Golden Baobab’s Prize for African Illustrators

Earlier this year Golden Baobab launched with pomp and pageantry in Accra, Ghana, the inaugural Golden Baobab Prize for African Illustrators. This is the biggest and most prestigious prize committed to discovering, nurturing and celebrating talented African illustrators of children’s stories. The $7,500 Prize recognizes two talented African illustrators with the awards: The Golden Baobab Prize for Illustrators and The Golden Baobab Prize for Rising Illustrators.

The 2014 Golden Baobab Prizes for Illustrators had an exciting mix of judges who brought diverse perspectives and experiences to the task of identifying Africa’s best children’s illustrator. The judges were:

• Paul O. Zelinsky, International Award-winning American Illustrator and Writer and Caldecott Medalist
• Akua Peprah, Ghanaian Early Childhood Educator teaching in Boston, U.S.A
• Kofi Kokua Asante Anyimadu, 8-year old Ghanaian book lover

According to the Executive Director of Golden Baobab, Deborah Ahenkorah, "Golden Baobab is excited to launch this prize to recognize and celebrate talented African illustrators for children stories. Children deserve to have imaginative and captivating illustrations accompany enthralling stories they read. They deserve to not only see themselves represented in those stories but also in the images they consume." 

There were 12 finalists for the 2014 Golden Baobab Prize for African Illustrators. They were:

• Elizabeth Jeffery, South Africa (http://bit.ly/1rTovAj)
• Melany Pieterson, South Africa (www.melanypietersen.com & www.happyartworks.com)
• Gyimah Gariba, Ghana ( http://on.fb.me/NmCo6P & ggariba.tumblr.com)
• Jillian Slabbert, South Africa (http://bit.ly/1vZgKdE)
• Lorraine Alvarez, Zimbabwe (www.facebook.com/lorraine.alvarez.posen.art)
• Mokoena Kobeli, South Africa (www.facebook.com/bamako.kobeli)
• Robert Foote, South Africa (www.facebook.com/robfooteillustration)
• Setor Fiadzibey, Ghana (www.facebook.com/setor.fiadzigbey)
• Shan Fischer, South Africa (www.shanfischer.com) 
• Wesley Van Eeden, South Africa (www.facebook.com/Resoborg)
• Xanele Puren, South Africa (www.seesawdo.com)
• Zineb Benjelloun, Morroco (www.facebook.com/ZNBillustrated)

Here are some of the submitted illustrations from the 2014 finalists.

The finalists were narrowed down to a shortlist of 3 illustrators: Gyimah Gariba (Ghana), Wesley Van Eeden (South Africa) and Xanele Puren (South Africa). Xanele emerged as the winner of the inaugural Golden Baobab Prize for African Illustrators. No submission for the Golden Baobab Prize for Rising Illustrators made it onto the 2014 shortlist.

Here is some of the fantastic press the 2014 Golden Baobab Prizes for Illustrators has received:

• Announcing the 2014 winners: http://allafrica.com/stories/201411140715.html
  
• Poster featuring all three winners: on.fb.me/1u5MnL1
• Poster of winning Illustrations: http://on.fb.me/1HeU2kn
• BBC World Service Radio interview of Prize Winners, Portia Dery and Xanele Puren: http://bbc.in/1vbGR0z
  
  

The Golden Baobab Prizes for Illustrators are organized alongside Golden Baobab’s annual literature prizes.