The Orange Book Award for Africa is set to make its debut in 2019. The prize, an offshoot of the Orange sponsored literary award in France, has been launched.
The Orange Foundation has for many years being at forefront of many literary activities starting with their famous Orange Prize which has since become known as the Baileys then the Women’s Prize. In spite of discontinuing their partnership with the UK based organisation, the Orange Prize has been conducted in France since 2009. The prize celebrating the best in writing in the French language has been celebrated with the best feted in the French capital.
A new prize aimed at the Orange Book Award in French- speaking Africa has been launched. This prize will reward in 2019 a fiction text written in French by an African writer and published by a publishing house based on the African continent. Eligible books must be published between January 1, 2017 and October 30, 2018. There is no word on whether translated work is eligible at this point.
A pre-selection of six books will be made by reading committees based in several countries and will be announced at the end of February 2019. A yet to be announced jury composed of writers, literary critics as well as recognized figures in the literary world, will designate the laureate.
The award ceremony will be hosted in an African capital between May and July 2019. In addition to an endowment of 10,000 euros, the laureate will benefit from a campaign to promote their work.
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