A participant in the British Council's Crossing Borders programme has won the Macmillan Writers' Prize for Africa 2005.

Glaydah Namukasa, a Ugandan midwife, and member of the Uganda Female Writers Association (FEMRITE), took the senior award with her story Voice of a Dream announced by MacMillan on 16 January 2006. The book will be published and launched at the prize award ceremony scheduled for September 2006.

Glaydah attributes her success to the opportunity Crossing Borders gives members to become extraordinary writers. ‘My sincere thanks go to Crossing Borders mentor, Sara Maitland, who started me right from the beginning when I didn't know the difference between structure and plot ', she said.

According to the judges, Voice of a Dream is, 'a sincere and well-structured story, taking on the real issue of a teenage girl coping with the fallout from AIDS in her family. Namukasa demonstrates a warm understanding of teenage frustrations; the courage of her heroine shines through.'

Glaydah has been a participant of the Crossing Borders programme for three years and published several books including The Naked Bones, A Day in the Maternity Ward and Is There Any Choice amongst others.

Through the Crossing Borders programme, which uses information technology to link young writers in Africa with experienced mentors in the UK, budding artists like Glaydah have made their mark on the literary scene in Uganda. She becomes the second Crossing Border participant to win this coveted prize.

Visit the Crossing Borders website for more information.