Judges are appointed from experienced members of the Namibian or international literary scene to adjudicate the fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual arts categories.
The 2025 panel of judges features an accomplished selection of award-winning literary and arts professionals from Namibia. They bring considerable experience to the adjudication process and are committed to recognising and rewarding Namibian literary artists who have produced resonant works in the fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual art fields.
They are:
Ndawedwa Denga Hanghuwo • Judge: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry
Ndawedwa Denga Hanghuwo is a fiction writer born in Windhoek, Namibia. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English and linguistics from the Namibia University of Science and Technology. His work has been published in Doek! Literary Magazine, Lolwe, Writers Space Africa, Kenga Digital, and the Journal of African Youth Literature.
In 2021, his short story “Silhouette” won the inaugural Bank Windhoek Doek Literary Award for Fiction; in 2024 it was published in the Africana Anthology in Italy. Ndawedwa was a member of the 2022–2023 Doek Collective and his short story “When The Rains Come” was published in Now Now: The 2023 Doek Anthology. Ndawedwa works as a sub-editor and proofreader at The Namibian.
Samuel Mayinoti • Judge: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry
Samuel Mayinoti is the founder and manager of Africa Blossom Consultancy CC, a Windhoek-based company offering research, publishing, and documentation services. A literature enthusiast, he has worked on several publications as an author, ghostwriter, and publisher. He has also conducted training workshops for aspiring Namibian authors with a focus on unpacking the complexities of the book publishing value chain. He currently serves on the Literature Committee of the National Arts Council of Namibia.
Sylvia Schlettwein • Judge: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry
Sylvia is a Namibian writer, literary translator, and lecturer. She has curated a number of literary events in the country, edited anthologies of Namibian writing, translated children’s and adult fiction and creative nonfiction from English to German and vice versa. She has also served as a judge of the Namibian National Short Story Award and other writing competitions. Specialising in German, Namibian, and German-Namibian literature, she is currently pursuing a PhD focusing on the transnational reading of contemporary Namibian—and in particular German-Namibian—literature.
Her debut collection of short stories Bullies, Beasts and Beauties was published by Wordweaver Publishers in 2011. Her latest creative publication, Katima, a collection of pieces of life writing, appeared in 2021 (German, Palmato Publishers) and 2023 (English, Kuiseb Publishers). Sylvia’s short stories, poems, and essays have appeared in African Writing Magazine, Bakwa Magazine, Felsgraffiti Magazine, and various Southern African and German anthologies.
In 2024 she won the second prize of the Short Story Day Africa Competition for her story “Are Shit” and received a Highly Commended Award in the Commonwealth Short Story Competition in 2010 for “Framing The Nation.” Her short story “The Matron” was nominated for the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2012.
Michelle Van Wyk • Judge: Visual Art
Michelle Van Wyk currently serves as the Director of the National Art Gallery of Namibia (NAGN). With a background in jewellery design and manufacture, her teaching experience spans 15 years. Her research interests lie in decolonising design practices in places of learning and creative making processes—this interest also serves as the foundation of her practice-led PhD at the University of Lapland, Finland. Michelle is interested in exploring non-traditional approaches within formal frameworks and unpacking the unusual through the lens of story and the creative self. Her passion is embedded in building inclusive creative environments where learning can flourish through innovative artistic approaches that incorporate ways of making, researching, leading, and multi-layered storytelling. Her rich Namibian heritage informs the artistic threads that weave together her artistic endeavours and fuel her commitment as the head of the NAGN.