Karina Author, Book, Prize

Official press release: “Karavan Press bags Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) Book Factory Prize for Publishing in Africa 2025”

Karavan Press was recognised for its book In Silence My Heart Speaks by Thobeka Yose, winning the $20,000 top prize

ALGIERS, Algeria, September 9, 2025/APO Group/ — Karavan Press, an independent publisher based in Cape Town, South Africa is the winner of the 2025 edition of the CANEX Book Factory Prize for Publishing in Africa that celebrates and recognises outstanding contributions of African publishers and authors to the literary world.

Karavan Press was recognised for its book In Silence My Heart Speaks by Thobeka Yose, winning the $20,000 top prize. The Prize was presented by Algeria’s Minister of Culture and Arts Azzedine Mihoubi during an award ceremony held during the ongoing Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 (IATF2025) in Algiers. Finalists received $2,000 each.

The Prize is a joint initiative of the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX), an intervention by African Export–Import Bank (Afreximbank) in partnership with Narrative Landscape Press Limited. It aims to showcase the literary and publishing value chain in Africa and developing literary talent across the continent and the Diaspora.

Continue reading: “Karavan Press bags Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) Book Factory Prize for Publishing in Africa 2025”

Karina Author, Book, Prize

CANEX Prize for Publishing in Africa shortlist announced!

The shortlist for the CANEX Prize for Publishing in Africa — honouring the publishers who bring bold, brilliant African stories to the world — has been announced and we are thrilled that Thobeka Yose’s In Silence My Heart Speaks is among the selected titles. Congratulations to all shortlisted authors and publishers!

Thobeka, literary love and gratitude for the grace, courage and compassion with which you have shared your story with readers!


Meet all five unforgettable books chosen by the judging panel, chaired by Prof. Egara Kabaji:
 
• ‘No Pink in a Rainbow’ by Angel Patricks Amegbe, published by Masobe Books – A profound meditation on loss and the enduring power of quiet love, beautifully crafted both in prose and in print.
• ‘Dear Zimi’ by Chiziterem Chijioke, published by Quramo Publishing – A tender, courageous story of motherhood and resilience, positioning Chijioke as a significant voice in contemporary African literature.
• ‘The Comrade’s Wife’ by Barbara Boswell, published by Jacana Media – A bold, emotionally honest narrative that confronts personal and political betrayal in post-apartheid South Africa with feminist clarity.
• ‘Broken: Not a Halal Love Story’ by Fatima Bala, published by Masobe Books – A moving exploration of faith, identity, and forbidden love, balancing personal truth with spiritual devotion.
• ‘In Silence My Heart Speaks’ by Thobeka Yose, published by Karavan Press – A luminous memoir tackling mental health, abuse, betrayal, and sexual identity with honesty and defiance.
 
The winner will be revealed at CANEX@IATF2025 in Algiers, Algeria (4–10 September 2025) – the ultimate gathering for Africa’s creative industries.
 
Whether you’re a reader, writer, or culture lover, these books belong on your list.

Karina Author, Book, Prize

CANEX PRIZE FOR PUBLISHING IN AFRICA LONGLIST features IN SILENCE MY HEART SPEAKS by THOBEKA YOSE

To say that we are thrilled would be the understatement of the year … In Silence My Heart Speaks by Thobeka Yose (Karavan Press, 2024) is among the longlisted titles for the CANEX Prize for Publishing in Africa.

Congratulations to all other publishers and books! We are honoured and proud to feature on this wonderful list.

Congratulations, Thobeka! Literary love and gratitude to you! Thank you for publishing your brave and inspiring story with Karavan Press.