At Africa is a Country Ishtiyaq Shukri explains Why I asked for my work to be withdrawn from the inaugural FT/OppenheimerFunds Emerging Voices Awards -- his main complaint being the bizarre citizenship-limitations on artists considered for this "cumbersome prize".
Shukri explains:
(I do note, however, that his complaint about passport/proof of nationality-requirements isn't well-informed -- European and North American (and other) artists are indeed "interrogated in the same way" for quite a few national-limited prizes (with the Man Booker one of the few to have made the question moot by finally, sensibly giving up on any citizenship requirement).)
Shukri explains:
I do not believe in "emerging voices" or "emerging market countries". Having spent enough of my life in contrived categories, I uphold the vision of just one world.Amen to that (and with its wonderful national eligibility definition -- "defined by the World Bank Atlas Method (i.e. those with a GNI per capita of less than $12,746" -- the prize was really setting itself up for this reaction.)
(I do note, however, that his complaint about passport/proof of nationality-requirements isn't well-informed -- European and North American (and other) artists are indeed "interrogated in the same way" for quite a few national-limited prizes (with the Man Booker one of the few to have made the question moot by finally, sensibly giving up on any citizenship requirement).)