The Baobab Prize, an African Literary Award, has changed its name to The Golden Baobab Prize. Along with the name-change comes a vibrant new website to foster increased information-sharing and encourage the production of quality African stories to be enjoyed by young readers around the world. I guarantee you that once you click on the Golden Baobab Prize website you will be inspired to seek out some African children’s literature!

Established in 2008 by Ghanaian Deborah Ahenkorah and Senegalese-born Rama Shagaya, the Golden Baobab prize encourages the writing of African literature for children and young adults by recognizing gifted authors of the genre. It invites entries of unpublished short stories written by African citizens irrespective of age, race, or country of origin. The prize offers a monetary award to its winners and connects outstanding stories with an array of African and international publishers.

How did the prize get started? Co-founder Deborah Ahenkorah replies:

I started dreaming about this prize as a college student when through various experiences, the tremendous lack of good quality African children’s literature dawned on me. A continent so large and richly diverse has tons of wonderful stories to share with young people everywhere: where were these stories?

In the summer of my second year of college, with no experience, no money and only a vision, I corralled myself in an internet café and worked on a concept that would incentivize African writers to create wonderful tales for children all over the world. Eventually (and delightfully!) The Golden Baobab Prize was born!

Today, the prize is run by a passionate volunteer team from all over the world and is sponsored by the Global Fund for Children and the African Library Project. As we enter our third year, we’re hoping to enter into even more fruitful partnerships that will bring us closer to our goal: that of ensuring stellar African children’s stories are in bookstores all over the world in the years to come.

This past November in Accra, Ghana, the 2010 winners of the Golden Baobab Prize were announced:

Best Story for ages 12 – 15 years was awarded to Lauri Kubuitsile of Botswana for Mechanic’s Son. This is the second time Kubuitsile has won the Golden Baobab Prize: in 2008/2009 her story Lorato and her Wire Car won Best Work of Fiction for readers aged 8 – 11 years.

Best Story for ages 9 – 11 years was awarded to Mirirai Moyo of Zimbabwe for Diki, the Little Earthworm

Golden Baobab Rising Writer Award (given to writer 18 years or younger who shows exceptional literary promise for his/her age) was awarded to Ahmed Farah of Kenya for his story Letters from the Flames

To read more about the winning authors and their stories, click here.

Note: images taken from The Golden Baobab Prize website

Booktrust is an independent charity in the United Kingdom dedicated to “ensuring  that every child and adult has the opportunity to experience the delight and power of books and the written word, regardless of income, language, literacy skills, disability or culture.” Their aim of making a national impact on  encouraging positive attitudes to books is carried out in numerous ways, such as providing book gifts for children, conducting targeted literacy campaigns (like The Big Picture, which we have featured in our Gallery), education projects, providing resources and sponsorship for literary endeavors (check out the newly opened Free Word Center), and administering the Booktrust prizes.

And do take a look at the Booktrust Children’s Books website. It contains a veritable treasure trove of  information and resources. Something that really caught my eye was the Booktrust Online Writer in Residence program, currently featuring Nii Ayikwei Parkes. (more…)