MBAASEM FOUNDATION AND GOLDEN BAOBAB HOLD A MASTER CLASS ON WRITING STORIES FOR CHILDREN

Accra, June 14, 2014 - On Saturday, 14th June, Mbaasem Foundation and Golden Baobab jointly held a Master Class on writing children's stories and young adult literature. The class, which took place on the premises of the African Women's Development Fund (AWDF) was taught by award-winning writer Mamle Wolo. Among the participants were past entrants of the pan-African Golden Baobab Prizes for African children's literature and members of Mbaasem's Women Writers Forum.

The Master Class began with the viewing of a short, creative music video. Mamle Wolo used this video to demonstrate some of the characteristics that children's books should have; humour, whimsy and quirky elements. She said: 'children have shorter attention spans than adults so you have to grab their attention very early on in a book and keep them interested in the story. Incorporating some of these elements will help you to achieve this.'

Wolo then led the class through 'the keepers and the throw-aways.' session in which participants shared the best and worst books from their childhood reading. Wolo's sessions were interspersed with comments from past Golden Baobab Prizes' judges as well as interviews she had conducted with children who were avid readers.

Writers were advised to decide on which subject they wished to focus on and write accordingly; 'Before starting any story, question your motives for writing, avoid writing stories that are preachy.' Participants were also urged to improve their language proficiency and their ability to manipulate sentence structures. Wolo stressed that writers have to read widely and make use of resources like dictionaries and thesauruses in order to develop their craft.

'Conduct a market research before you decide on what you want to write about. Read commentaries about books. Spend time with children and let them speak freely. Children like magic, scatology and I believe J.K Rowling had everything kids liked in her series, Harry Potter, that's why those books were so successful!' Wolo told participants.

Participants were taken through how to employ style, techniques, and literary devices and the process of constructing plots. Wolo advised: 'Your stories should have a pace. Think about them like a rhythm of a song. Also remember to keep the plots simple and direct so you don't confuse the reader. Children love humour and the whimsical. Their definitions of that include the unexpected, the silly, the scatological and the grotesque.'

After the Master Class, some participants shared some valuable information they had learnt from spending their day with Mamle Wolo.

'Style is not what you write, it's how you write. Dialogue is the sound byte, it makes the story semi-real.'

'For my writing to be as engaging as I want it to be, I need to research on the age group I seek to write on to ensure my works are successful.'

'Just because you are writing for children doesn't mean you should patronize them, they know and feel and think more than adults give them credit for.'

'I have learned that children's books should appeal to childlike humour and also I need not be afraid to develop my own style'

This Master Class on writing children's stories was supported by the African Women Development Fund and The Royal Bank.

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About Mbaasem Foundation
Mbaasem, founded in 2001, supports the development and sustainability of African women writers and their artistic output. Mbaasem does this through creating an enabling environment for women to write, tell and publish their stories. The organization promotes literacy, reading and writing, especially among children and the youth. Mbaasem's programs are designed to provide technical resources and facilities that support and enhance the creative processes of writers.

Mbaasem contact:
Ayesha Brobbey
Telephone number: 050 703 6111
Email: [email protected] website: www.mbaasem.net

About the Golden Baobab Prizes
The Golden Baobab Prizes for literature were established in July 2008 to inspire the creation of enthralling African children's stories by African writers. The Prizes invite entries of unpublished stories written by African citizens irrespective of age, race, or country of origin. The prizes have expanded to include The Golden Baobab Prizes for Illustrations to discover, nurture and celebrate African illustrators of children's stories and The Golden Baobab Lifetime Achievement in Children's Literature Award to honour deserving writers and illustrators who have contributed immensely to African children's literature. The Prizes are organized by Golden Baobab, a Ghana-based pan African social enterprise dedicated to supporting African writers and illustrators to create winning African children's books. The organization's Advisory Board includes renowned authors Ama Ata Aidoo and Maya Ajmera. Golden Baobab is proudly supported by The African Library Project.

For further information, photos or to arrange interviews, please contact: Nanama B. Acheampong via [email protected]

Tel: +233 505 298 941
Website: www.goldenbaobab.org