Noma Award for Publishing in Africa
An annual award presented to outstanding books published in Africa (1980–2009).
LiteratureChildren's booksScholarly books
- Established
- 1979
- Organizer
- Kodansha Ltd (sponsor), African Book Publishing Record (operator), UNESCO (patronage)
- Category
- Children's Literature, Fairy Tales, and Picture Books
- Selection Method
- Open call
- Target
- Open
- Frequency
- 1 per year
- Status
- Ended
Description
The Noma Award for Publishing in Africa was established in 1979 by Shoichi Noma and awarded annually from 1980 to 2009 to new books (literature, children's books, scholarly books) published in Africa. The prize money was 10,000 USD. Sponsored by Kodansha Ltd, operated by African Book Publishing Record, and conducted under the patronage of UNESCO. The award ended in 2009 due to the termination of sponsorship by the Noma family. Eligible works included books published in any language in Africa (local or European languages).
Prize
- Main Prize
- Annual prize money of 10,000 USD (awarded to the winner)
- Cash Prize
- 10,000 USD
- Honourable Mention in some years
- Recognition and promotion through winning (exposure for publisher/work)
- Operational support for the award based on Kodansha's sponsorship
Selection
Selection Process
| Stage | Judges | Pass Rate | Announcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligibility Check | Verification of bibliographic information, publication place, and publication year by African Book Publishing Record (operating secretariat) | — | Confirmation of bibliographic conditions (new publication in Africa, etc.) |
| Preliminary Selection and Shortlist Creation | Selection of candidate works by judges (editors, scholars, publishing professionals) | — | Internal shortlist creation |
| Final Judging and Deliberation | Deliberation and final selection by the judging panel | — | Judging committee's decision |
| Announcement of Winner | Organizer / Operating Secretariat | — | Announced through official website and media (announcement method varies by year) |
Eligibility Check
Judges
Verification of bibliographic information, publication place, and publication year by African Book Publishing Record (operating secretariat)
Announcement
Confirmation of bibliographic conditions (new publication in Africa, etc.)
Preliminary Selection and Shortlist Creation
Judges
Selection of candidate works by judges (editors, scholars, publishing professionals)
Announcement
Internal shortlist creation
Final Judging and Deliberation
Judges
Deliberation and final selection by the judging panel
Announcement
Judging committee's decision
Announcement of Winner
Judges
Organizer / Operating Secretariat
Announcement
Announced through official website and media (announcement method varies by year)
Criteria
- Literary and academic quality (expressive power, rigor of research)
- Contribution to African culture and scholarship
- Originality
- Editing and production quality
- Importance and influence in the target region and language
Application Tips
Dos
- Confirm that the book is a new publication published in Africa (specify publisher and publication year)
- Confirm it fits the target categories (literature, children's books, scholarly books)
- Organize bibliographic information such as publisher details, ISBN, table of contents, cover image
- Prepare a summary explaining the work's academic/cultural significance and regional contribution
Don''ts
- Do not provide false publication or publisher information
- Do not resubmit only past publications (new publications only)
- Do not ignore submission format or specified requirements
From Judges
- Emphasis on the work's literary/academic quality and contribution to Africa
- Publications in local languages and diversity are also evaluated
- Editing and production quality (proofreading, design, etc.) is also a selection factor
Related Awards
- Noma Prize
- Noma Literary Prize
- Noma Concours for Picture Book Illustrations
- Noma Award for the Translation of Japanese Literature
Official Resources
https://web.archive.org/web/20121230180155/http://www.nomaaward.org/index.shtmlPast Winners
Kitia Toure
Winner
CODESRIA(編集)
Winner
Souad Khodja
Winner
Niyi Osundare
Winner
Francis Wilson
Winner
Mamphela Aletta Ramphele
Winner
Chenjerai Hove
Winner