Five shortlisted for Canex Publishing Prize

THREE Nigerian publishers, one each from South Africa and Côte d’Ivoire, have been shortlisted for the inaugural CANEX Prize for Publishing in Africa.

The African Export-Import Bank’s (Afreximbank) CANEX Book Factory oversees the contest.

The shortlisted publishers by the judging panel headed by the Secretary General of the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA), Dr Wale Okediran, were unveiled recently.

They are Nigerian publishing firms, Cassava Republic Press for ‘Female Fear Factory: Unravelling Patriarchy’s Culture of Violence’ by Pumla Dineo Gqola; Kachifo Limited for ‘Half Hour Hara’ by Ugo Anidi and Masobe Books for ‘When We Were Fireflies’ by Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, a Nigeria Prize for Literature laureate.

The other two publishers are South Africa’s Jacana Media for ‘Paperless’ by Buntu Siwisa and Ivorian La Case des Lucioles for ‘Reine Or’ by Fatou Sy.

Commenting on the shortlisted publishers, Dr Okediran said, “In line with our mandate to ‘judge the book as a physical object while also paying attention to its editorial work, including topical relevance and editorial risk,’ we have been able to produce a shortlist of five books which we believe have met the required standard of exceptional work and professionalism. The five finalists were drawn from a highly competitive process involving 85 applications for published books from 45 publishers and 10 African countries.”

The publisher of the Best Trade Book will be awarded a cash prize of nS$20,000, with each of the four finalists receiving cash prizes of $2,000 each during the CANEX WKND 2024 in Algiers, Algeria, this October.

According to the organisers, the CANEX Book Factory aims to spotlight and elevate the African book value chain. It consists of the CANEX Prize for Publishing, the CANEX Creative Writing Workshop, and the CANEX Book Factory Newsletter.

The aim is to create a vibrant and educated class of creatives and entrepreneurs to whom Afreximbank may offer financial support in fulfillment of its mandate to finance and promote intra- and extra-African trade.

The prize is awarded to the most deserving trade book published in the year in question. It aims to reward “trade” publishers working on the continent.

CANEX WKND 2024 will take place from October 16 to 19 at the Algerian Company of Fairs and Exports (SAFEX) in Algiers under the theme ‘One People, United in Culture, Creating for the World’.

Akintayo Abodunrin