PAWA selects jury for children's literature award

Accra, May 11, GNA - The Pan African Writers' Association (PAWA) has selected a 12-member jury to select the best African writer or illustrator of children's literature. The winner would be put up for consideration for the award of the Astrid Lindren Memorial Award, the world's largest prize for children's literature.

The award, with prize money of five million Swedish crowns, about 655,000 dollars, is the second largest literature prize in the world. A statement in Accra on Wednesday signed by Professor Atukwei Okai, Secretary-General of PAWA, said the jury would be under the chairmanship of Professor Kofi Anyidoho, a renowned Ghanaian poet, literary critic, writer and head of the English Department of the University of Ghana. Members are Mr Mamadou Traore Diop of Senegal, Ms Elieshi Lema of Tanzania, Mr Odia Ofeimum of Nigeria, Lisa Combrink of South Africa and Vincent Okunor, Prof. Ama Ata Aidoo and Winston Dawson, all Ghanaians. The rest are Prof. Justin Mintsa of Cameroon, Mr Mohammed S. Eid of Egypt, Dr Festus Iyayi of Nigeria and Getachew Bellete of Ethiopia. Prof. Atukwei Okai said submissions had been received in English, French, Amharic, Asante-Twi, Arabic and Swahili.

Prof. Anyidoho said the jury would handle the task in a manner that would make Africa proud.