CODE and Ghana Book Trust writers and editors workshops

Seen in the Daily Graphic of 29 August 2014

The Ghana Book Trust [I was going to put it in a link, but it seems their website is down] in collation with the Canadian Organisation for Development through Education (CODE) and the Burt Award for African Literature invites interested persons to participate in a 5-day Writers’ and Editors’ workshop.

The workshop is for persons who write for/are interested in writing and working with Young Adult fiction.

Dates:  8-10 September, Writers’ workshop; 11-12 September, Editors’ workshop

Venue:  Erata Hotel, East Legon

Time:  9am – 4pm

Resource persons:  Kevin Major from Canada and seasoned Ghanaians in the book industry.

Registration:  phone Winnie on 026-569-9700 between 9am and 4pm.  Deadline is 4 September 2014.

Good luck to those who participate.  The more people who write here in Ghana the better, especially for those who like reading.

 

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2011 Burt Awards for African literature: Ghana ceremony

The official ceremony for the 2011 Burt Award for African literature, organized locally by Ghana Book Trust , with sponsorhip from CODE , which took place on 16 July 2012, was a bit different from most book related ceremonies that I have attended here in Accra.

Firstly, it started on time. And I was late, thinking 15 minutes past of the official start time would be OK, but it wasn’t! Too bad for me, and a big hurrah for the organizers. TG I wasn’t the latest to arrive though, and I don’t think I missed too much.

Secondly, it was pretty short and to the point. Within an hour all the speeches had been done, and it was time for some photos with the winners, or press interviews, or just networking with friends and colleagues.

Thirdly, there were no books available for sale. A disappointment actually, though I did know in advance that this was just the award ceremony itself. What further saddened me though was hearing that the books would not be published until November this year, which is definitely later than expected!

But then I shouldn’t complain; that means that there is something to look forward to!

Winners for 2011 are:

• First prize: Mamle Wolo, for The Kaya girl
• Second prize: Ruby Goka, for The lost royal treasure
• Third prize: Manu Herbstein, for Akosua and Osman

All are being published locally, and 3000 copies of each title will be distributed to schools, libraries and other institutions, so they will be widely available.

Note: There was press coverage in both the Ghanaian Times and the Daily Graphic, but not a huge amount online.  See here and here.

 

2012 Burt Award for African Literature – Call for submissions from Ghanaian authors

Although I have never attended any of the formal ceremonies where the Burt Awards for African Literature have been formally presented [does this sound like a hint to the future organizers? I leave to your imagination!], I do feel that it is worth promoting , so that teenagers here in Ghana may have access to a wider range of fiction which is contemporary, exciting, and relevant to their own lives.

Most of the following is taken from an advert in the Daily Graphic [though with some spelling mistakes and omissions] of Tuesday 28 February 2012, but further details are available from the Ghana Book Trust, whose contact details will be listed below.

To quote the ad: “The Ghana Book Trust and CODE, a Canadian NGO, have the pleasure to invite Ghanaian authors and publishers to participate in a competition to produce story books for the youth between the ages of 12 and 15.”

Criteria include:

• The award is restricted to authors who are citizens of and resident in Ghana
• Manuscripts will be accepted through publishers only; who are allowed to submit not more than two manuscripts
• Winners of the previous year cannot submit manuscript for the immedate year after
• Manuscripts should be written in English
• The length of the manuscript should be 30,000 – 40,000 words and should be in chapter form. It should be typewritten, double-spaced, Times New Roman font size 12

Date for submission:
Manuscripts should be submitted to the Ghana Book Trust in one soft copy and five hard copies by 29 June 2012 at 4pm.
Email: gbt@africaonline.com.gh

There is also more information on the Ghana Book Trust website.

Contact details for GBT are:
Location: on the IPS road, Accra
Postal: PO Box LG536, Legon, Accra
Telephone: +233 (0)30 250 2495

All the best to the authors and publishers!

Burt Award for African Literature: 2011 winners for Ghana

Skimming through the Daily Graphic this morning (Tuesday 28 February) I came across an advert – incidentally with several spelling mistakes! – which naturally caught my eye: the announcement of the 2011 winners for Ghana of the Burt Award for African Literature. These are:

• 1st prize: The kaya girl, by Mamle Wolo (published by Kwadwoan Publishers)
• 2nd prize: The lost treasure, by Ruby Y Goka (published by Kwadwoan Publishers)
• 3rd prize: Akosua and Osman, by Manu Herbstein (published by Techmate Publishers) [not sure where this publisher is]

honorary mention:

• Shoes for her feet, by Laurene Boateng  [no mention of a publisher]
• Betrayed by the city, by Ida Fynn Thompson [no mention of a publisher]

The Burt Award is organized in Ghana by the Ghana Book Trust  and CODE (a Canadian NGO, which helps children to learn by supporting libraries, teacher training and book publishing in developing countries).

Actually this announcement is almost the same as the one I later found on the GBT website, so I do pay credit as it is due. To be frank the three prize winners were not totally a surprise as two of them had indicated to me late in 2011 that they were in the running.

Congratulations to all!

The question I ask as a book buyer:  where in Accra can I buy these titles?

Belated link to CODE’S Burt award for African literature Ghana

I have to admit that I have seen ads in the Ghanaian newspaper for CODE’s Burt award for African literature in Ghana, and I haven’t made any mention of it.  Mea culpa!

So here is the link to the specific CODE page and I think I should mention that the deadline is 31 May 2010.

The local collaborating organisation is Ghana Book Trust, which in my view is somewhat moribund, or perhaps I should say, less active than it used to be.  A pity, as it did help provide books to lots of institutions and community libraries.  But maybe it was regarded as competition by booksellers?  or was that just a piece of gossip which I heard, and am mentioning?

By the way:  CODE was originally an acronynm for Canadian Organization for Development through Education, but this is now the official name!  [I thought I should mention this fairly useful? piece of information!]