The Baobab Prize is an annual international literary award established to encourage the writing of African literature for a youth audience.  Its mission is to identify the African literary giants of the next generation and produce classic African stories that will be appreciated for years to come.

           WHY THE BAOBAB PRIZE? Many young people grow up with little knowledge about the African continent and its diverse peoples and cultures. The Baobab Prize  hopes to bridge this gap of knowledge by making excellent and enrapturing stories from Africa accessible to young people everywhere. The goal is to use these stories, told by African voices, to properly introduce Africa to future generations.  And specifically for young Africans, the Baobab Prize seeks to give them more than enough reason to feel a deep pride for their continent and a desire to pursue its betterment.

          The Baobab Prize initiative is spearheaded by a qualified team of educational personnel, writers, consultants and publishers. We have lofty dreams about the future of African literature: in ten years bookstores all over the world will be brimming with top quality African stories written for young people. It will happen.

         The 2009 Baobab Prize is made possible by funds provided by: The Global Fund for Children, The African Library Project, Bryn Mawr College and personal contributions of members of the Baobab Prize team.