FAQ for The Golden Baobab Prizes for Illustrations

• What if I am not an African citizen but have lived in Africa for a long time?

You must be a citizen of an African state to be considered for the Golden Baobab Prizes for Illustrations. All winning and shortlisted entrants will be asked to submit a photocopy of their state passport (or comparable document) to confirm their citizenship.

• What are the judges looking out for?

The Golden Baobab Prizes for Illustrations are for a series of outstanding illustrations that demonstrate that the artist understands how to match pictures to text. The pictures should also demonstrate the entrant’s grasp of narrative, pacing and characterization. The judges will focus on the quality of the illustrations, as well as their suitability for children’s books. They will also be looking for the passion, talent and track records of illustrators.

• The GBP states that all "entries must be the unaided work of the entrant." Does this mean we cannot ask someone to give us their opinion about the illustration?

The entrant must be the one who created the illustration. That is, you cannot submit an illustration created by someone else. But you can ask for people's opinions on your illustration once it is completed.

• Are illustrators from francophone countries allowed to submit illustrations to the competition?

Yes, illustrators from francophone countries may submit illustrations to the competition.

• What is unique about the Golden Baobab Prizes for Illustrations?

The Golden Baobab Prizes for Illustrations are the biggest and only annual pan-African illustration prizes that inspire African illustrators to create and submit illustrations targeting children between the ages of 6 and 11. There are two Golden Baobab Prizes for Illustration: The Golden Baobab Prize for Illustrators which is open to all African illustrators and The Golden Baobab Prize for Rising Illustrators which is for African Illustrators under the age of 18.

• What happens to the winning illustrations?

The winning illustrations will be showcased on the Golden Baobab website as well as at different exhibitions.

• Should my illustration submission include text?

No, the Golden Baobab Prizes for Illustrations only require illustrations as per the instructions provided by Golden Baobab. These instructions can be found in the rules and regulations.

• Can two illustrators submit an illustration they have created together?

Golden Baobab only accepts illustrations submitted by single artists.

• How will I know that you have received my illustration?

Once stories are received, entrants will be notified with a receipt of submission via email.

• What happens if I submit my illustration after the submission deadline?

Illustrations received after the submission deadline are automatically disqualified.

• Can I submit different illustrations to the different prizes?

Entrants may make 3 submissions in total to either of the prizes to which they qualify.

• What is the judging procedure for the Golden Baobab Prizes for Illustrations?

Stories submitted to the Golden Baobab Prizes for Illustrations will go through a very rigorous selection process. Judging will be two tiered. One session will sift through all submissions received to pick the top 10. Another session involving prestigious judges who will decide on the winners from the top 10. The illustrators' identities, including name, age, gender and nationality, are not revealed to anyone in the judging process until the winners have been selected.