(CNN)When Ugandan author Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi sent her novel “Kintu” to British publishers it was initially rejected because it was “too African.”
After success in East Africa and a US release less than one year ago, Makumbi has disproved the naysayers and won one of the most lucrative literary prizes in the world, the Windham Campbell prize from Yale University in the US.
Makumbi will take home $165,000 for her debut novel.
Makumbi told CNN that British publishers weren’t particularly interested because it didn’t include European aspects.
“Publishers in the UK are thinking about their readers in Britain and normally when they publish African novels they prefer to publish novels that deal with Europe as well,” Makumbi said.
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