PUKU.co.za

The Winners of the 2010 Maskew Miller Longman Literary Awards

by Nonikiwe - Editor on 25 Aug 2010   |   

Note! This is an update from my previous post, Maskew Miller Longman actaully has quiet a few winners this year since the awards were open to all eleven South Africa languages. There are winners in the Afrikaans, English, IsiXhosa, Sepedi and Xitsonga categories. Read press release from MML here:

Maskew Miller Longman Literature Awards 2010 winners

Maskew Miller Longman is delighted to announce the winners of its Literature Awards 2010 for Children’s Stories in all official languages. The finalists include both well-known authors such as Carina Diedericks-Hugo, Jelleke Wierenga, Conny Lubisi and Gail Smith, as well as new authors. This year’s competition also included an illustration category.

Maskew Miller Longman places great emphasis on developing new writers and promoting indigenous literature. The Maskew Miller Longman Literature Awards, now in its fourth year, is the only competition to call for entries in all official languages.

To assist new writers in creating stories they could enter in the competition, Maskew Miller Longman ran workshops in several provinces presented by prominent writer Rachelle Greef.

The quality of many of the past winners is shown by the fact that several of them have gone on to win other awards, for example the novel Katy of Sky Road was nominated as an Honour Book by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) for 2009 and novels by Conny Lubisi and Mafori Charles Mphahlele won 2008 MNet Awards.

The judges of the Literature Awards 2010 included well-known writers and literary experts such as: Niki Daly, Sindiwe Magona, Marita van der Vyfer, Prof. M.J. Mojalefa and X.E. Mabaso.

In 2010, prizes were awarded in five of the eleven language categories and in the illustration category. The winner in each category receives a prize of R7 500, while the finalists receive R3 500. The winning stories were published by Maskew Miller Longman in July 2010.

Afrikaans

Winner: Kat in die pan vir die Fransman – Jelleke Wierenga

Finalist: Die Groenmambas en Shaka se spies – Carina Diedericks-Hugo

Finalist: ‘n Bosluis red die koningshuis – Jelleke Wierenga

English

Winner: Bongani’s Secret – Gail Smith

Finalist: Three Blind Dates – Pamela Newham

IsiXhosa

Winner: Unyanelizwe – Sivuyile Mazantsi

Sepedi

Winner: Kgetha Nna – Norman Mahlanya

Xitsonga

Winner: Lembe Lerintshwa – Conny Lubisi

Illustrations

Winner: Lizette Duvenage, Finalist: Dale Blankenaar

Ends

Bruno, ’n slimkop-boekwurm, sy beduiwelde rooikop-tweelingsuster, Bronnie, en hul maat, Ben, moet die misterieuse verdwyning van hul geliefde kat, Kattebol, oplos. Het die onderonsie tussen hulle ma en die sjef by die Volkskombuis dalk ’n rol gespeel in die hele drama? Hierdie is ’n opwindende avontuurverhaal wat behendige speurwerk vereis.

Bongani is a smart, funny, loveable young teenager, who is struggling to manage his tricky life. Someone in his class has discovered his terrible secret and Bongani must find him and silence him. This fast-paced, humorous story from established writer Gail Smith examines serious issues with wisdom and sensitivity. It will entertain and provoke even the most reluctant readers.

This fun and fantastical story will absorb young readers, making it easy for them to engage with the important moral and social values it addresses. Readers will relate strongly to this story, and will recognise many aspects of their own everyday and emotional lives. It will give rise to discussions of very current and crucial issues to do with human and social values, making this an excellent choice for young readers. Contains activities that can be done individually and groups.

All young readers will be fascinated from the very first page by this charming tale of hope, striving and celebration. Tsakani feels she missed out at last year’s New Year’s celebrations, so she starts preparing and saving. In the end she manages to celebrate her year end in a very special way, showing that money is far less important than our own happiness. Contains individual and group activities that can be used for assessment.

Book details

• Bongani’s Secret by Gail Smith
  Ages 10 to 13
  EAN: 9780636112056
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

• Kat in die Pan ir die Fransman by Jelleke Wierenga
  Ages 10 to 13
  EAN: 9780636112223
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

• Unyanelizwe by Sivuyile Mazantsi
  Ages 10 to 13
  EAN: 9780636112254
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

• Lembe Lerintshwa by Conny Lubisi
  Ages 10 to 13
  EAN: 9780636112278
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

Registration for 2011 Angolan Children Book Award Opened

by Nonikiwe - Editor on 22 Jul 2010   |   

Luanda – The registration for the literary award dubbed “Jardim do Livro Infantil” (Children’ book garden) will be open until 11 February 2011, disclosed Tuesday the National Institute of Cultural Industries (INIC).

According to a press release made available to ANGOP, the annual prize aims at encouraging the creation of children-youth literature, as well as promoting reading habits and the emergence of new writers in the children’s literature sector.

The contestants are expected to send their books in an envelope signed with their pseudonym, present complete identification, ID photocopy.

The books need to be sent to the address “Jardim do Livro Infantil”, Institute of Cultural Industries, PO Box 1248, Cirilo da Conceição Silva Street No 7, 2nd floor Luanda, reads the document.

The literary award “Jardim do livro Infantil” was created by the National Institute of Cultural Industries to honour the forerunners of Angolan children’s literature.

• Read the complete article at Portalangop

Reviews of the 2010 Children's Africana Book Awards Nominees

by Bontle on 12 Jul 2010   |   

Nominee for Best Book for Young Children:

Pharaoh’s Boat
(Houghton Mifflin)

With poetic language and striking illustrations, David Weitzman tells the story of how one of the greatest boats of ancient Egypt came to be built and built again. In the shadow of the Great Pyramid at Giza, the most skilled shipwrights in all of Egypt are building an enormous vessel that will transport Cheops, the mighty pharaoh, across the winding waterway and into a new world. But no one could have imagined just where the journey of Pharaoh’s boat would ultimately lead.

Nominee for Best Book for Older Readers:

Nelson Mandela: The Authorized Comic Book
(W.W. Norton)
Created by The Nelson Mandela Foundation and Umlando Wezithombe, this graphic novel is, as the title suggests, a visual representation of the life and times of Nelson Mandela also affectionately known by his clan name, Madiba. First released in South Africa as a series of nine separate comics, the international one-book version unfolds in beautifully drawn graphic images accompanied with narrative text.

The 2010 awards will be presented on Saturday, November 6, 2010 at the National Museum of African Art Washington, DC.

• Read the complete review

Book details

• Pharaoh’s Boat by David Weitzman
  Ages 4 to 8
  EAN: 9780547053417
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

• Nelson Mandela: The Authorized Comic Book by Nelson Mandela Foundation
  Ages 8 to 12
  EAN: 9780393070828
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

Angolan Writer Fernandes Wins Top Children's Literature Prize

by Bontle on 06 Jul 2010   |   

The writer Maria Celestina Fernandes recently won the first prize for literature for children in Angola.

The writer got the prize with her 24-page book entitled As Amigas em Kalandula, and according to the head of the Institute of Cultural Industries, (INIC), António Fonseca, the award is due to its creative value and the accessible language.

• Read the complete article

An Interview with 2010 Bessie Head Literature Award Winner Jenny Robson

by Bontle on 23 Jun 2010   |   

This year’s Bessie Head Literature Awards celebrated children’s literature with a new category for children’s story with Jenny Robson taking the top prize for her book The Right Time. Robson has lived in Maun in Botswana for many years and hopes to stay there for the rest of her life.

Robson has won many awards for her children’s books and young adults stories. When asked why this award was so important to her, she said:

For one thing, just entering the competition means that I am back here in Botswana. And that is a wonderful thing for me. I was away for a number of years and felt as though I were in exile. Botswana is the only place where I feel truly ‘me’.

For another, I have such respect for the late Bessie Head – not the icon, but the real flesh-and-blood woman who faced such struggles and pain yet could turn that into meaning and beauty through her writing. I always felt a bond with her. Not that my writing is any way in her league, but she was an inspiration to me.

• Read the complete article at the Voice BW

Deadline for Percy FitzPatrick Award for Youth Literature Approaches

by Bontle on 25 May 2010   |   

The deadline for entries for English Academy literary award, The Percy FitzPatrick Award for Youth Literature, is fast-approaching. The Percy FitzPatrick Award for Youth literature, awarded in alternate years, is aimed at encouraging the publication of books directed towards children between the ages of 10 and 14.

This year’s deadline is May 31st. For further information the administrative officer can be contacted at 011 717 9339 or at englishacademy@ societies.wits.ac.za

The English Academy of Southern Africa was founded in 1961. It is an association dedicated to promoting the effective use of English as a dynamic language in Southern Africa.

• Visit the English Academy Website

Mandela Comic Book Wins American Children's Literature Award

by Nonikiwe - Editor on 03 May 2010   |   

Nelson Mandela: The Authorized Comic Book by the Nelson Mandela Foundation which tells the story of Madiba’s birth and childhood, his struggle against apartheid and oppression, his 27 years incarcerated in prison on Robben Island, and his eventual rise as the first democratically elected leader of South Africa, won the 2010 Best Book for Older Reader in the Children’s African Book Awards.

A graphic novel depicting the life of Nelson Mandela has won an American award for children’s literature. Nelson Mandela: The Authorized Comic Book won the 2010 Best Book for Older Readers in the Children’s Africana Book Awards from the Outreach Council of the African Studies Association (ASA).

The ASA is a non-profit corporation founded in 1957, which aims to bring together people with a scholarly and professional interest in Africa.

The award will be presented in November at a ceremony in Washington DC at the National Museum of African Art.

Verne Harris, Head of the Nelson Mandela Foundation’s Memory Programme, said he was delighted that the book, which was initially designed as a series of comics for South African school children, has been honoured in this way. The book was first published in South Africa in 2008 to coincide with Mr Mandela’s 90th birthday. It has since been published in the Netherlands, France and the United States.

The book was produced by Umlando wezithome in association with the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Creative Director of Umlando wezithombe (meaning history of pictures) Nic Buchanan said he and his colleagues were very happy about the award.

The comic book came about because, “it was a realisation by the Foundation that most kids these days had a good idea of who Nelson Mandela is but not the whole history,” he said.

“Kids don’t engage with documentary biographies so we went to the Foundation with an idea of a comic book, because young people can handle little chunks of information.”

• Read the complete article at Sowetan

Book details

• Nelson Mandela: The Authorized Comic Book by Nelson Mandela Foundation, illustrated by Umlando Wezithombe
  Ages 8 to 12
  EAN: 9780393070828
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

Literacy Organisation Wins International IBBY Award

by Bontle on 09 Apr 2010   |   

The Osu Children’s Library Fund, a non-profit organisation started by Kathy Knowles 20 years ago, was selected as one of the recipients for the International Board on Books for Young People-Asahi Reading Promotion Award last month.

The Osu Children’s Library Fund encourages reading and literacy among children and adults in Ghana. The IBBY-Asahi Reading Promotion award, which includes a $10,000 cheque, will be presented at the 32nd IBBY Congress in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, at an event in September. The award was initiated by the International Board on Books for Young People and sponsored by the Japanese newspaper company the Asahi Shimbun, is presented to projects run by groups or institutions that are judged to be making a lasting contribution to reading promotion for children and young people.

Knowles and her Osu Children’s Library Fund (OCLF) have helped more than 200 libraries in Africa. The organisation has built six to date

Established in 1991, the OCLF has funded and stocked five large community libraries in impoverished areas of Accra, as well as a community library in the small fishing village of Goi.

• Read the Complete Article at Winnipeg Free Press

• Read More about the Award

Burt Award for African Literature Launches in Ghana and Ethiopia

by Bontle on 09 Apr 2010   |   

Sponsored by retired Toronto businessman William Burt and administered by the literacy organization CODE and its local partners, the Burt Award for African Literature promotes the creation of young adult novels by and for Africans in English. The aim is to provide homegrown alternatives to works by foreign authors that will complement the many excellent books for young readers now available in Swahili and other African languages. The award launches in Ghana and Ethiopia this year but is already up and running in Tanzania.

The award was also initiated to support and motivate the development of supplementary reading materials for a critical stage of learning – the transition period between mother-tongue and English medium instruction, in grade four or when starting secondary school.

Writers of the award win $12,000 for gold, $6,000 for silver and $3,000 for bronze (CAD), while publishers receive a guaranteed purchase, which means that funds from the Award support the purchase of approximately 3,000 copies of each title to distribute to CODE supported schools and libraries. In addition, publishers agree to publish additional copies to sell commercially.

• Read More on the Burt Award Website

2010 Hans Christian Andersen Award Winners Announced

by Bontle on 24 Mar 2010   |   

The 2010 Hans Christian Andersen Awards were announced at the Biennial International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Congress. The Author Award has gone to David Almond of Britain while the 2010 Illustrator Award has gone to Jutta Bauer of Germany. David Almond is the two-time winner of the Whitbread Children’s Book Award and a best-selling author. Jutta Bauer is a popular children’s writer and illustrator who also makes films for youngsters.

The Hans Christian Andersen Award is sometimes called the “Little Nobel Prize”. Every other year IBBY presents the Hans Christian Andersen Awards to a living author and illustrator whose complete works have made a lasting contribution to children’s literature. The Hans Christian Andersen Award is the highest international recognition given to an author and an illustrator of children’s books.

The nominations are made by the National Sections of IBBY and the recipients are selected by a distinguished international jury of children’s literature specialists.

• Read More About the Award Here