By Ogova Ondego
Published August 23, 2014
Winners of a US$20 000 all-Africa literary award for writers and illustrators of children’s literature shall be unveiled in November 2014. ArtMatters.Info speaks to Delali Kumapley who coordinates the Golden Baobab Prize for African Children’s Literature and Illustrations about the progress made on the award ceremony preparation so far.
How many submissions did the Golden Baobab Prize for African Children’s Literature receive for its sixth edition? It is noted that the manuscript submission deadline was pushed from June 29 to August 22, 2014.
We received 210 stories from 13 countries across the continent compared to 180 submissions in 2013.
RELATED: 6th Golden Baobab Prizes for African Children’s Literature Invites Entries
When is the Golden Baobab Award presenting prizes to the winners?
The winners of the Golden Baobab Prizes for African Literature and Illustrations will be announced and presented in November 2014.
Have you shortlisted nominees?
We are currently in the submission evaluation process; what we call the reading season. Through the reading season, we select the longlist or the 10 best stories from each category. The longlist will be announced during the last week of August 2014. Stories that make the longlist are then forwarded to our judges who read and select a shortlist and the eventual winners of the prizes. The judging season starts in October 2014.
From which countries are the nominees drawn?
For now, I can only mention the countries from which we received submissions this year. They include South Africa, Nigeria, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Cameroon, Egypt, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Botswana, Morocco and Ghana.
RELATED: In a Faded Literary Capital, Efforts at a Revival
Would you care to list the six categories in which prizes are being awarded?
- The Golden Baobab Prize for Picture Book
- The Golden Baobab Prize for Early Chapter Book
- The Golden Baobab Prize for Rising Writers
- The Golden Baobab Prize for Illustrators
- The Golden Baobab Prize for Rising Illustrators
- The Golden Baobab Lifetime Achievement in Children’s Literature Award.
RELATED: Stories From Life Uses Life’s Encounters to Caution, Educate and Celebrate Humanity
Who won the various prizes in 2013?
Liza Esterhuyse and Karen Hurt of South Africa won the Golden Baobab Prize for Picture Book and the Golden Baobab Prize for Early Chapter Book, respectively. Kanengo Rebecca Diallo of Tanzania won the Golden Baobab Prize for Rising Writers. Till 2013 only three prizes were presented.
