Afreximbank launches US$ 20,000 CANEX Prize for Publishing in Africa
By Editor
AFRICA Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) announced on Tuesday, May 21, 2024 the launch of CANEX Prize for Publishing in Africa, a partnership between Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) Book Factory (a part of Intra-Africa Trade Fair) and Narrative Landscape Press Limited. The CANEX Book Factory, a key intervention under the CANEX programme, aims to promote a vibrant literary culture across global Africa and encourage the development of a sustainable business ecosystem in the literary sector. CANEX was launched in 2020 by Afreximbank as a key driver for development and job creation in Africa, having recognized the relevance and opportunities provided by the creative and cultural industries.
The CANEX Book Factory will spotlight and elevate the African book value chain through a Pan-African writing workshop, an e-newsletter highlighting African literature and the prize for publishing in Africa. This will culminate in the award ceremony at the CANEX WKND to be held in Algiers, Algeria, between October 16 – 19, 2024.
A US$ 20,000 prize will be awarded to the publisher of the best trade book. Trade books refer to books published for a general audience, including fiction, non-fiction, and poetry and excludes textbooks and academic books. Additionally, four finalists will each receive US$ 2,000 in prize money.
According to Executive Vice President-Intra African Trade and Export Development Bank at Afreximbank, Mrs. Kanayo Awani, “We are thrilled to announce the launch of The CANEX Prize for Publishing in Africa, a pioneering initiative by Afreximbank aimed at promoting and celebrating excellence in African publishing. This prize underscores our commitment to nurturing Africa’s creative industries and supporting the vibrant literary landscape across the continent. Through the CANEX Prize, we aim to recognize and empower African authors and publishers who play a vital role in shaping our cultural identity and enriching our communities through literature in what is a multi-billion-dollar industry.”
Award-winning poet and lawyer, Mr. Tade Ipadeola; Narrative Landscape Press team – Anwuli Ojogwu and Eghosa Imasuen; Afreximbank President, Professor Benedict O. Oramah; Executive Vice-President, Intra-African Trade at Afreximbank), Mrs. Kanayo Awani; novelist, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; Mrs. Chinelo Oramah and Director, Afreximbank Human Resources, Mr. Stephen Kauma at last year’s fair.
On the importance of initiatives such as CANEX, renowned novelist, Chimamanda Adichie said: “Imagine being an African, dreaming about being a writer, surrounded by people in a room who share the same interests; it propels you, it gives you hope. I’ve always believed that there is nothing more essential to the human spirit than hope. For me, CANEX is about hope – the hope of many more African stories.”
Submissions will be judged on the quality of writing, editing and production. Priority will be given to books printed and produced on the African continent as well as to books published in indigenous African languages. A key concession for the inaugural year (2024) is that books published in the preceding two years will be considered.
By supporting the enabling environment for various creative sectors like fashion, music, film, art, literature, gastronomy, and sport, CANEX seeks to support the advancement and expansion of the creative and cultural economy, both within Africa and the diaspora, utilizing various financial and non-financial tools and initiatives.
CANEX invites publishers in Africa to submit published trade books for the inaugural CANEX Prize for Publishing in Africa. To submit your entry, please visit: https://canex.africa/canex-book-factory. For enquiries, please email info@creativeafricanexus.com
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance, facilitate and promote intra and extra-African trade. For over 30 years, the bank has been deploying innovative instruments to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa’s trade, accelerating industrialization and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. A stalwart supporter of the AfCFTA, Afreximbank has, in partnership with the African Union Commission and AFCFTA secretariat, launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the Free Trade Agreement. The AFCFTA secretariat and the bank have created a US$ 10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries to effectively participate in the AfCFTA.
At the end of December 2023, Afreximbank’s total assets and guarantees stood at US$ 37.3 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$ 6.1 billion. The bank disbursed more than US$ 104 billion between 2016 and 2023 through various interventions for the advancement of the continent. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A), Moody’s (Baa1), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-) and Fitch (BBB). Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the bank, its impact fund subsidiary called the Fund for Export Development Africa (FEDA) and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure, (together, “the Group”). For more information, visit: www.afreximbank.com.
