Germ
Work/Title: G.E.R.M
Third Prize Name: Kofi Yakpo
Work/Title: Ich hab geträumt
Competition Honorary Mention Name: Adedayo Adebisi
Work/Title: Freunde
Non Competition Honorary Mention Name: Yamile Lijphart