Accra, November 15, 2018 - Pan-African literary organization, Golden Baobab, announces its jury for the 2018 Golden Baobab Prize, a panel comprising prominent international publishing and literacy professionals. Established to discover and present talented African writers and illustrators with opportunities to produce African children's books, the Golden Baobab Prize invites entries of unpublished stories and illustrations by African citizens irrespective of age, race, gender or country of origin. It offers cash prizes as well as publishing opportunities to outstanding entries.

The 2018 judges for the Golden Baobab Prize are:

• Akoss Ofori-Mensah, Publisher, Sub-Saharan Publishers

• Kathy Knowles, Children’s writer, publisher and founder, Osu Library Fund

• Daphne Lee, ConsultingEditor, Scholastic Asia

• Sarah Odedina, Editor-at-Large, Pushkin Press

• Akua Peprah, Educator, The Lovett School

• Carol Williams, West Africa Regional Director, Worldreader

“We are excited to present a jury this year that boasts an international group of literary professionals who care about getting diverse books to children.” says Eunice Ahenkorah, Program Manager of Golden Baobab. “As the Golden Baobab Prize celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, we look forward to a new chapter where we will establish meaningful partnerships with various organizations to increase our capacity to have more African children’s books published by our authors and illustrators”

Previous judges of the Golden Baobab Prize include renowned Ghanaian children's writer and illustrator Meshack Asare, established British-Nigerian novelist and playwright Bernardine Evaristo, acclaimed Nigerian author Helon Habila, Caldecott Medal-winning American illustrator Paul Zelinksy and Ethiopian children’s literacy advocate & CNN Hero Yohannes Gebregeorgis.

Winners of the Prize have to gone on to see success in the publishing industry. Grandma’s List, a Golden Baobab Prize winning story by Ghanaian writer Portia Dery and published by African Bureau Stories, has won the 2018 Children’s Africana Book Award (CABA) organized by Africa Access and the Outreach Council of the African Studies Association in the U.S. The CABA Award sponsors include the African Studies departments of Harvard, Howard and Yale universities among others.

The winners of this year’s Golden Baobab Prize will be announced on December 15, 2018.

The Golden Baobab Prize Announces 2016 Longlist

Accra, November 18, 2016 – The Golden Baobab Prize today announces its 2016 Longlist. The Prize is often referred to as the “African Newbery Prize”, and is renowned as a pioneering and prestigious award in the African children’s literature industry. The 2016 longlist features eight impressive rising African authors from four countries across the continent.

This year, the Prize received over 150 stories from 11 African countries. The 2016 jury, made up of international experts from diverse backgrounds, went through a rigorous process to evaluate the stories and select the longlisted authors.

Though most of the authors were first time entrants to the Prize, the jury was impressed by the strength of their stories which featured multiple genres such as adventure, mystery and crime. This represents an exciting new movement in African children's literature characterized by bold imagery and daring characters.

The jury is delighted to unveil eight fresh voices in African children’s literature.

Here is the 2016 Golden Baobab Prize Longlist:

The Golden Baobab Prize for Picture Books

• Lori-Ann Preston (South Africa) – Mr. Cocka-Rocka-Roo

• Lori-Ann Preston (South Africa) – Snails Have Feelings Too!

• Victoria Blain (The Gambia) – The Baobab Ghee

• Kai Tuomi (South Africa) – A Dark Night for Wishes

• Vennessa Scholtz (South Africa)- Kita and the Red, Dusty Road

The Golden Baobab Prize for Early Chapter Books

• Oyeku Ayodele Moses (Nigeria) – Maya and the Finish Line

• Lori-Ann Preston (South Africa) – The Ama-zings!

• Dina Mousa (Egypt) – Maya and the Mystery of the Cat Burglars

• Khethiwe Mndawe (South Africa) – Lights and Freedom

• Chidinma Jay Nnamani (Nigeria) – Soti and Zita's Escape to Earth

The Golden Baobab Prize awards finalist writers with African and international publishing opportunities as well as widespread publicity. The winner of each Golden Baobab Prize receives this finalist package as well as a cash prize of 5,000 USD. The winners of the 2016 Golden Baobab Prizes for African Children’s Literature will be announced on November 21st, 2016.

The Golden Baobab Prize Announces 2016 Winners and Shortlist

Accra, Ghana, November 21, 2016 – Golden Baobab is delighted to announce the winners of the 7th edition of the Golden Baobab Prize. The Prize is often referred to as the “African Newbery Prize”, and is renowned as a pioneering and prestigious award in the African children’s literature industry.

This year, the Golden Baobab​ ​Prize received over 150 stories from 11 African countries.​ ​The submissions were judged by​ ​an​ ​impressive​ ​jury from diverse backgrounds who collectively brought nearly 100 years of experience in children’s literature to the selection of the 2016 winners and finalists.

The winning stories of the 2016 Golden Baobab Prize are:

• The Ama-zings! by Lori-Ann Preston from South Africa, Winner of the Golden Baobab Prize for Early Chapter Books.

• Kita and the Red, Dusty Road by Vennessa Scholtz from South Africa, Winner of the Golden Baobab Prize for Picture Books.
  
  

The winner of each Golden Baobab Prize receives​ ​a cash prize of 5,000 USD and a guaranteed publishing contract.​​

Those shortlisted were:

The Golden Baobab Prize for Early Chapter Books

• Maya and the Finish Line by Ayo Oyeku from Nigeria

• Lights and Freedom by Khethiwe Mndawe from South Africa

The Golden Baobab Prize for Picture Books

• A Dark Night for Wishes by Kai Tuomi from South Africa

• Mr. Cocka-Rocka-Roo by Lori-Ann Preston from South Africa​

The Executive Director of Golden Baobab, Deborah Ahenkorah Osei-Agyekum commented, “For the past seven years, The Golden Baobab Prize has​ ​focused on delivering a quality annual literature prize that raises awareness about the need for more African literature for children.​ ​Now, the Prize is excited to enter a new​ ​phase where we​ ​will focus heavily on setting up more publishing partnerships and opportunities for our writers to get more African books into the hands of children. ​For the first​ ​time, this year's winning stories are guaranteed a publishing contract. The longlist also receives publishing services from Golden Baobab​ ​that will​ ​connect their​ ​stories to leading African and international publishers.”

The Golden Baobab Prize Announces 2016 Judges

Accra, November 14, 2016 - Golden Baobab has today announced the jury of the 2016 Golden Baobab Prize. The annual Golden Baobab Prize is a set of awards that celebrate and create publishing opportunities for African writers and illustrators of children's stories. The prize is sometimes referred to as the “African Newbery Prize” for its prestige as a pioneering award in the African children’s literature industry.

This year’s edition of the Golden Baobab Prize has put together a diverse and international jury of experts. They represent six countries from around the world as well as unique perspectives from various facets of the children’s literature industry. Collectively, the jury brings nearly 100 years of experience in children’s literature to the selection of the winner and finalists and reflect the rigor underlying the Golden Baobab Prize’s processes.

According to Deborah Ahenkorah Osei-Agyekum, the Executive Director of Golden Baobab, “We are proud of the strength of this year’s judging panel and their wealth of experience. The Golden Baobab Prize continues to show strong commitment to young perspectives in children's literature with the inclusion of two accomplished young judges in this year’s jury.”

The jury for the 2016 Golden Baobab Literature Prize are:

• Nonikiwe Mashologu (South Africa), former chairperson of IBBY South Africa and renowned literary critic of African children’s books.
• Rutendo Chabikwa (Zimbabwe), novelist, poet and former winner of the Golden Baobab Prize for Rising Writers.
• Daphne Lee (Malaysia), editor, Scholastic Asia; children’s book writer; nominee for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the world’s largest prize for children’s and young adult literature.
• Kofi Anyimadu (Ghana), young author, book lover and former judge of the Golden Baobab Prize for Illustrators.
• Brenda Randolph (USA), founder of Africa Access which organizes the prestigious annual Children’s Africana Book Awards.
• Lanre Shasore (Nigeria), team lead at Quramo, a Nigerian publishing house with children’s imprint, Mango Books.

The Golden Baobab Prize awards finalist writers with African and international publishing opportunities as well as widespread publicity. The winner of each Golden Baobab Prize receives this finalist package as well as a cash prize of 5,000 USD. The winners of the 2016 Golden Baobab Prizes for African Children’s Literature will be announced on November 21st, 2016.