CANEX BOOK FACTORY ANNOUNCES WINNER OF CANEX PUBLISHING PRIZE 2024

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Africa-Publisher-Sindh Courier
The winning book

The inaugural CANEX Prize for Publishing in Africa was awarded in a ceremony held in Algiers

Algiers

The inaugural CANEX Prize for Publishing in Africa was awarded in a prestigious ceremony held in Algiers, during the CANEX Weekend. Organized as part of Afreximbank’s CANEX Book Factory initiative in partnership with Narrative Landscape Press Limited, the event honored outstanding achievements by African publishing companies. The dinner was hosted by the Minister of Culture and Arts of Algeria, Mrs. Soraya Mouloudji.

An Evening of Celebration

The event took place during an exclusive dinner featuring an African Union-themed menu curated by chefs from Algeria, Trinidad, and Nigeria. The program host, Fatima Sharif, introduced Dr. Eghosa Imasuen, co-founder of Narrative Landscape Press Limited and Program Manager for the CANEX Book Factory. Dr. Imasuen expressed gratitude to Afreximbank and CANEX for their ongoing support of African publishing. He highlighted the significance of the prize trophy, a bronze sculpture crafted by the famed bronze casters of Benin City and engraved with the Adinkra symbol nkyinkyim, symbolizing resilience and adaptability.

Dr. Imasuen was joined by Mr. Omar Ben Yedder of IC Publications and Ms. Lavaille Lavette of One Street Books, who each gave short speeches on the importance of telling African stories. They underscored how vital it is to invest in the continent’s rich literary heritage.

Finalists

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The winner’s shield

The award evaluates entries based on the quality of writing, editing, and production, with particular emphasis on books printed and produced in Africa, as well as those published in Indigenous African languages. This year, eighty-five entries were received by the prize administrators from forty-five publishers across Africa, representing a diverse range of languages, including English, French, Portuguese, and Swahili. Five publishing houses were shortlisted for the CANEX Prize, with each being recognized for their exceptional contributions to the African literary landscape. Dr. Wale Okediran, Chair of the Judges, read out the citations for each shortlisted book, as representatives from the respective publishing houses collected medals on their behalf.

Cassava Republic Press (Nigeria), shortlisted for Female Fear Factory: Unravelling Patriarchy’s Culture of Violence by Pumla Dineo Gqola, was praised for its “solid cover design, elegant layout, and contribution to feminist literature.” Layla Mohamed, Editor at Cassava Republic, collected the medal on behalf of the publishing house.

Jacana Media (South Africa) was honored for Paperless by Buntu Siwisa, which the judges described as “a beautifully written story of the hidden lives of migrant workers in Africa.” Kelly Mawa, Publishing Assistant at Jacana Media, accepted the medal on behalf of the company.

Kachifo Limited (Nigeria), recognized for Half Hour Hara by Ugo Anidi, was celebrated for being “a delightful and engaging children’s story” with “well-crafted illustrations.” Coco Anetor-Sokei, Managing Editor, collected the medal for Kachifo Limited.

La Case des Lucioles (Côte d’Ivoire), shortlisted for Reine Or by Fatou Sy, was praised for its “brave design and theatrical presentation.” Unfortunately, no representative from La Case des Lucioles could attend the event, and their medal was collected on their behalf by Dr. Eghosa Imasuen.

Masobe Books (Nigeria) was shortlisted for When We Were Fireflies by Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, which the judges commended for its “meticulous writing and eye-catching cover design.” Othuke Ominiabohs, Managing Director, received the medal for Masobe Books.

Presentation of Medals

The medals were presented to the finalists by dignitaries that included Mrs Soraya Mouloudji (Algerian Minister of Culture and Arts), Mrs Kanayo Awani (Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade Bank at Afreximbank), and H.E. Ambassador Minata Samate Cessouma (Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development at the African Union Commission).

Winner Announcement

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The finalists’ medals

The winner of the inaugural CANEX Prize for Publishing in Africa was Cassava Republic Press for publishing Female Fear Factory: Unravelling Patriarchy’s Culture of Violence. Mrs. Soraya Mouloudji and Mrs Kanayo Awani presented Layla Mohamed of Cassava Republic Press with the trophy. In her brief remarks, Mohamed expressed gratitude to the organizers and underscored the importance of African publishers continuing to champion diverse stories.

The CANEX Prize for Publishing in Africa, a $20,000 award, is designed to promote excellence in African publishing by recognizing and supporting the work of African publishing companies.

The CANEX Prize for Publishing in Africa rewards the best trade book publishers in Africa. A prize of $20,000 is awarded to the publisher – selected from a shortlist of five (5) finalists – of the best trade book (defined as books published for a general audience, including fiction, non-fiction, and poetry; and excluding textbooks and academic books) published in the year in question. Additionally, the remaining four finalists in the shortlist are awarded the amount of $2,000 each.

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