The newly launched Hodler Prize worth 1.1 Bitcoin seeks to award the most important text of the year, and two African authors have made it to the shortlist. Nigerian writer Tolu Ogunlesi is a judge on this new fascinating prize centered around cryptocurrency. The competition is open to all texts published, translated, performed, or broadcast in English in the current year. Founded by writer Anthony van den Bossche, the Hodler Prize aims to highlight each author’s search for truth, whether available in bookshops, on screen, or stage. Submissions can include various genres such as novels, screenplay, poetry, essays, press articles, opinions, art criticism, songs, and speeches.
The total worth of the Hodler Prize is 1.1 Bitcoin, divided equally between the winner and the 10-person jury, i.e. 0.1 Bitcoin per person. The winner will receive 0.1 BTC, roughly $4,378 USD at the moment. The name of the prize comes from the term “hodler” in the Bitcoin community used to describe a person who stays invested at all costs. It embodies conviction over time, much like a literary prize that rewards the quality of a text by betting on its ability to travel through time.
The 2023 Hodler Prize jury is composed of 9 eminent figures in the world of writing. Readers are the 10th voice of the jury, submitting their entries to the competition, and then voting on the Hodler Prize social media. Along with Ogunlesi, this year’s jury includes Martin Bethenod, Emanuele Coccia, Chelsea E. Manning, Alex Marzano-Lesnevich, Rachel Monroe, Diego Ongaro, Adli Takkal-Bataille, and Vanessa Walters. Each member of the jury proposed 2 texts (1 text in book format + 1 text broadcast on another medium). The public also submitted their choices. After several rounds of votes, we finally have the esteemed shortlist of 20 texts, of which Ani Kayode and Abubakar Adam Ibrahim are the African finalists.
The Hodler Prize is a unique literary prize that seeks to reward the most important text of the year. By offering Bitcoin as the prize money, the Hodler Prize is making a statement about the future of money and the role of cryptocurrency in the literary world. The prize is a testament to the growing influence of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in the world of finance and beyond.
The Hodler Prize is an exciting development for the literary world, and it will be interesting to see how it evolves in the coming years. With the rise of cryptocurrency and the growing interest in Bitcoin, it is likely that we will see more literary prizes that offer Bitcoin as the prize money. The Hodler Prize is a pioneer in this field, and it is sure to inspire other literary prizes to follow suit.
We congratulate the finalists of the Hodler Prize and wish them all the best in their quest to win this unique literary prize.
