MasterSkill, an American publisher, is looking for writers and illustrators to develop its new set of readers. The readers will be submitted to the Education Department for inclusion in the National Foundation Phase Catalogue but will also be marketed to the book trade.
Writers are invited to submit stories as follows:
· Gr R readers (8 pages each, including a title page)
· Gr 1 readers (16 pages each, including a title page)
· Gr 2 readers (24 pages each, including a title page)
· Gr 3 readers (32 pages each, including a title page)
All stories must include artwork briefs.
Due date: 30 November 2008.
Email to: bernita@yebo.co.za
Fees:
Writing:
· R2000 per reader, payable on invoice after the manuscript and a/w brief has been handed over, and
· 5% royalty per reader
OR
· 10% royalty – no fees
Illustrators are invited to send portfolios / examples of their work to bernita@yebo.co.za as soon as possible. (Illustrators who can work under pressure during November and December can also apply to work on the Foundation Phase Learner’s Book.)
For the Readers, Illustrators will be paid R150 per page plus 2% royalty.
This is not a reading scheme. Each reader will stand on its own. The story should make learners want to read.
Illustrators required
Fantasi Boeke is dringend besig om ‘n splinternuwe Suid-Afrikaanse weergawe van ons gewilde Ek-kan-Lees! reeks te ontwikkel. Die reeks bestaan tans uit agt titels en sal uiteindelik uitgebrei word tot 20 titels. Ons is dringend op soek na ‘n ervare illustreerder om die komende reeks boeke te illustreer.
Die eerste vier titels wat reeds vroeg in 2009 gepubliseer word:
· Repelsteeltjie
· Klein Duimpie
· Die Drie Varkies
· Gouelokkies en die Drie Beertjies.
Formaat:
· 195 mm x 130
· 32 bladsye
· Volkleur
Spesifikasies vir Illustrasies:
· Volkleur
· Eenvoudiger, helder, oop tekeninge
· Geskik vir aanvangslesers
· Teks en Illustrasie moet mekaar baie spesifiek ondersteun om beginlesers te ondersteun
· Enige Medium
· Omslag en titelblad nie ingesluit nie
Indien u belangstel om in aanmerking te kom vir hierdie projek, stuur asseblief een voorbeeldillustrasie gebaseer op enige van bogenoemde stories in lae resolusie jpeg na hierdie adres (talita@fantasi.co.za) teen Maandag 17 November op die laatste.
Die eerste vier titels wat reeds vroeg in 2009 gepubliseer word:
· Repelsteeltjie
· Klein Duimpie
· Die Drie Varkies
· Gouelokkies en die Drie Beertjies.
Formaat:
· 195 mm x 130
· 32 bladsye
· Volkleur
Spesifikasies vir Illustrasies:
· Volkleur
· Eenvoudiger, helder, oop tekeninge
· Geskik vir aanvangslesers
· Teks en Illustrasie moet mekaar baie spesifiek ondersteun om beginlesers te ondersteun
· Enige Medium
· Omslag en titelblad nie ingesluit nie
Indien u belangstel om in aanmerking te kom vir hierdie projek, stuur asseblief een voorbeeldillustrasie gebaseer op enige van bogenoemde stories in lae resolusie jpeg na hierdie adres (talita@fantasi.co.za) teen Maandag 17 November op die laatste.
SA Pen Studzinski Literary Award
Circulated by SCBWI SA for SA PEN (http://www.sapen.co.za/)
- Any inquiries please e-mail SA PEN at rudebs@icon.co.za -
A call for entries
WRITE ! AFRICA WRITE !
PEN/STUDZINSKI LITERARY AWARD
Detailed rules and conditions for submission are available at http://www.sapen.co.za/, or e-mail SA PEN at rudebs@icon.co.za
Following the success of the HSBC/SA PEN Literary Awards, SA PEN announces a call for entries for the new PEN/STUDZINSKI Literary Award.
Writers from African and SADC countries are invited to submit original, previously unpublished, English-language SHORT STORIES
The best entries will be selected by an editorial board for inclusion in a book to be published next year, under the working title “NEW WRITING FROM AFRICA”
Three prize winners will be selected by
Nobel Laureate J M Coetzee
Prizes, given by John Studzinski, will be awarded:
£5 000, £3 000 and £2 000
Rules for submission of entries:
Entrants must be citizens of an African or SADC* country.
Stories, on any subject, must be in English; length should be 2 500 to 5 000 words.
Entries must be previously unpublished. More than one entry may be submitted.
Entries must be typed, in double spacing, on one side of A4 paper. Pages must be numbered and securely fastened together. Three copies must be submitted.
No name or address should appear on the typescript, but each page must carry the title of the story. The identity of authors will not be revealed to judges.
A covering letter with the name, e-mail & postal address, contact numbers, and photocopy of the ID of the entrant (as proof of citizenship) must be included. Entrants may currently reside outside of Africa.
Submission of entries implies adherence to all rules and conditions of this award, including that of copyright.
Closing date: 30th September 2008
Send your entry to: PEN/STUDZINSKI Literary Award, P O Box 30327, Tokai, 7966, Republic of South Africa. Fax and e-mail entries will not be accepted.
*SADC COUNTRIES
Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
A website to visit regularly!
BOOKCHAT
An independent, non-profit website that seeks to promote South African children’s literature.
This is achieved by:
- A growing database aimed to include all indigenous children’s books (so far containing details of more than 2 200 books) with search facilities;
- News of local children’s book events;
- Details of South African children’s book awards;
- Lists of recommended books in different age groups and categories;
- “Thoughts by Jay” – a new feature containing a monthly essay by Jay Heale on an aspect of our local youth literature scene. Accessible on http://www.bookchat.co.za/
With kind premission from Jay the “Thoughts by Jay” article was reprinted from Bookchat website
Thoughts on
BOOK AWARDS AND PRIZES
By Jay Heale
Quite rightly, at the AGM of IBBY SA in August, attention was drawn to recent book awards in the field of children’s literature. Wendy Hartmann,
It was fitting that these book creators should receive an extra round of applause because there is precious little publicity concerning any of these book prizes. It’s like a pat on the back in the dark. What
Yes, we all know that Literacy is essential for our children – and apparently for our adult town councillors as well. But once they – young or old – possess the ability to read, only one thing is going to keep them reading: suitably relevant books created with quality. That means Literature.
There are two highly publicised international prizes for children’s literature. The longest established is the Hans Christian Andersen Award, presented by IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) biennially to an author and an illustrator for their whole body of work. It is often called “The Little Nobel Prize” and it confers a gold medal but no financial reward. The newer award is the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, administered by the Swedish Arts Council and “may be awarded to authors, illustrators, narrators and/or promoters of reading whose work reflects the spirit of Astrid Lindgren”. The prize is worth about US$ 790,000.
We can be proud that South African authors and illustrators (and even a few book promoters like Biblionef) have been nominated for both these awards. Our work in this field is definitely of sufficient quality. Why haven’t we had a sniff at either of them? I think it’s because something is missing in this country – a national award that says clearly “South African considers that quality children’s literature is important”. Mark you, if cabinet ministers are as good at reading as town councillors, that’s hardly surprising.
UK has the highly publicised Carnegie awards; the USA trumpets aloud the Newbery winners; in Canada there is an annual Governor General’s Prize for the best Canadian children’s book of the year. What interest does the South African government take in the national children’s literature? None.
Joy Cowley is a popular and successful children’s author in New Zealand. Here are a few of the recognitions she has received: Commemoration Medal for services to New Zealand; Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to children’s literature; A W Reed Award for Contribution to New Zealand Literature; Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. There is an author who has been (justly) recognised for her contributions. There is no similar award on offer in South Africa.
Why can’t we have a President’s Book Award or a Minister’s Book Medal or a South African Children’s Book of the Year with money attached? Most of our few book awards are given by publishers. Praise to the new Exclusive Books IBBY SA Award (started last year) which does offer some money and a bit of useful publicity. But such a prize doesn’t do enough to raise the status of children’s literature in South Africa. That’s what I’m after – on behalf of the authors and illustrators (and translators) who work with such skill and dedication for so little recognition.
Is there anyone “up there” reading this?
Jay Heale – September 2008
Notes about translating
At the AGM meeting of IBBY SA (7 August), Wendy Hartman, (Author) and Marjorie van Heerden (Illustrator) of Nina and little Duck [2008 MER award - winning book] were invited to talk about their writing and illustrating the book. With them to talk about translating Nina and Little Duck into Afrikaans was Johann van Heerden.
Here are a few notes about translating Nina and little Duck [2008 MER award - winning book], the translator Dr Johann van Heerden gave the members of IBBY South Africa at their annual general meeting in Cape Town. The notes below were e-mailed to the IBBY SA chairperson after the AGM:
"A reminder: In the little 5-minuter I shared with members at IBBY SA‘s AGM on 7 August, I tried to underline five points: 1) My love of words - whether reading, writing or translating them; 2) The fact that I now find myself on permanent holiday, that my time is not for sale any more (at any price) and that this kind of translation (Nina and Little Duck) I do for the sheer pleasure of playing with words for the benefit of really young readers/listeners. And what that means... 3) The value of translated works, a) from foreign languages, like (for most of us in the room) Russian and b) from not-so-foreign languages (like English for most Afrikaans-speakers) and specifically for young (often still unilingual) kids to gain access to a gem like Nina en Eendjie in their mother tongue; 4) The stunning experience Uys Krige shared with me when he was confronted with translating Twelfth Night into Afrikaans and he sat down with sharpened pencil to be challenged with the opening line “If music be the food of love, play on”!; and 5) The two metaphors that haunt me every time I sit down to translate some author’s treasured words into another language:
The first (Cervantes: “...the reverse side of a tapestry...”) I find very applicable to the translation of prose, generally: Cervantes is telling us that (with the exception of Greek and Latin, whose classical beauty cannot be ruined by even a bad translation), the challenge to translators is to keep their finished product from looking like the reverse side of a Flemish tapestry, with its negative images and loose threads. "Pero con todo eso, me parece que el traducir de una lengua en otra, como no sea de las reinas de las lenguas, griega y latina, es como quien mira los tapices flamencos por el revés: que aunque se veen las figuras, son llenas de hilos que las escurecen, y no se veen con la lisura y tez de la haz." (Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra).
And the second (Bialik: “...kissing your bride through the veil...”) has more direct application to the little verses in Nina and Little Duck (and also those Bertolt Brecht songs I translated for my stagings of the two Parabelstücke years ago). Bialik stated that, “Reading the Bible, and more specifically the Psalms, in translation, is like kissing your bride through a veil.” He was really referring to the more poetic passages in the original languages of the Bible.
And then, to try and illustrate that feeling of kissing a beautiful woman through a veil, I read aloud Wendy’s originals and my translations of a couple of the Nina verses, the two at the end of the second story, Little Duck:
Tomorrow with a bit of luck,
I will be a yellow duck.
I will swim and I will quack,
I will waddle there and back.
Tomorrow with a bit of luck,
I will be a yellow duck.
Môre, voor die son opkom,
Wil ek uit dié dop uitkom.
Ek wil graag aan Mamma raak,
Waggel-swem en waggel-kwaak.
Môre, voor die son opkom,
Wil ek uit dié dop uitkom.
Tomorrow morning there will be,
Brand-new ducklings, one, two, three.
Tomorrow seems so far away,
I wish tomorrow were today.
Môre is daar nuwe eendjies,
Een, twee, drie, op waggelbeentjies.
Hoekom nog tot môre wag?
Ek wens so môre was vandag.
You the chairperson, Robin Malan) suggest “a few words about how you went about that particular bit of translation”. That’s tricky. In a case like this, a very sensitive little verse in the first person singular, for very sensitive young readers/listeners, my guiding light is to try and stay true to the character of the speaker. In the first verse above it is the little chick pecking a hole from inside the shell before emerging into the world. In the second the mother duck is impatient for her little ones to emerge. These are feelings and emotions the target audience is familiar with. I want them to tune in to the words, to enjoy them and hopefully, to remember some of them. Marjorie once wrote that the biggest compliment she could ever get is for some young reader to sleep with one of her books under his or her pillow. I think I would be thrilled if I heard a three-year old, impatient before Christmas or a birthday, quote those words, Hoekom nog tot môre wag? Ek wens so môre was vandag."
At the same meeting Marjorie van Heerden gave a 10 minute talk on illustrating Nina and little Duck.
The Mind of an Illustrator: illustrating Nina and Little Duck
(if you want to read what she said - click on the title)
2008 M-Net/Via Afrika Literary Award Winners and the Katrina Harris awards
- The M.E.R Prize for best illustrated children’s book – Nina and Little Duck
- The M.E.R Prize for best youth novel – The Goblet Club
The M.E.R. Prize was established in 1983 and is awarded annually by M-Net and Via Afrika in two distinct categories. A prize is awarded to the best illustrated children’s book and another to the best youth novel published during the previous year. The only condition is that the books must be aimed at younger readers and that the authors and illustrators must be South African citizens. The award is named after MER (Mimie E. Rothmann 1875-1975), for her groundbreaking work in the field of children’s literature. No distinction is made between English and Afrikaans books.
For more information about the awards, see: http://news.book.co.za/blog/2008/06/15/2008-m-net-and-via-afrika-award-winners/
Nina and Little Duck -
The M.E.R Prize for best illustrated children’s book was awarded to Wendy Hartmann (author) and Marjorie van Heerden (illustrator) for Nina and Little Duck published by Human & Rousseau (SA) in 2007 (also available in Afrikaans as Nina en Eendjie).
Nina, Simon, and Mr and Mrs Rajah, together with their cat and dog, all live on a quaint little street where shops and houses are built right next door to each other. Mr and Mrs Rajah own a shop on this street. Their house is part of the shop. Next to it is an entrance to the garden where they store a few things. It is charming, just the kind of place a duck would love to make a nest. Nina and Simon spend a lot of time playing close to Mr and Mrs Rajah’s house and shop. They often stop for a chat and sometimes go into the garden to play games. Little Duck also spends a lot of time in the street and around the shop. After a long search, she recently moved into the Rajah’s garden to raise her family. And this is where the adventures of Little Duck and her ducklings, Max, Molly and Martin really start. The text is supported by humorous and charming rhymes and illustrations that warm the heart and tickle the tummy.
Nina and Little Duck (English) - ISBN 978-0-7981-4824-5
Nina en Eendjie (Afrikaans) - ISBN 978-0-7981-4825-2
Written by Wendy Hartmann and Illustrated by Marjorie van Heerden
Published by Human & Rousseau Publishers (SA) [Aug 2007]
Format (soft cover): 280mm x 215mm; 64 pages
Readership: Toddlers, Read aloud & New Readers
Copies can be ordered from: http://www.kalahari.net/ or orders@onthedot.co.za
For more information about Wendy, see her websites:
http://www.wendy-hartmann.blogspot.com/
http://www.childlit.org.za/scbwi2006/03/INDEX.HTM
For more information about Marjorie, see her websites:
http://www.grafikon.co.za/
http://marjorie-van-heerden.blogspot.com/
http://marjorie-books.blogspot.com/
The Goblet Club - The M.E.R Prize for best youth novel was awarded to S.A. Partridge for The Goblet Club published by Human & Rousseau (SA) in 2007.
The Goblet Club is a Gothic novel in the tradition of the highly successful Harry Potter series, but with distinctly South African features and set in a mysterious boarding school somewhere on the South African platteland. When Mark is sent to St Matthew's College for Boys, it is one more punishment for years of bad behaviour. The school has a reputation for knocking boys like him into shape, run with an iron fist by the sinister headmaster, Mr Crabtree. As soon as he arrives, Mark enters a sinister world of questions: what is Mr Crabtree's secret, and why does he have a miserable sixteen-year-old secretary? Are his new friends who they say are? Mark sets out to find answers, with his friends, Trent, Vlad and Francis. Together, they are the Goblet Club, dedicated to the study of poisons. They begin to use their potions to rid the school of a plague of rats, but as Mark is drawn deeper in, their thoughts turn to murder…
The Goblet Club - ISBN: 9780798148788
Written by S.A. Partridge
Published by Human & Rousseau Publishers (SA) [Oct 2007]
Format (soft cover): 213mm x 137mm; 144 pages
Copies can be ordered from: http://www.kalahari.net/ or orders@onthedot.co.za;
For more information about Sally-Ann, see her websites:
http://sapartridge.book.co.za/
http://www.nb.co.za/listing/partridge/4573/
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Katrina Harris award
Katrina Harris, 1914 -1978 The Katrina Harries Award was for many years the only Children’s book award for illustration in
About the award:
The Katrine Harries Award for Children's Book Illustrations honours the work of a South African illustrator for a book published in the preceding two years. The illustrator must be a permanent South African citizen. The prize is named after the well-known South African artist Katrina Harris who won the first two awards in 1974 and 1976. Since 1998 the award has been managed by Unisa's Children's Literature Research Unit (CLRU). The award consists of a gold medal and is awarded biennially. (For more about Katrina Harris – see at the end of this e-mail.)
At a ceremony held at the
The 1999-2001, 2002-2003 and 2004-5 awards went to
The 2007 award went to Emily Bornoff for Prinses van die Afrikavlaktes Lapa (2006).
Breakdown
1999-2001
Eervol vermeld:
Jude Daly vir The Star-Bearer. Frances Lincoln. (2001)
Fiona Moodie vir Noko and the Night Monster. Frances Lincoln. (2001)
Niki Daly vir Fly, eagle, fly! Tafelberg. (2000)
Niki Daly, Jamela’s dress. Tafelberg. (1999)
2002-2003
Eervol vermeld
Niki Daly vir One round moon. Songololo (2003).
2004-2005
Eervol vermeld
Natalie Hinrichsen vir Roep die maan (Tell the moon). Tafelberg (2005)
Tamsin Hinrichsen vir We want tails (Ons soek sterte). Tafelberg. (2005)
Vian Oelofsen vir Hou vas, Seekoei H&R. (2005) en My sussie se tande. Lapa. (2004)
Emily Bornhoff vir Maroelaboomstories. Lapa. (2005)
2006-2007
Emily Bornhoff ir Prinses van die Afrikavlaktes. Lapa. (2006)
Eervol vermeld
Joan Rankin vir Theo die biblioteekkat; Theo en die sirkus; Theo en die kattekwaad. Lapa. (2007)
Shayle Bester vir The Cool Nguni. Jacana. (2007); Three friends and a taxi. Jacana. (2007)
Flip Hattingh vir My oupa Hoenders. Tafelberg. (2007)
Marna Hattingh vir Leander en Louise (Tiger and Louise). Tafelberg. (2007)
Fiona Moodie vir Fynbos feëtjies. Umuzi (2007)
***********************
Katrina Harris
Katrina was born in
As an illustrator of outstanding talent and sensitivity Katrina Harries made an important contribution to the raising of the standards of book production in
Her work as an independent draughtsman on paper, etching plate or lithographic stone is as importance as her book illustrations. Her drawings and graphic works have from the beginning been held in high regard by all true art lovers and earned her a Merit Award of the Cape Tercentenary Foundation and a Medal of Honour of the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns. Katrina Harries was a quietly courageous, modest, somewhat reserved person, completely honest and highly critical of herself and of her own work. In the Michaelis School of Fine Art she established a department of graphic art which, under her gentle but firm guidance, developed into one of the strongest and soundest departments of that School. Quite a few of our established children’s book illustrators were lucky to have been students of her… Paddy Bouma, Joan Rankin and Marjorie van Heerden. Her influence can bee seen in their work.
A blog with South African book reviews
A blog with South African book reviews and information by Lona Gericke. http://www.sa-books.blogspot.com/
This blog is an initiative by SCBWI SA
Lona Gericke has had a passion for children’s books her whole life and has been involved with Children’s books and libraries for over 38 years as librarian and book selector. She has twice had the honour of being elected as a member of the H.C.Andersen Jury to judge writing and illustration; and also judges books for awards in South Africa,and writes reviews and articles for the IBBY SA Newsletter and for the Cape Librarian. She regularly presents talks and workshops on Children’s literature.She runs a Born to read programme for babies every Wednesday morning in Bellville library, for the past 9 years.
Book reviews on Bookchat
Once upon a time there was a magazine about South African children’s books. It was called Bookchat and it survived for 21 years. Now, after a respectful rest, it has returned in wraith-like format as a website: http://www.bookchat.co.za/ Jay Heale’s intention as editor is the same: to provide information and due praise for South African children’s literature. There are reviews and recommended lists and contacts to publishers and bookshops. The site is updated monthly, with such features as a “Book of the Month”, news from the book world and so on. A new feature is the SACBIP database (of South African children’s books in print) which is intended, eventually, to hold full details of all our books. The English language books were put in first – about 1 600 of them and growing! At the moment, Jay is busy with the books available in Xhosa. As many entries as possible include details of the plot, theme, setting, etc. Various search facilities are available.
Members of SCBWI are, of course, welcome to visit the Bookchat site and the database. All for free! If Jay has missed out a precious book of yours, then please tell him so. He hopes that local publishers keep him up to date with the latest publications – but you know what publishers are like! Happy writing and illustrating to you all!
You will find Jay’s contact details on his website
About Jay Heale:
Jay is the author of many books for children and about children’s literature. He was one of the founder members of the South African Children’s Book Forum (SACBF) which is now IBBY SA. For eight years he served on the Jury of IBBY’s Hans Christian Andersen Award, http://www.ibby.org/index.php?id=273, first as a jury member and then as president of that jury. He was the organiser of the 2004 IBBY Congress in