Ellen Banda-Aaku

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Ellen Banda-Aaku (born 6 May 1965) is a Zambian author, radio drama and film producer who was born in the UK and grew up in Africa.^[1] She is the author of two novels and several books for children, and has had short stories published in anthologies and other outlets.^[2]

Background

Born in Woking, Surrey, in 1965, she was the middle child of three, and grew up in Zambia.^[3] She was educated at the University of Zambia, where she obtained her BA in public administration, and she also holds an MA in financial management with social policy from Middlesex University and an MA in creative writing from the University of Cape Town.^[3]

Writing career

Ellen Banda-Aaku's first book, Wandi's Little Voice, won the Macmillan Writer's Prize for Africa in 2004.

In July 2020, Banda-Aaku was announced as chair of the panel judges for the Kalemba Short Story Prize 2020.[11]

She is co-author with James Patterson of a children's book entitled The Elephant Girl, which was published in July 2022.^[12]

Awards

• 2004: Winner of Macmillan Writers Prize for Africa – Most Promising New Writer Award
• 2007: Winner of
  Commonwealth Short Story Competition
• 2010: Winner of Penguin Prize for African Writing
• 2012: Zambia Arts Council Chairpersons Ngoma Award

• 2012: Nominated for the Commonwealth Book Prize^[13]

Published works

Short stories

• "Sozi's Box" (winner of the 2007 Commonwealth Short Story Competition). Published in Cousins Across the Seas, Phoenix Education, Australia, 2008.
  ISBN 978-1-921085-73-4
• "Lost", in Jambula Tree and other stories, The
  ISBN 978-1-904456-73-5
• "Made of Mukwa", in The Bed Book of Short Stories,
  ISBN 978-1-920397-31-9
• "Ngomwa", in African Women Writing Resistance: Contemporary Voices, Wisconsin Press, USA.
  ISBN 978-0-299-23664-9
• "87 Tangmere Court", in New Daughters of Africa, 2019.

Novels

• Patchwork, Penguin Publishers, South Africa, 2011.
  ISBN 978-0-14-352753-4.^[14]
• Madam 1st Lady, 2016.
  OCLC 1042084009^[15]

• Wandi’s Little Voice, Macmillan Educational Publishers, UK, 2004.
  ISBN 978-1-4050-6040-0
• Yours Faithfully Yogi, East African Educational Publishers, Kenya, 2008.
  ISBN 978-9966-25-556-3
• Twelve Months, Oxford University Press, Kenya, 2010.
  ISBN 978-0-19-573609-0
• Lula & Lebo, Head and Shoulders, Puo Publishing, South Africa.
  ISBN 978-0-9814386-7-2
• E is for e-waste, Worldreader, online publication.
• Sula and Ja, Farafina Tuuti (Kachifo Limited) and Worldreader.

• Author Profiles, Ellen Banda-Aaku. African Writing Online, many literatures, one voice,
  ISSN 1754-6672
  No. 11. Accessed 10 February 2013.
• Browdy de Henandez, J., P. Dongala, O. Jolaosho, & A. Serafin (eds), 2010. African Writing Resistance Contemporary Voices, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Press.
• Danro, A., 2011. "Ellen Banda-Aaku: A gifted writer", Times of Zambia, Lusaka. 26 February.
• Kwei. R., 2004. "Women Here And There: Ellen Wins Macmillan’s Children’s Writer Award", Daily Graphic, Accra. 25 March.
• Malan, R., ed. 2009. A – Z of African Writers: A guide to modern African writing in English. South Africa, Shuter & Shooter.
• The Best of Zambia. 2011. Global Village Encyclopaedia GVPedia, Lusaka, Image Promotions.
• 14th Time of the Writer^{[permanent dead link]}, 2011. Accessed 9 February 2013.

References