CANEX Book Factory Prize for Publishing in Africa winner announced at IATF2025 in Algeria

In Silence My Heart Speaks by Thobeka Yose, published by South Africa’s Karavan Press, has emerged winner of the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) Book Factory Prize for Publishing in Africa.

This was announced on Saturday, September 6, 2025 by Joy Nwamaka Chime, Associate Editor, Narrative Landscape Press, and  Programme Assistant, CANEX Book Factory Prize for Publishing in Africa, on behalf of the Chair of the Jury, Kenyan author and academic, Professor Egara Kabaji, during the 4th Intra Africa Trade Fair (IATF)2025 holding in Algiers, the capital of Algeria.

In Silence My Heart Speaks, which has, thus, won the $20, 000 prize money, was chosen from a short list of five works by a jury whose other members are New York Times best-selling publisher, Laville Lavette, and University of Algiers Professor, Dr Abdelaziz Boukenna.

The CANEX Book Factory Prize for Publishing in Africa recognizes and celebrates the publisher of the best work of fiction or non-fiction from Africa and is open to writers from all over the continent.

A project of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank)’s CANEX Book Factory and Narrative Landscape Press, the first winner of the prize was Female Fear Factory, written by Pumla Dineo Gqola and published by Cassava Republic in 2024.

Other works that made the short list from which the winning work was picked are No Pink in a Rainbow by Angel Patricks Amegbe, published by Masobe Books, Dear Zimi by Chiziterem Chijioke, published by Quramo Publishing, The Comrade’s Wife by Barbara Boswell, published by Jacana Media, and Broken: Not a Halal Love Story by Fatima Bala, published by Masobe Books.

These four other finalists are receiving $2000 each for their efforts, besides the medals of honour they all, also received at the highly anticipated award ceremony.

Chime, reading Professor Kabaji’s address earlier, had noted that more than 80 entries were received, from which they narrowed the entries to a long list of 10 works and, then, a short list of five, leading to the choice of the winning entry.

The CANEX Prize for Publishing in Africa, is part of the CANEX programme created by the Afreximbank to support Africa’s blossoming creative and cultural industries.

This year’s CANEX programme, with the theme, “One People, United in Culture, Creating for the World,” kicked off earlier the same day with the Vice President of Namibia, Her Excellency Lucia Witbooi, President and Chairman of the Board of Afreximbank, Professor Benedict Oramah and his wife, Mrs. Chinelo Oramah, and the Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat (AfCFTA), His Excellency Wamkele Mene, in attendance.

Also present were the Minister of Grand Bahama, The Hon. Ginger Maria Moxey, the first lady of Zimbabwe, Mrs. Auxillia C. Mnangagwa, the Minister of National Solidarity, Family, and Women’s Affairs, Dr. Soraya Mouloudji, who was also the host of the programme, legendary South African singer, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Nigerian movie sensation, Funke Akindele, Senator Ben Murray Bruce and other dignitaries.

There were speeches and a variety of pulsating drumming, dancing, singing, poetry and other exciting activities that showcased the boundless range of talents within Africa, and, indeed, the vibrancy of the youths of the continent.