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The Noma Award for Publishing in Africa
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THE  NOMA AWARD FOR 
PUBLISHING IN AFRICA

The Pan-African annual $10,000 prize 
for an outstanding book
published in Africa

  

The Award is sponsored by Kodansha Ltd, Japan

 

The Noma Award for Publishing in Africa will not be calling for submissions in 2010. 

Established in 1979, the Award has honoured African writers over 30 years. The Award been made annually to an African writer, for a book published by an autonomous African publisher on the continent. Winners have included scholars, novelists, poets, and children's book authors.

Including titles cited for Special Commendation or Honourable Mention, a total of 180 titles have been honoured. Titles have won in 6 of the languages of Africa: Afrikaans, English, French, Gikuyu, Portuguese and Swahili. Titles have also been cited in a further 5 languages: Arabic, Hausa, Ndebele, Shona and Yoruba. 

The first Award, in 1980, to the late Mariama Bā for Une si longue lettre, has gone on to acquire the status of a classic of modern African literature. The work of other winners of the Award have proved to be benchmark works illustrating the wealth of Africa's scholarly, literary and cultural importance. 

The Award's founder was the late Shoichi Noma, formerly President of Kodansha Ltd, the Japanese publishing house. Mr. Noma died in 1984 after a lifetime's devotion to making books more readily available in developing countries, to actively promoting readership in these countries, and to bridging the gap between North and South. He was conscious that book needs are particularly acute in Africa, and that encouragement should be given to the publication of works by African writers and scholars within the continent, to aid their proper place in world scholarship and literature. Shoichi Noma's daughter, Mrs. Sawako Noma, the President of Kodansha, has continued to support the prize generously, with the active support of her staff. 

After 30 years, the generous and disinterested sponsorship by the Noma family will cease in 2010, and the Award will terminate after the presentation of the 2009 Award to Seffi Atta for Lawless and Other Stories. 

  

 

 
 

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