Registered under the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe

22 November 2014

"Let The Children Play"




Yesterday, November 21 2014, Harare City Library in partnership with the Swedish Embassy hosted the inaugural, fun-filled Swedish and Zimbabwean Children Literature Day. The celebration, held under the theme “Verenga. Ziva. Kura/ Bala. Wazi. Ukhule/ Read. Know. Grow”, saw various schools and community libraries receiving gifts of books from the Guest of Honour Swedish Ambassador to Zimbabwe Lars Ronnas. The children, to whom the event was dedicated, also enjoyed storytelling and poetry sessions. Children Literature Day is universally celebrated every year since 1954 when the UN General Assembly first proclaimed it to promote exchange and mutual understanding among children. WIN brings you some photos from the celebration at Harare City Library. 

 Dzikwa Trust young performer shines with her traditional dance skills

 Flying without wings

 Master of Ceremony and master performer Albert Nyathi

 Swedish Ambassador Lars Ronnas shows one of the children's books by Swedish writers

The timeless gift of a book

Community library representative grateful for the wonderful present from the Ambassador

Marondera Children's Library also received some books

Storyteller par excellence, Pauline Mtuda had the children gripped by her East African children's story

Collaborating in poetry sessions

Maria Ronnas, wife of Ambassador Ronnas, gave an overview of Swedish children's literature and writers

Entertaining drama from Dzikwa Trust

Children presented poems generated from the poetry sessions 

Part of the audience

Writer Virginia Phiri also helped in the poetry sessions with children

Joy for all children: Harare City Library staff and others could not help but dance to the cool mbira music played by Dzikwa Trust cultural group

Katrina Wallace Karenga, a member of the Harare City Library Committee giving a vote of thanks

The poets: From left, Edwin Msipa, Albert Nyathi and Alois Sagota



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Thank you!









13 November 2014

And The 2014 Golden Baobab Prize Winners Are...


Golden Baobab Prize has just announced this year's winners 
& we sing congratulations !


GOLDEN BAOBAB PRIZE: PRESS RELEASE

Winners of  the 2014 Golden Baobab Prizes



Accra, Ghana, November 13, 2014 - We are proud to announce the winners of the 2014 Golden Baobab Prizes:
         Portia Dery, from Ghana wins the Golden Baobab Prize for Picture Books with her story, Grandmas List.
         Mary Ononokpono, from Nigeria, wins the Golden Baobab Prize for Early Chapter Books for her story, Talulah the Time Traveler. 
         Xanele Puren, from South Africa, wins the inaugural Golden Baobab Prize for Illustrators. The Golden Baobab Prize for Illustrators is the biggest and most prestigious prize committed to discovering, nurturing and celebrating talented African illustrators of childrens stories.

The 2014 Golden Baobab Prizes for Literature and  Illustration received nearly 300 submissions from writers and illustrators across Africa. The longlist for the literature prizes was announced early September and showcased 11 stories, selected from 6 African countries. The shortlist followed late October with 11 stories from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The illustration prizes unveiled 3 shortlisted artists; 2 from South Africa and 1 from Ghana. This years prize winners represent three countries: Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa.
This is the sixth year of the Golden Baobab Prizes, which were established in July 2008 to inspire the creation of enthralling, culturally relevant African childrens stories by African writers.  We are proud of the contribution we are making to the childrens literature and illustration world and are actively searching for exciting partnerships to expand our reach and impact across Africa. We are seeking major corporate partnerships by our next prize season to further propel our vision of making the heads of children across Africa beautiful places for them to live! says the Executive Director of Golden Baobab.
Today, the Prizes offer $20,000 in monetary awards, publishing opportunities for winners of the Picture Book and Early Chapter Book Prizes, and the winner of the Illustration prize attends a Golden Baobab award ceremony and a traveling exhibition of artists illustrations.
Judges for the 2014 Golden Baobab Prizes are Summer Edward, Anansesem Caribbean Children's Literature Ezine founder and editor, Nancy Drost, Seasoned international educator, Kinna Likimani, Mbaasem Foundation board member and celebrated book critic, Doreen Baingana, Multiple award-winning Ugandan author and former chairperson FEMRITE, Nonikiwe Mashologu, African childrens literature critic, Kanengo Diallo, 13-year old Tanzanian winner of the 2013 Golden Baobab Prize for Rising Writers, Paul O. Zelinsky, International Award-winning American Illustrator and Writer and Caldecott Medalist, Akua Peprah, Early Childhood Educator and Kofi Kokua Asante Anyimadu, 8-year old Ghanaian book lover.
Also shortlisted were:
     Shaleen Keshavjee-Gulam (Kenya) Malaikas Magical Kiosk
     Mandy Collins (South Africa) There is a Hyena in my Kitchen
     Myke Mware (Zimbabwe) The Big Ball
     Bontle Senne (South Africa) The Monster at Midnight
     Mamle Wolo (Ghana) Flying through Water
     Hillary Molenje Namunyu (Kenya) Teddy Mapesa and the Missing Cash
     Jayne Bauling (South Africa) The Saturday Dress

Last years winners of the Golden Baobab Prizes were Liza Esterhuyse and Karen Hurt from South Africa and Kanengo Rebecca Diallo from Tanzania.

ABOUT THE GOLDEN BAOBAB PRIZES

The Golden Baobab Prizes for literature was established in July 2008 and inspires the creation of African stories by gifted African writers and illustrators to captivate childrens minds. The Prizes invite entries of unpublished stories and illustrations created by African citizens irrespective of age, race, or country of origin. The Prizes are organized by Golden Baobab, a Ghana-based pan- African social enterprise dedicated to creating a world filled with wonder and possibilities for children, one African story at a time. The organizations Advisory Board includes renowned authors Ama Ata Aidoo and Maya Ajmera. Golden Baobab is proudly supported by Echoing Green and The African Library Project.
For further information, photos or to arrange interviews, please contact: Eunice Ahenkorah via info@goldenbaobab.org
Tel: +233 50 529 8941

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Congratulations again to the winners! You make Africa proud 

More about this and other news in our forthcoming WIN Newsletter, No 83

01 November 2014

ZWA Literary Evening in Pictures


On Thursday, October 30, 2014 , Zimbabwe Writers Association (in conjunction with the Book Cafe) held its literary evening which drew a number of writers from diverse backgrounds. It was held at the Book Cafe, Harare. Three writers, Vitalis Nyawayaranda, Tinashe Muchuri and Virginia Phiri read from their works and also interacted with the audience. Monica Cheru anchored the discussion which uncovered the three writers' varying motivations behind their works. WIN brings you photos from this gorgeous event. Please enjoy!








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Stay close, our WIN Newsletter, Issue No 83 coming soon..

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