“We Are All Birds of Uganda” and “23 and Me” – First ‘Merky Books New Writers’

Hafsa Zayyan and Monika Radojevic have both been announced as the co-winners of first ‘Merky Books New Writers’.  The winners were shortisted, from 20-strong writers, by a panel of judges which includes Stormzy, poet Kayo Chingonyi, writer Yrsa Daley-Ward, author and agent Nikesh Shukla of The Good Literary Agency and Cornerstone M.D. Susan Sandon.

Hafsa Zayyan: Hafsa Zayyan was born to a Nigerian father and Pakistani mother.  Hafsa completed law at the University of Cambridge and done her masters at the University of Oxford. Currently, She is working as an associate in Quinn Emanuel’s London office.  Out of 1200 submissions, her novel ‘We Are All Birds of Uganda’ was judged to be the winner.

Zayyan’s novel brings together the stories of Sameer, the son of penniless refugee who graduates from Cambridge and works for a City firm, and Hasan, whose family moved to Uganda from India and whose business now spans in multiple locations in Uganda.

Monika Radojevic: Monika Radojevic, the half-Brazilian, half-Montenegrin, was born in London. She is currently studying her Masters in Development Studies, University of London.  Monika was selected for her poetry collection “23 and Me”, in which  she paint a story of the joys, the confusions and the moments of sadness behind having one’s history scattered around the globe, and the way in which your identity is always worn on your skin, whether you like or not.

Both writers have won the representation from The Good Literary Agency and a publishing contract with Merky Books.

Merky Books is an imprint within William Heinemann, a part of Penguin Random House UK, dedicated to publishing the best new fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Merky Books publishes two to three books per year, and forms a home for a new generation of voices which was organised and presented by Stormzy. The imprint launches with Stormzy’s first book, Rise Up, in 2018.  Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr (1993), better known professionally as Stormzy, is an English rapper.