Cassava Republic Press, Nigeria, has been named the inaugural winner of the CANEX Prize for Publishing in Africa (2024).

Five books were shortlisted for the prize on September 25th, and the winner was announced on October 24th. The prize, worth $20,000, was awarded to Female Fear Factory: Unveiling Patriarchy’s Culture of Violence by Pumla Dineo Gqola.

The award celebrates excellence in African publishing and recognized Cassava Republic Press for its book Female Fear Factory: Unveiling Patriarchy’s Culture of Violence by Pumla Dineo Gqola. The book was recognized for its striking cover design, elegant layout, and reader-friendly text. It was also lauded for its imaginative approach to gender issues, compellingly contributing to feminist literature.

According to the Afreximbank page, the award evaluated the entries based on writing, editing, and production quality. Emphasis was placed on books printed and produced in Africa and those published in Indigenous African languages. This year, 85 entries were received from 49 African publishers representing various languages, including English, French, Portuguese, and Swahili. The prize administrators selected five finalists from these submissions for their exceptional work. 

The awards were presented to the finalists by Honourable Mouloudji and Mrs. Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President of the Intra-African Trade Bank at Afreximbank.

A prize of $20,000 is awarded to the publisher – selected from a shortlist of five finalists – of the best trade book (defined as books published for a general audience, including fiction, non-fiction, and poetry and excluding textbooks and academic books) published in the year. Additionally, the remaining four finalists in the shortlist are awarded $2,000 each.

To learn more about the Canex Prize for Publishing in Africa Winner, visit this social media account.