The South African independent publishing house New Africa Books is named winner of the 2022 Bologna Prize for Children’s Publishers of the Year, Africa region.

The prize, in its tenth edition, is an initiative of Bologna Children’s Book Fair, the world’s leading professional fair for children’s books held annually since 1963 in Bologna, Italy. Held in collaboration with the Italian Publishers Association (AIE) and the International Publishers Association (IPA), the prize acknowledges and celebrates top publishers from each continent across the world.

Every year, publishers are invited to “nominate those publishing houses that have stood out in terms of their creativity, innovation, and the quality of their editorial choices.”

New Africa Books, which was the top pick for Africa region, is one of South Africa’s oldest and most prestigious independent publishing houses. Officially launched in 1999, the press is an incorporation of two small presses with the giant David Philip Press which has published works by Nardine Gordimer and Wole Soyinka. Among the authors and illustrators on their current client list are Mohale Mashigo, Nicolaas Maritz, and Thembinkosi.

The jurors praised New Africa Books’ focus on developing the cultural experiences of children:

“For Africa, the winner is New Africa Books, from South Africa, consisting of two publishing brands. New Africa Books publishes a catalogue of titles covering all the South African languages, and is particularly focused on the cultural development of children and young people. New Africa Books is a small publishing house that operates with a philosophy at odds with the model that pervades much of the South African industry: its aim is to find gaps in the book market and fill them with beautiful and meaningful works.”

Congratulations to New Africa Books.

Head to their website to view their impressive catalogue.