JUNE 2007 - no.2 - The Newsletter of SCBWI SA

The Electronic Newsletter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, South Africa
June 2007 – no. 2

In this issue

EVENTS and ACTIVITIES

• Report back on Talk by Piet Grobler
• SCBWI Stand at the Cape Town Book Fair

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

• What publishers want
• BloggingBlogging for the busy writer/illustrator
• Marjorie’s blogspot

WRITERS’ AND ILLUSTRATORS MARKET AND NEWS

• StAAf 2nd Call for Children’s Stories
• Anansi Books
• 3rd Conference on South African Children’s Literature
  Call for submissions

COMPETITIONS AND AWARDS

• 2008 Hans Christen Anderson Awards
• CP Hoogenhoutoekenning vir Afrikaanse kinderboeke
• Exclusive Books IBBY SA Award for 2007
• IBBY Honor Books
• Maskew Miller Longman Award for Children’s Literature in Limpopo Indigenous Languages

THE BOLOGNA CHILDREN’S BOOK FAIR 2007

EVENTS and ACTIVITIES

Report back on Talk by Piet Grobler
Paddy Bouma
The well known author/illustrator Piet Grobler, recently nominated by IBBY SA for the Hans Christian Andersen Award, gave an interesting and informative talk about his work to the SCBWI at Bellville Gallery on 22 May.
He showed original artwork from some of his recent publications including the delightful “Little Birds’ ABC” and explained his work process and technique. He also showed us the handmade paper he uses, his watercolours and pens – details that are always fascinating to other illustrators!
This was a thoroughly worthwhile and inspiring talk, many thanks to Piet for so generously sharing with us.
===================================
SCBWI Stand at the Cape Town Book Fair
This year SCBWI had its own stand at the Cape Town Book Fair, a joint venture between the Publishers’ Association of South Africa and the Frankfurt Book Fair in association with the Sunday Times. More that 49 000 book lovers attended the Fair as opposed to 26 000 last year. The SCBWI stand, which provided a wonderful opportunity for writers and illustrators to showcase their work, drew a great deal of interest. Stunning posters designed by Marjorie van Heerden, Joan Rankin, Piet Grobler, Samantha van Riet and Paddy Bouma were on sale. If you missed the chance to get copies, email Marjorie without delay. ===================================
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Cape Town
Date: Saturday 18th August 2007
Time: 11:00—17:00
Where: Marjorie’s House – 153 Beach Rd, Gordon’s Bay. Tel: 021 856 0432
Cost: For Non-members R60 per person (includes tea & lunch)
For SCBWI members R30 per person (includes tea & lunch)
RSVP: Bookings@SCBWI.za.org by 1 August at the latest. Please use “Cape Town August Meeting” in the subject line.
Description: Children’s book illustrators and writers – Come and spend a day with Marjorie at her home to talk about children’s Books. We will talk about the CT Book Fair and everyone will have a chance to tell their experiences at the Fair –
Paddy will talk about her recent visit to the Bologna Book Fair (the International Children’s Book Fair in Italy).
Helen King, one of the Commisioning editor of Macmillan Education, from England, is currently in South Africa and we will invite her to come to meet writers and illustrators and tell about their publishing company. Bring your work in progress, portfolio, recent books with you to show.
And if there is time, Marjorie will also talk about blogging & show on her computer how to start your own blog.

==============================

Gauteng
Date: 12 July 2007
Time: 9:00—13:00
Where: Brescia House School, 14 Sloane Street off William Nicol, with parking off Pytcheley Rd, Bryanston.
Cost: For Non-members R80 per person (includes tea & lunch)
For SCBWI members R40 per person (includes tea & lunch)
RSVP: Bookings@SCBWI.za.org by 5 July at the latest. Please use “Illustrators and writers share their books” in the subject line.
Description: Children’s book illustrators and writers share their books.
Programme
9:00 – 9:15 Registration
9:15 – 9:30 Welcome
9:30 – 10:30 Rob Marsh
10:30 – 10:45 Tea
10:45 – 11:30 LeAnne Hardy
11:30 - 12:00 Agueda Nunes
12:00 - 12:15 Discussion
12:15 Lunch
Rob Marsh will take a selection of his published books and show in some detail the process he followed to conceive and create each of them. He will explain his methods and techniques. He will also talk about the publishers he works with, how he first made contact and how his relations with publishers have developed.
LeAnne Hardy will show her books and talk about how she has turned her real life experiences on several continents into fiction.
Agueda Nunes will talk about the importance of believing in yourself as a writer.
===================================
What publishers want …
By Jenny Hatton – Assistant Advisor
The Gauteng region of the SCBWI discussed the topic What publishers want … at its meeting on 8 May at Sandton library. Margaret Houliston, Sandton Librarian, kindly hosted the meeting which was held in the auditorium. Jenny Hatton chaired the meeting which was attended by 34 interested writers, illustrators and other children’s book people.
Children’s book publishers from Gauteng introduced themselves and briefly described the types of books they publish. They outlined some common mistakes made by illustrators and writers when submitting their work and gave some very welcome tips to the participants.
Russell Clark, project editor from Jacana Media, one of South Africa’s fastest-growing independent publishers, focused on the need for books with a South African focus as well as on books for newly-literate readers.
Jacana is proud of the fact that it publishes what it likes. It began as an ecological publisher. Approximately 70% of their books are non-fiction. Jacana often commissions titles and therefore prefers authors and illustrators to submit proposals. They receive many unsolicited manuscripts and very seldom publish any of these.
Picture 1: Rod Marsh & Russell ClarkeRussell outlined some problems that they experience. One of these is writing level. Often writers use language that is too difficult for children or they mix levels. He stressed the challenge of writing for children. He suggested that it may be useful to have a small age bracket as the target group. In addition, he asked that writers and illustrators not adopt a European viewpoint. There is a great demand for non-fiction and Russell said he’d circulate a list of topics on which books are often requested by users of Cape Town libraries. He suggested that in certain circumstances, it could be useful for writers and illustrators to develop books together. Finally, Russell mentioned Jacana’s role with regard to innovative, original, fresh books and used the word “edgy” to describe what they may consider publishing. Some tips he gave included:
Develop a clear concept for your book.
Put together a proposal and submit it.
Keep your target group in mind.
Limit the age bracket for which you’re writing.
Don’t ignore non-fiction.
Keep your language level consistent for the target group.
Do not patronise your audience.
Write from an African perspective.
For more information about Jacana visit www.jacana.co.za.

Miemie du Plessis, head of the children’s book department at LAPA Publishers in Pretoria, is responsible for the publication and marketing of approximately 70 children’s books per year. About half of these are co-editions with mostly UK publishers. Her focus is on Afrikaans books and fiction titles. However, Lapa also publishes English books if they are South African and distinctly local in content, and they do also publish non-fiction titles.
Miemie truly believes that books can make a difference in the lives of children and is therefore committed to the establishment of a reading culture amongst the children of South Africa. Miemie began her talk quoting the distressing statistic that 5 % of South Africans are book buyers! On top of that she feels that reading skills are worsening day by day.
Miemie’s main focus is on the market, namely the children who read Lapa’s books. Therefore, she goes to schools and listens to what children have to say about books. She also pays children to review books and adapts these according to the information she gets back from the target group. Books must be entertaining. Therefore, they must be “fun, fun, fun” !
Miemie indicated that her focus is the text. If she gets a good text, then she can commission illustrations. She prefers to get advice about illustrations, font etc from experts. She gets lots of poor manuscripts and stressed the importance of quality. Lapa sometimes commissions writers to develop stories on particular topics. She addressed the problem of authors not knowing the market. Miemie does not have hard and fast rules about length of text etc. If the story is gripping enough, if it is “fun”, then she is interested. She suggested that authors and illustrators should:
Carry out research into the market.
Read books for the age group.
Identify popular genres and gaps in the market.
Write credible dialogue.
Develop interesting plots and characters.
Take a new approach.
Read your story aloud and listen to how it sounds.
For more information, visit http://www.lapa.co.za

Jonathan Williams, of Pan Macmillan, manages the publishing process for all of Pan Macmillan’s local imprints. This includes books for children and adults, fiction and non-fiction. In the last four months he has been covering for Pan’s children’s publisher Lara Cohen, who is on extended maternity leave.
Jonathan focused on Pan’s three main lists. Giraffe books are illustrated 32-page, high quality books for children between the ages of 4 and 10. They are translated into 13 different languages (South Africa’s 11 official languages as well as Portuguese and Lesotho’s Sesotho) and comprise fiction and non-fiction titles. The list of Giraffe publications is very small. Their other two lists include General books and Takalani Sesame Street books. The last list comprises books that are curriculum based. They must show how they cover the South African curriculum as well as be approved by the American franchise holder. They often commission known authors to write for them.
Jonathan confirmed what the two previous speakers had said regarding the quality of manuscripts. He can tell if a book is worth looking at within about 10 minutes. He stressed the need for writers and illustrators to carry out thorough research. They should remember that publishing is a business. Books which do not meet their needs or which cannot be marketed will not be published. They don’t have the manpower to rework books. He said:
Research the market.
Motivate why a book should be published (include a proposal).
Know what books are on Pan’s lists.
Be a step ahead of the publishers with regard to the market.
Try to work out what the trends are with regard to books on the market.
Keep “issues” in mind.
Keep a South African or African focus.
Bear the rural and urban audiences in mind.
Submit the text and illustrations together.
Think about the space needed for translations (for example, Tshivenda may take up to 2 ½ times the space taken by English text).
Keep writing level consistent.
Bear in mind that reading age and the child’s age may differ.
Learn to promote books.
What was particularly interesting was that each publisher has a slightly different philosophy and focus. Although they may sometimes be in competition, they may also publish together occasionally. All the publishers had both educational and trade publications. All the publishers were concerned about costs and keeping these down.
===================================
Mentorship Programme
As we announced in the March newsletter, the South African chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators decided to institute a mentorship programme this year in the interests of continuing excellence in the creation of children’s literature in South Africa. This is a wonderful opportunity for South African children's book writers and illustrators or potential children’s book writers and illustrators to develop their work by working one-to-one for six months with an experienced, established writer/illustrator.
2007 Winning Applicants
In Gauteng, writer Jenny Hatton will be mentored by Miemie du Plessis and Yvette de Beer will be mentored by Joan Rankin.
In the Western Cape, Samantha van Riet will be mentored by Mariana Brandt and Sandy Mitchell will be mentored by Paddy Bouma.
===================================
Blogging
Blogging for the busy writer/illustrator
Damaria Senne
Last year this time I decided I was finished with blogging. It was an interesting experiment but it was too much work and brought too few returns. So I quit.
Weeks later, a colleague sent me a quick email to say my blog was getting stale. He was looking forward to the next post, he said. I hadn’t promoted the thing (still learning how it works, no time) so I thought my blog was like performing to an empty room. I didn’t realize that over time, fans were filling up the seats.
My colleague was not even the reader I thought would be interested in my folktales and parenting adventures. But there he was, a single White man in his early twenties, newly graduated from varsity; neither a parent, creative writer, school teacher or librarian.
He liked my blog enough to give me a kick in the butt when he thought I was slacking on the job. So I took my chastised self back to the stage and started telling him more stories. I even began to enjoy the experience, once I got into the rhythm of it.
GETTING STARTED
The reason I’m telling this story is to make the point that writers and illustrators who are initially sceptical of blogging can make it work for them too. Also, you can get over the stumbling blocks and get to enjoy the experience. Some of the issues to keep in mind when starting a blog are:
1) Setting up a blog is not as hard as many people fear. Most blogging platforms provide step by step instructions as you register, write and publish your first post. You can explore the site later to learn what else you can do and add interesting features over time
2) Do short posts if you have time limitations. C. Hope Clark, American writer and publisher of Funds for Writers generally has about two paragraphs and a picture in each post.
3) To find something to blog about will require serious thought, so your parameters are clear. What are you willing to talk about regarding your life? What would get you into trouble with your employer/ publisher/ family/ friends? Keep in mind that whatever you write will be for public consumption, and thanks to Google cache, your posts will remain on the Internet even if you delete your blog.
4) Pace yourself and post once a week or so. Burnout is common among bloggers.
STORY IDEAS
· Post a picture/doodle a week.
· Post a poem, a short short children’s story every other week.
· Interview experts your readers would be interested in talking to. All you have to do is type up 5 burning questions and email them, clean up the copy and post it.
· Link to interesting articles/resources you found on the web. (www.ezinearticles.com).
· Find free articles on your subject, ready to be published at Ezine Articles (www.ezinearticles.com
PROMOTING YOUR BLOG
1) Judge your blog traffic by the quality of your visitors (strong interest in subject), not the quantity.
2) Most blogging gurus suggest bloggers on same subject visit each other’s blogs and leave a comment. Do it judiciously and don’t waste your time cultivating people who won’t reciprocate.
3) Experts also advise bloggers to provide visitors with unique, practical resources they can use.
4) Writing about other people is an effective way to build community. It allows the people who you interview to bring their own community to your blog.
5) Publish short essays/articles to drive traffic to your blog. We’re not talking about complicated stuff here. Just a short piece – sometimes as short as 250 words - based on work/writing or life experiences and resources. Ezine Articles and similar portals accept such articles and serve as distribution points.
6) Invite friends and relatives to visit your blog. My personal choice was not to invite them at the beginning. I wanted to put my best foot forward, because they are the people who will potentially market the blog for me. If they like it, they’ll brag to colleagues and friends: “check out my cousin Damaria’s blog here. She’s very talented, don’t you think?”
7) Link your blog to aggregators, so people outside your network can see your posts. Local aggregators include Afrigator.co.za and Amatomu.co.za. Also check out Jacketflap.com. It has over a thousand writers, illustrators, agents, publishers and librarians.
THE BENEFITS
Here are some lessons I learnt after blogging for 18 months:
1) A blog is an online place for you to showcase your work. You can refer editors to your online portfolio/clips.
2) You can allow readers to subscribe, which in turn allows you to build a captive audience you’ll market your books to.
3) There is also a growing international trend for bloggers to collate some of their posts into non-fiction books. A good local example is Tertia Albertyn, the Cape Town based woman who started blogging about her infertility and in vitro fertilisation procedures. Her book, So Close, published by Oshun Books, was based on the blog.
4) It provides a platform for new writers to practise writing and to get feedback on their work.
5) You meet very interesting people.
RESOURCES
The many reasons people blog
http://quasifictionalviews.blogspot.com/2007/06/fine-art-of-blogging_14.html
Sample blogs in the children’s publishing field
www.jacketflap.com
Choose a platform
Platforms I’m familiar with are Blogger (www.blogger.com), Wordpress (www.wordpress.com ) and My Digital Life (www.mydigitallife.co.za; local, owned by my employer.)
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Damaria Senne is a journalist and author based in Johannesburg. She blogs about writing and parenting at http://damariasenne.blogspot.com. Read her business/technology articles on the telecommunications industry (Internet and cellphones) at www.itweb.co.za.

MARJORIE VAN HEERDEN'S BLOGS
Marjorie is another enthusiastic blogger
“I have recently become very interested in blogging and looked at quite a few children's book writers and illustrators’ blogs. I found that I tend to go back regularly to some to check up on what new info they had posted and that made me realise what a wonderful way to let people know what you working on – it is a wonderful self promotional tool and very easy to put up and to maintain - blog creation and maintaining instructions are very user friendly.
I have had reactions to my blog (http://www.marjorie-van-heerden.blogspot.com) from Taiwan, Brazil, Canada, USA, Spain, Holland and of course South Africa & even a job commission from USA. Please go and have a look at my blog and think strongly about beginning your own blog.
I would also like to circulate a list of Children's Book writers and illustrators’ web site addresses & their blogs on the SCBWI mailing list so please send me your addresses with a VERY SHORT bio.(about 60 words - NO MORE) - your name, writer or illustrator, what type of books- for what age you write/illus.
Marjorie van Heerden
Co-Regional Advisor of the SCBWI SA
Send your info to Bookings@SCBWI.za.org . Please use “Blogs and websites” in the subject line.

For another blogspot, see http://www.SCBWIGauteng.blogspot.com
===================================
WRITERS’ AND ILLUSTRATORS MARKET AND NEWS
StAAf 2nd Call for Children’s Stories
Stories Across Africa (StAAf) a core project of the African Academy of Languages, the official language agency of the AU, is a pan African project intending to:
develop and support the use of African languages in print;
support mother tongue based bilingual education in Africa;
stimulate and support the African publishing industry and African literary and visual artists to create and foster the use of children’s literature;
begin to create a common store of written children’s literature for African children;
support possibilities for reading for enjoyment as part of literacy learning and development.
In collaboration with a local publisher from each of Southern, West, Central, East and North Africa, StAAf is publishing three anthologies of writing for children:
Early Childhood (0-8),
Middle Childhood (9-12) and
Teenagers (13+)
We invite you to submit stories and poems in any African language (with a summary or translation in English, French or Portuguese) or any of the AU official languages. Please follow the following guide (suggested maximum words per submission) with respect to length:
ECD: 800 words
Middle: 1200 words
Teen: 2000 words
The selection process will be made by the StAAf steering committee and their decision will be final. Authors of submissions which are selected for inclusion in one of the anthologies will be paid a permission fee for the use of their writing. Authors of manuscripts selected for publication will be informed before the end of October 2007.
Selected stories and poems will:
arise from and give an African point of view;
have definite literary merit;
reflect diversity in terms of gender, ethnicity etc;
challenge discrimination;
include humour and avoid being didactic and preachy;
include not only ‘problem literature’ but fantasy and experimental, non-linear texts too.
Selection issues to be considered include:
Style: How is the story or poem written? Are the ideas easily understandable? Is it readable for the target age group?
Translation: Will it be possible to adapt this poem or story into a variety of languages used on the African continent?
Theme: Is the theme relevant for the age group? Will it have continent-wide appeal? Is the theme interesting? Does it portray positive roles for the readers? Is it gender sensitive?
Attractiveness: Is the story or poem appealing to the target audience? If there is humour, is its appeal continent-wide? Does the language attract the reader?
Clarity: Is the rhythm, diction and syntax clear and appealing? Does the language contribute to transmitting the message and attracting/ entertaining the audience? Is the use of language original and lively?
Submission Details
Submission deadline: 30 July 2007
Please submit stories and poems by post or email.
If the story has already been published, please submit a copy of the title and imprint pages.
Please make and keep a copy of any story you submit for yourself. StAAf will not return stories to the sender.
No story will be accepted unless it is accompanied by a completed submission form.
Please submit entries to: Carole Bloch, StAAf Central Co-ordinator, Room 14, Arts Block, PRAESA, UCT, Private Bag Rondebosch 7700, Cape Town, South Africa, Email: carole.bloch@uct.ac.za, Tel: 0027 21 6503589 Fax: 0027 21 6503027
StAAf 2nd Call for Children’s Stories
SUBMISSION FORM Please complete a new form for each submission – e-mail carole.bloch@uct.ac.za for form

Anansi Books
It is with pride and a sense of excitement that we announce that our new website is active. Yes, Anansi has arrived in cyberspace. Visit us on the information super highway at www.anansibooks.co.za
As you already know, we specialize in picture books for Grade R to Grade 3 learners as well as storybooks for the older learners who have become more independent readers. Our titles are published in six languages namely isiZulu, isiXhosa, Afrikaans, English, SeTswana and SeSotho.
=================================
3rd Conference on South African Children’s Literature
Invitation to attend and participate in the 3rd Conference on South African Children's Literature 17-20 September, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus
As was the case with the preceding conferences, this conference is for all who are currently involved or who wish to become involved in the production (e.g. oral storytellers, writers, illustrators, translators, publishers), marketing and distribution (e.g. publishers, agents, book suppliers), mediation (e.g. educators/facilitators, parents, librarians, and the media - newspapers, radios, television) and reception of children’s literature (by toddlers, children and teenagers as listeners to, or readers of children’s stories, poetry, stage productions and films).
A special feature of the conference is the addition of a number of writing/authoring/hands-on sessions with the theme “Writing (on) South African Children’s Literature” - practical sessions on the writing of scholarly articles, as well as sessions on writing children’s stories and poems. These sessions will be presented by renowned writers in the field of children’s literature: Prof Maria Nikolajeva (Stockholm, Sweden), author of several academic articles and books as well as fiction, Prof Elwyn Jenkins, author of several articles and books on children’s literature, Prof Osa Osayimwense, editor of the journal African Children’s and Youth Literature (JACYL), and Prof Hans du Plessis, Director of the ATKV School for Creative Writing in Potchefstroom.
READ MORE: http://www.puk.ac.za/fakulteite/lettere/klw/index.html
Enquiries to: Betsie van der Westhuizen - Phone: 018 2991491 E-mail: Betsie.VanDerWesthuizen@nwu.ac.za
==================================
Call for submissions
Call for submissions of articles for a special issue of The Lion and the Unicorn (April 2008): Children’s Literature in South Africa
South Africa is a multilingual and multicultural society in which its people are increasingly taking pride in the development of their own languages and cultural inheritance. Children’s literature, and those involved with it, play an important role in creating positive changes in society. By sharing problems, challenges, solutions and successes with each other over a number of years now, a healthy discourse between role players working in the field is starting to develop, which holds the promise of many co-operative possibilities which could potentially yield a wealth of literary dividends. These endeavours are also supported by government policy.
Submissions are being solicited for a special issue on Children’s Literature in South Africa, to be published in The Lion and the Unicorn in April 2008. Possible topics include issues related to: the production (e.g. oral storytellers, writers, illustrators, translators, publishers), marketing and distribution (e.g. publishers, agents, book suppliers), mediation (e.g. teachers/facilitators, parents, librarians, and the media - newspapers, radio, television) and reception (by oddlers, children and teenagers as listeners to, or readers of, stories, poetry, stage productions and film).
All topics regarding South African children’s literature are welcome, including:
Production of children’s literature: topics and themes in children’s literature, oral storytelling, the writing of stories, poems, drama/stage, publishing.
Viewpoints with regard to the “needs” of the “market”, “going with the global flow” and/or/but seeing writing is an act of resistance against globalization.
Illustrations in children’s books.
The fusion of different genres and styles in writing and illustrating children’s books.
The influence of the literary content, style and other aspects of the systems of children’s literature of different parts of the world on South African children’s literature.
Marketing and distribution: agents, bookshop industry.
Mediation: reading stories and poems to children, children’s theatre, facilitating literature for toddlers, children and adolescents in all phases of school life, bibliotherapy, narrative therapy
Reception: needs and reading patterns of South African toddlers, children and adolescents, readers’ response patterns.
DEAR - Drop Everything and Read, Drop All And Read.
Humour in children’s literature.
Liminal spaces in South African children’s literature, e.g. the exchange of racial, cultural, linguistic and other cultural forms between and across the borders of different languages.
The history/histories of children’s literatures of the different and related South African languages and cultures - aspects of the bridging of difficult times and the development of children’s literature within the broad liminal spaces where many South African languages meet.
Comparative studies that read South African children’s literatures in an international context.
Commonalities and diversities between the language identities of the language groups in the broad South African language landscape, e.g. the commonalities and diversities between children’s literature in Nguni-languages and children’s literature in Sotho-languages.
Commonalities and diversities between South Africa as multilingual country and other multilingual countries.
The advancement of literature for toddlers, children and teenagers in all South African languages.
Deadline: 30 July 2007
Please send enquiries or complete manuscripts, using MLA style, double-spaced, between twenty-five and thirty pages in length (4000-5000 words), to preferably the following email address: Betsie.VanDerWesthuizen@nwu.ac.za or to the following address:
Prof Betsie van der Westhuizen
Vakgroep Afrikaans en Nederlands/ Subject Group Afrikaans and Dutch Skool vir Tale/ School of Languages Fakulteit Lettere en Wysbegeerte/ Faculty of Arts Potchefstroomkampus/ Potchefstroom Campus Noordwes-Universiteit/ North-West University Privaatsak X6001/ Private Bag X6001 Potchefstroom 2520 Suid-Afrika / South Africa, Tel.: +27 18 2991491 or: 018 2991491; Faks/ Fax: +27 18 2991562 or: 018 2991562 E-pos/ Email: Betsie.VanDerWesthuizen@nwu.ac.za
===================================
COMPETITIONS AND AWARDS
2008 Hans Christen Anderson Awards
IBBY National Sections from 35 countries have made their selections, submitting 30 authors and 30 illustrators as candidates for the 2008 Hans Christian Andersen Awards. In the following months the works of each candidate will be studied and discussed in depth by the Jury of ten experts around the world, led by Jury President Zohreh Ghaeni.
The nominees for the 2008 Awards include: Jackie French and Shaun Tan (Australia), Anne Provoost and Kitty Crowther (Belgium), Brian Doyle and Pierre Pratt (Canada), Qin Wenjun (China), Iva Procházková and Adolf Born (Czech Republic), Marie Desplechin and Claude Ponti (France), Mino Milani and Roberto Innocenti (Italy), Shuntaro Tanikawa and Akiko Hayashi (Japan), Beverley Naidoo and Piet Grobler (South Africa), David Almond and Jan Pienkowski (UK), Lloyd Alexander and David Wiesner (USA).
In 2006, the Andersen Awards went to author Margaret Mahy (New Zealand) and illustrator Wolf Erlbruch (Germany). In 2004 it went to author Martin Waddell (Ireland) and illustrator Max Velthuijs (Netherlands).
All 2008 nominees <<http://tinyurl.com/2sypqw>>
IBBY website <<http://www.ibby.org

CP Hoogenhoutoekenning vir Afrikaanse kinderboeke
Dit is vir Unisa se Eenheid vir Navorsing in Kinderliteratuur aangenaam om bekend te maak dat Protea Boekhuis ingestem het om weer die CP Hoogenhoutoekenning vir Afrikaanse kinderboeke te borg. Die toekenning word tweejaarliks gemaak aan oorspronklike Afrikaanse kinderboeke geskik vir kinders van sewe tot twaalf jaar. Die vorige wenner was Leon de Villiers vir Droomoog, Diepgrawer. Soos dit tradisioneel sedert 1960 die geval is, sal die toekenning weer 'n 9karaat goue medalje wees. Dit sal in September tydens die Aardlop Kunstefees aan die wenner oorhandig word. Aangesien die prys nie verlede jaar toegeken kon word nie, sal vanjaar se toekenning gemaak word vir boeke wat in 2004 en 2005 gepubliseer is. Uitgewers word uitgenooi om die titels van boeke wat in aanmerking kom vir die toekenning aan Thomas van der Walt by ENIK te stuur. 'n Paneel bestaande uit 'n kinderbibliotekaris, onderwyser, ouer, kinderboekskrywer en akademikus sal verantwoordelik wees vir die beoordeling. Thomas van der WaltENIK, Unisavdwaltb@unisa.ac.zaFaks: (012) 4293972Prof T.B. van der Walt Children's Literature Research Unit Department of Information Science University of South Africa PO Box 392, 0003 PretoriaTel: +27 12 4296520, Fax: +27 12 4293400 Exclusive Books IBBY SA Award for 2007
==================================
Exclusive Books is delighted to announce its sponsorship of a new award, in association with IBBY S.A., for the best original children's picture book or illustrated children's story book published in South Africa.
For the EXCLUSIVE BOOKS IBBY SA AWARD for 2007, we invite submissions of books published between 1 January 2006 and 30 June 2007. For a copy of the rules and conditions please e-mail me at pennyh@exclusivebooks.co.za or Robin Malan at robinmal@iafrica.com. Please send your submissions (two copies of each title) to me at Exclusive Books Head Office by 30 June 2007.
We do hope this new Award will encourage the publication of wonderful new South African children's books, as it rewards our talented authors and illustrators. - Penny Hochfeld, Exclusive Books Head Office
==================================
IBBY Honor Books
Publishers are invited to submit titles of books to be considered to represent the South African book production as Honor books for 2008. The nominations must reach IBBY by 15 September 2007.
Categories:
Books are eligible which have been published no earlier than three years before nomination.
Countries with a book production in several languages can propose up to three writers or translators.
One title for illustration only. So:
One to three books to be named for writing.
One to three books to be named for translation.
One book to be named for illustration.
After we receive your nominations, a panel of judges will decide which books will be nominated. At that stage the publishers involved will be contacted to complete the nomination forms and pay the fee of CHF 75.00 for each nominated title. If copies are needed for reviewing, we will let you know.
Contact me if you have any questions.
Best wishes, Lona Gericke for ( IBBY SA - Awards), ; Designation: Librarian(Children's Services): Bellville Library, Branch: Library & Information Services, City of Cape Town, Tel: +27 21 918-2281, Fax: + 27 21 948-9313, E-mail: Bellville.library@capetown.gov.za, Website: www.capetown.gov.za, Lona.Gericke@capetown.gov.za
======================================
Maskew Miller Longman Award for Children’s Literature in Limpopo Indigenous Languages
The purpose of this competition is to encourage the creation of children's literature in Limpopo indigenous languages, especially in Sepedi, Xitsonga, Tshivenda and IsiNdebele.
Requirements:
The story must be suitable for Foundation Phase (4-9 years).
The entries must be previously unpublished and original.
The text must be suitable for a picture book- no illustrations necessary but suggested artwork briefs can be added.
Easy readers with simple text.
Stories should be in the following languages: Sepedi, Tshivenda, Xitsonga and IsiNdebele.
Length: around 600 words.
Manuscripts must be typed in double spacing and submitted in duplicate hard copies.
Prizes:
Maskew Miller Longman will award R500 for the best entry in Sepedi, Xitsonga, Tshivenda and IsiNdebele.
Maskew Miller Longman will publish the winning entries if they meet their publishing requirements. Non-winning entries may also qualify for publication.
Maskew Miller Longman has the right to rework the story according to their requirements.
Evaluation will be done by a panel of experts and the suitability for publication for the specified target market (Foundation Phase) will be the norm. The judges' decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
Closing date: Friday, 27 July 2007
No restrictions on the number of entries. An official entry form must accompany every manuscript. All details should be neatly filled in.
All entries should be submitted to:
Physical Address: Magriet Lotz or Emma Lehonye, Polokwane City Library, Cnr Hans van Rensburg and Jorissen Streets, Polokwane.
Postal address: Ms. M Lotz, Polokwane City Library, P.O. Box 111, Polokwane 0700
===============================
THE BOLOGNA CHILDREN’S BOOK FAIR 2007
Paddy Bouma
What an experience! This annual Fair is huge – probably four times the size of the recent Cape Town Book Fair. It is not open to the public, just to professionals in the trade, principally publishers, agents, translators, writers and illustrators.
The first thing one sees on entering is the very inviting-looking Illustrator’s Café (which has nothing to do with food!) It houses an attractive auditorium area, an Illustrators’ Exhibition for which copies of the magnificently produced exhibition catalogue are on sale and the prize-winning books are beautifully displayed. To one side is an area where illustrators are allowed to pin up their business cards and publicity material.
There are 4 international halls, the first two housing English-language books from Great Britain, the USA, Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, India and Hong Kong. There is also a Literary Agents’ Centre and one for TV/film licensing rights.
The other two halls house publishers from a wealth of countries, including Rwanda, Croatia, the Ukraine and Iran. China has a large presence. The guest of honour this year was Wallonia- Brussels with a beautifully designed stand featuring such favourites as Tintin. Also present here are IBBY and the International Youth Library, on whose exhibition of their choice of the most notable books of the year I was fortunate enough to be represented.
Many publishers offer the opportunity for illustrators to show their portfolios. It is a good idea to contact publishers about 2-3 months before the fair to arrange an interview, particularly for author-illustrators who would like to show a dummy book. Otherwise go around, preferably on the first day, and make as many appointments as possible. Some publishers have set times at which illustrators may come by, and then it is a case of joining the queue! Or else, if you notice that an art editor has just finished with another illustrator, and from the look of the stand you think your work may fit in, present yourself with a smile… On the whole, it’s amazing how friendly and helpful the editors are, considering the vast numbers they deal with.
The fair is located a little outside the city centre and is easily accessible by a local bus. Bologna is a beautiful old city and to stay close to the Piazza Maggiore is a good option – it’s pleasant to walk around town in the evening, enjoy a glass of wine in the piazza and an excellent meal at one of the many restaurants.
If you plan to go to Bologna, check the website first – illustrators are offered a reduced entry fee of 10 Euros a day if one registers online. The fair runs over four days and one needs to spend at least three there to take in as much as possible. Also find out what illustrator events are offered. Some are really special. This time there was an interview with Wolf Erlbruch, who was the featured artist and did the poster and cover for the exhibition catalogue.
This Fair, the world’s biggest dealing with children’s books, gives one an excellent overview of what is happening in publishing worldwide. But it’s not for the faint-hearted!