Noma Award for Publishing in Africa facts for kids
The Noma Award for Publishing in Africa was a special prize given every year from 1980 to 2009. It offered $10,000 to talented African writers and thinkers whose books were published in Africa. This award quickly became a very important book prize in Africa. It was part of a group of prizes known as the Noma Prizes.
About the Noma Award
What Was the Award?
The Noma Award was created to celebrate and encourage books by African authors. It was given out every year to a new book in one of three areas:
- Literature (like novels or poetry)
- Juvenile (books for young people)
- Scholarly (books about research or academic topics)
Books written in any African language or European language were allowed to enter.
How It Started
The award was started in 1979 by Shoichi Noma. He was the head of Kodansha Ltd, which is a very big publishing company in Japan. His goal was to help African authors get their books published and recognized.
The Noma Award was supported by Kodansha Ltd. It was managed by a magazine called African Book Publishing Record and also had the support of UNESCO. The award stopped in 2009 because the Noma family, who had sponsored it, decided to end their support.
Award Winners
Here are the books and authors who won the Noma Award over the years:
- 1980: Une Si Longue Lettre by Mariama Bâ
- 1981: Health Education for the Community by Felix C. Adi
- 1982: The Brassman’s Secret by Meshack Asare
- 1983: Criminal Procedure in Ghana by Austin N.E. Amissah
- 1984: Mesandiki wa Mau Mau Ithaamirio-in by Gakaara wa Wanjau (prison memoirs in Gikuyu) and Fools and other stories by Njabulo Ndebele
- 1985: La Trahison de Marianne by Bernard Nanga
- 1986: Sobreviver em Tarrafal de Santiago by António Jacinto (poetry)
- 1987: Villes de Côte d’Ivoire, 1893–1940 by Pierre Kipré
- 1988: Working Life. Factoris, Townships, and Popular Culture on the Rand, 1886-1940 by Luli Callinicos
- 1989: Bones by Chenjerai Hove
- 1990: Uprooting Poverty: The South African Challenge by Francis Wilson & Mamphela Ramphele
- 1991: Waiting Laughters by Niyi Osundare (poetry)
- 1992: A comme Algériennes by Souad Khodja; One Day, Long Ago. More Stories from a Shona Childhood by Charles Mungoshi, illustrated by Luke Toronga
- 1993: Third World Express by Mongane Wally Serote
- 1994: A Modern Economic History of Africa. Volume 1: The Nineteenth Century (Dakar: CODESRIA, 1993)
- 1995: Triomf by Marlene van Niekerk
- 1996: Destins parallèles by Kitia Toure
- 1997: Mfantsipim and the Making of Ghana: A Centenary History, 1876-1976 by A. Adu Boahen
- 1998: The Politics of Liberation in South Sudan: An Insider's View by Peter Adwok Nyaba
- 1999: L’Interprétation des rêves dans la région sénégambienne. Suivi de la clef des songes de la Sénégambie de l'Egypte pharaonique et de la tradition islamique by Djibril Samb.
- 2000: Ufundishaji wa Fasihi: Nadharia na Mbinu by Kimani Njogu & Rocha Chimera
- 2001: Odun Ifa/Ifa Festival by Abosede Emanuel
- 2002: The Arabic Novel: Bibliography and Critical Introduction, 1865-1995 by Hamdi Sakkut
- 2003: Walter and Albertina Sisulu. In Our Lifetime by Elinor Sisulu
- 2004: The jury did not choose a main winner this year, but they gave special mentions to four books:
- The Cry of Winnie Mandela by Njabulo Ndebele
- The Plays of Miracle and Wonder by Brett Bailey
- Lanre and the Queen of the Stream by Tunde Lawal-Solarin
- A Dictionary of Yoruba Personal Names by Adeboye Babalola & Olugboyega Alaba
- 2005: La mémoire amputée by Werewere Liking
- 2006: In a Ribbon of Rhythm by Lebogang Mashile
- 2007: Strife by Shimmer Chinodya
- 2008: Beginnings of a Dream by Zachariah Rapola
- 2009: Lawless and Other Stories by Sefi Atta
See also
In Spanish: Premio Noma para niños
