CANEX BOOK FACTORY ANNOUNCES SHORTLIST FOR CANEX PUBLISHING PRIZE

African Export-Import Bank’s (Afreximbank) CANEX Book Factory is pleased to announce a shortlist of five publishers for the inaugural CANEX Prize for Publishing in Africa as revealed by the eminent panel of judges. The five include:

• Cassava Republic Press (Nigeria) – Female Fear Factory: Unravelling Patriarchy’s Culture of Violence by Pumla Dineo Gqola
• Jacana Media (South Africa) – Paperless by Buntu Siwisa
• Kachifo Limited (Nigeria) – Half Hour Hara by Ugo Anidi
• La Case des Lucioles (Côte d’Ivoire) – Reine Or by Fatou Sy
• Masobe Books (Nigeria) – When We Were Fireflies by Abubakar Adam Ibrahim

In his comments on the shortlisted candidates, Chair of the Judges, Dr. Wale 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 that involved 85 applications for published books from 45 publishers and 10 countries across Africa.”

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

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 ultimate aim is to create a vibrant and educated class of creatives and entrepreneurs to whom Afreximbank may offer financial support in fulfilment 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 and aims to reward “trade” publishers working on the continent.

CANEX WKND 2024 will take place from 16-19 October at the Algerian Company of Fairs and Exports (SAFEX) in Algiers, Algeria. The event will further develop conversations and provide business to business/government opportunities through a 4-day gathering that will be held under the theme: One People, United in Culture, Creating for the World. Registration for the event is free and now open at: www.wknd.canex.africa.