Who is making history now?

Tell us about someone whose work deserves a record. You do not need their permission, and you do not need to know them well. About five minutes.

What counts

  • Evidence. Something built, changed, taught, grown or repaired.
  • Agency. They decided and acted, rather than being appointed.
  • Cost. It required something of them.
  • Consequence. Other people are better off, for good.

What does not

  • Position. A senior job is a chair, not a contribution.
  • Wealth. On its own it says nothing about what was built.
  • Visibility. Fame measures closeness to media.
  • Potential alone. Promise belongs in the Fellowship.

Any country in Africa or the diaspora, any field, any stage. Nominating yourself is allowed; it is simply harder, because we will ask other people the same questions.

The most important answer on this form. Be specific. A sentence about what was there before and what is there now is worth more than a paragraph of praise.

A link, a publication, an organisation, a place, or a person who could confirm it. If there is nothing to check, say so honestly.

Whether you work with them, learned from them, benefited from their work, or simply watched it happen.

Every nomination is read by a person.

What happens next.

  1. 01

    A person reads it

    Not a system. When that stops being true, we will say so here.

  2. 02

    We look into the work

    Independently, with people who have no reason to be generous about it.

  3. 03

    If it holds, we approach them

    Nothing is published without their written permission, and they see it first.

  4. 04

    It may take years

    Nominations are kept and revisited as the work matures. We do not reply to every one.