5th annual Golden Baobab Prizes ends call for submissions

5th annual Golden Baobab Prizes ends call for submissions

Accra, July 26th, 2013 – The Golden Baobab Prizes for African children’s literature has ended the call for submissions to its 5th annual edition of the prizes. This year, Golden Baobab introduced three prizes: The Golden Baobab Prize for Early Chapter Books, The Golden Baobab Prize for Picture Books and the Golden Baobab Prize for Rising Writers, with a new emphasis on imaginative and enthralling content.

This year’s prizes received a total of 180 stories from thirteen African countries: Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Tanzania, South Africa, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Lesotho, Zambia and Sierra Leone. Nigeria and Tanzania produced the most entrants. This year’s entries bring the total number of entries submitted to the Golden Baobab Prize over the past 5 years to over 1,000 stories.

Having established itself as a prestigious platform for discovering African writers of African children’s stories, Golden Baobab is set to begin a massive appeal for corporate sponsorships that will help to increase its reach and unearth more talent. According to the Executive Director of the organization, Deborah Ahenkorah, “Golden Baobab is looking for bold, visionary corporate partners who want to create for African children, a colorful world filled with fantasy, adventure and imagination! African children deserve to grow up surrounded by stories that reflect their cultures and experiences. We are looking for partners who believe that this is possible.” This partnership will enable Golden Baobab bring its top stories to life as print and digital books, films, apps, games and merchandise for children.

The Golden Baobab Prizes’ evaluation process has begun and a shortlist will be announced in September 2013. The winners of the Golden Baobab Prizes will be named in the second week of November and will receive $1,000 (USD), the opportunity to publish with and receive royalties from Golden Baobab top tier African and international publishers, the benefit of increased publicity that comes with being named a Golden Baobab winner, and opportunities to attend exclusive Golden Baobab workshops. In addition to the above, the winner of the Golden Baobab Prize for Rising Writers will serve on the prestigious panel of judges for the 2014 Golden Baobab Prizes, bringing a critical young perspective to the evaluation process.

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About The Golden Baobab Prizes

The Golden Baobab Prizes for literature was established in July 2008 to inspire the creation of enthralling African children’s stories by gifted African writers. The Prizes invite entries of unpublished stories written by African citizens irrespective of age, race, or country of origin. The Prizes are organized by Golden Baobab, a Ghana-based pan African social enterprise dedicated to supporting African writers and illustrators to create winning African children’s books. The organization’s Advisory Board includes renowned authors Ama Ata Aidoo, Patrice Nganang, Jay Heale and Maya Ajmera. Golden Baobab is proudly supported by Echoing Green, Reach for Change, The Global Fund for Children and The African Library Project.

For further information, photos or to arrange interviews, please contact: Nanama B. Acheampong via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tel: +233302 265215

Website: www.goldenbaobab.org

Golden Baobab Prize Winners Named

The 2012 winners of the Golden Baobab Prizes, a leading African literary award, have been announced. This year Joy Nwiyi of Nigeria, Jenny Robson of South Africa/Botswana and Rutendo Chabikwa of Zimbabwe were selected as the distinguished winners by a prestigious panel of judges. They join the growing circle of promising authors chosen by The Golden Baobab Prizes, which are the only prizes of their kind. They are awarded annually to inspire the creation of quality African literature to be enjoyed by young readers in Africa and around the world. The prizes offer a monetary award to its winners and connects outstanding stories with an array of African and international publishers.

This year, Nwiyi’s Something for Next Time won her the Golden Baobab Prize for the best story written for ages 12-15 years. Robson’s Wha-Zup Dude? was named the Golden Baobab winner for the best story written for ages 8-11 years. Finally, Chabikwa’s A Healing Adventure and Letters from the City earned her the Golden Baobab Rising Writer Prize, which is given to a young writer, 18 years or under, who shows exceptional literary promise for his or her age.

The 2012 Golden Baobab Prizes Honorable Mentions for the Junior Category (stories targeted at readers 8-11 years):

  • Yaba Badoe (Ghana): The Fish-Man of Purple Lake 
  • Daniel Ansah Akrofi (Ghana), The Stray 
  • Yaba Badoe of (Ghana), The Fisherman's Daughter 

The 2012 Golden Baobab Prize Honorable Mentions for the Senior Category (stories targeted at readers 12-15 years):

  • Gothataone Moeng (Botswana), Absolute Truth about Red Mite  Sedem Agbolosu (Ghana), Transfiguration

The 2012 Golden Baobab Rising Writer Prize Honorable Mention (for a promising writer 18 years and younger):

  • Sarah Juma (Nigeria), Grey Marine

The 2012 Golden Baobab Prizes featured a panel of renowned judges. They are CNN Hero and children’s librarian Yohannes Gebregeorgis, international children’s librarian Tanja Galetti, award- winning young African writer Kopano Matlwa, esteemed scholar Vivian Yenika Agbaw, South African children’s publisher Carol Broomhall and acclaimed writer of African children's stories Atinuke Akinyemi-Sears.

The mission of the Golden Baobab Prizes is to ensure the creation of high quality literary content for children and young adults by discovering, nurturing and promoting African talent.

Ghanaian Illustration Talent Discovered

Showcased at W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre

ACCRA, Ghana – Nine new Ghanaian artists with extraordinary talent were showcased at an exhibition of children’s illustration artwork held at the W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre on Friday, 27thJuly, 2012.

The event, organized by Golden Baobab and the Ghana chapter of the International Board of Books for Young People (IBBY-Ghana), with the support of their collaborators W.E.B Du Bois Memorial Centre, Ghana Book Development Council, Sub-Saharan Publishers and Acrilex, introduced the literary world to a diverse group of graphic designers, cartoonists, fine artists and painters.

The exhibitors, Hawa Nikoi Olai, Enoch Yaw Mensah, Nana Hene Koduah, Peter Oti Asamoah, Elkanah Kwadwo Mpesum, Ernest Cobbinnah, Andrew Adote, Jonathan Kwegyir Aggrey, and Sela Kodjo Adjei were selected through a rigorous and competitive application process organized by Golden Baobab. They were immersed in a prestigious 8-day Children’s Illustration Workshop that sought to improve their skillsets, provide them with specialized artistic training in illustration, and enable them to form relationships with the cream of the crop of the publishing, writing and producing world.

Facilitated by internationally-renowned children’s book author and illustrator, Meshack Asare, whose numerous awards include the Noma Award for Publishing in Africa and the UNESCO Prize for

Literature and two nominations for the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Prize, the biggest international children’s literature prize in the world, the workshop was designed to discover, inspire and empower Ghanaian artists in the field of children’s illustration.

The hall teemed with media and members of prominent cultural organizations in Accra. Metro TV, TV3, Africa Channel, and Vibrant Ghana covered the exhibition and networking event.

Golden Baobab and IBBY-Ghana, who organized the workshop
and exhibition as part of an effort to address the dearth of quality African children’s books, hope that such initiatives will establish connections between talented writers, illustrators, and publishers. These connections, which will result in the formation of future partnerships in the illustrated children’s book world, ensure the creation of outstanding African children’s literature that can compete on the global stage.

The illustrators’ art pieces will travel to London and be displayed to an international audience of publishers and producers at the IBBY Congress in London this August. In September, 2012 the art pieces will be showcased to publishers in the local industry at the Ghana Book Fair. 

Free 9-Day Workshop

For Illustrators of Children’s Stories in Accra

The Ghana chapter of the International Board of Books for Young People has partnered with Golden Baobab to organize a free 9-day children’s illustration workshop in Accra, Ghana. Set for July 19th to July 27th, 2012, the workshop will be facilitated by Meshack Asare, one of Africa’s top children’s writers and illustrators, who has won numerous awards including The Noma Award for Publishing in Africa. The purpose of the workshop is to identify Ghana’s most talented and promising children’s illustrators, provide training to increase their skills, and offer them local and international exposure.

Ten top illustrators in Ghana will be handpicked through a competitive selection process to attend this workshop for free. The participants will be identified by their incredible artistic talent, proven appreciation for children’s literature, and demonstrated desire to excel in the field. The selected participants will be instructed in various illustration techniques for children and will receive constructive critique on their work.

The artwork produced at the end of the workshop will be exhibited at the IBBY 2012 Congress in London and the Ghana International Book Fair in Accra.

Applicants must be below 40 years old; have a demonstrated interest in “composition”; be talented and enthusiastic; be determined to be successful illustrators

Illustrators interested in this opportunity should apply by submitting the following:

  • Biographical Information (including name, age, gender, occupation, place of residence, email address, telephone, and how you heard about the workshop);
  • 2 original illustrated works (created by self and not doctored electronically);
  • 1 original illustration inspired by a children’s story (applicants should name the story and author on their application); • A personal statement (500 words) that addresses the question “Why I’m interested in illustrating children’s books.”

The completed application can be scanned and emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or dropped off at the Alliance Française in Accra (Liberation Link – Airport Residential Area - 0302 773134 / 760278).

For further details on the event, check out Golden Baobab’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/goldenbaobab Submission Deadline: 5pm GMT, Friday, July 6, 2012.

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