The event took place on 3 July 2024 at Dartmouth House in Mayfair, London and brought together authors, industry leaders and Africa watchers to celebrate the winners of this literary award in the business and economics category.
This years winner is Professor David Luke for his book How Africa Trades . Specialising in African trade policy and trade negotiations, Luke has decades of experience in policy advisory services, managing and catalysing research, building partnerships, training and capacity development for private sector and government. His book was recognised for its lucid storytelling, evidence-based research and its accessible writing style. As Africa pushes through the African continental free trade agreement, this book is highly relevant and as one of the judges put it is an excellent primer to understanding the often-tangled world of African commerce.
The first runner-up is Dipo Faloyin for his book Africa is not a country . Lagos-born Dipo is a senior editor at VICE, where he focuses on race, culture, and identity around the world. His work was described by judges as very well written and researched; rich in content, captivating, engaging and funny.
The second runner-up is Jozef Mols for his book Ethiopian Airlines: the African Aviation Powerhouse , which the judges described as being brave enough to tell the unique and fantastic story of Ethiopian Airlines. Born in Antwerp, Jozef studied applied economics with emphasis on marketing, consular sciences and economics of developing countries.
The judges, in their deliberations, noted that African books in the business and economics category remain highly underrepresented. However, books such as Mols show that there are great stories to be told and that the journeys of some of these wonderful businesses are engaging and important.
