Rwandan Writer Nzabonimpa’s Novel Manuscript Wins Top Spot at Agati Library Writers Residency

Kigali-based author, editor, and poet Patrick Nzabonimpa (Tom) has won first place at the Agati Library Writers Residency Cohort 4, with his debut novel manuscript To Kill a Boy, a literary thriller set in contemporary Kigali.

The residency, which took place from August 10 to 23, 2026, brought together four Rwandan novelists for two weeks of intensive writing and revision. At the close of the programme, a jury of three independent industry specialists evaluated the manuscripts against three criteria: clarity of narrative structure and readability, creativity and originality, and commercial potential.

Nzabonimpa’s novel topped the field with an aggregate score of 82.5 out of 90, the highest the programme has recorded across its four cohorts to date. The jury noted that any of the four novels could have won in previous cohorts, making Cohort 4 the strongest group of manuscripts the residency has seen.

The jury was unanimous. One reviewer called To Kill a Boy “the most compelling of the four manuscripts,” praising its “immersive storytelling, rich emotional depth, and deep grounding in contemporary Rwandan context.” A second described the novel’s portrayal of Kigali social life and the Biryogo subculture as “simply amazing,” singling out its thriller structure and sustained tension. A third noted that of all four manuscripts, To Kill a Boy carried “the strongest overall market potential.”

Nzabonimpa, who is the Country Coordinator of WSA-Rwanda, used the two weeks of the residency to carry out further revisions on the manuscript. Set in contemporary Kigali, the novel follows a young man whose life is turned upside down by a woman he trusted: a story of love, betrayal, and a secret that reaches back a generation.

With the residency prize secured, Nzabonimpa is now eyeing publication, with the goal of reaching Rwandan readers at an accessible price point while building an audience beyond the continent.

Nzabonimpa is the author of A Thread of Silent Echoes and Mutoni: The Innovator of Kiruku. His work has been published in Brittle Paper, Africa in Dialogue, and several anthologies. He was a judge for the African Writers Awards in 2024, 2025, and 2026.

Congratulations to him!