Help African Children See Themselves In Storybooks

Dear Friends, 

In conjunction with IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) Ghana, The British Council, Accord Literary and African Bureau Stories, Golden Baobab organized a week-long Fiction and Illustration Workshop in Ghana for authors, editors and illustrators of African children and young adult books. The workshops were organized as part of the 2019 IBBY Africa Meeting, held this year in Accra, Ghana. The workshops were led by a remarkable group of facilitators whose experiences include winning the prestigious Hans Christian Anderson award to editing of the Harry Potter Series. The facilitators included Sarah Odedina, Editor and partner at Accord Literary, Sophie Hallam, Editor at Tiny Owl Publishing and world renowned illustrators: Roger Mello, Piet Grobler and Ken Wilson-Max. 

The focus of this unique partnership was to provide an opportunity for local and international writers, illustrators and editors to collaborate through practical one-on-one sessions and lecture style trainings. The workshops covered many themes including creating compelling fictional characters, building believable worlds in children’s stories and art, helping authors find their voice, and helping editors to know how to engage with writers and illustrators to bring the best out of their work. There were practical exercises to allow for a deeper level of participation and group feedback sessions to critique published content, as well as works created during the workshops.

We are grateful to our committed donors who give to our cause and support us to nurture the skills of talented African children’s writers and illustrators. Through such nurturing opportunities, we ensure more children’s content is created and enable the growth of the African children’s literary industry.

With Gratitude, 

Golden Baobab