The Grand Prix of Literary Associations (GPLA) began in 2013 in Cameroon. It was created with the help of Brasseries du Cameroun and supported by Castel Beer.
The GPLA are literary awards given in both English and French. Some awards are given based on suggestions from literary groups, especially in the Research and Belles-Lettres categories.
The competition is open to people worldwide, including authors and literary groups that submit their works to the Jury. In the 2016 edition (GPLA 2016), over 100 works were sent to the Jury by 69 groups from many different countries. Nine works were chosen as finalists, with three from Cameroon, two from Nigeria, and four from France/Morocco, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, and Chad.
Starting with the 2017 edition, books written in Spanish can also enter the competition, along with books in French and English, which were the only languages allowed before. Of the 124 books entered for the 2017 pre-selection, 16 were from Spanish-speaking countries. One of these books won an award in the Research category.
The prize also accepts books written in African languages. In the 2018 edition, a book written in Kikongo was chosen as a finalist.
The concept
According to GPLA rules, the Research and Belles-Lettres categories accept books published within 18 months before each edition starts. Books must be recommended to the Jury by literary groups or cultural clubs that focus on literature. Presort Commission readers, including some from the GPLA team and others from the two associations that won in the previous edition, read the pre-selected books and send a shortlist to the Jury. The Jury has at least nine members who choose two winners: one from the Research category and one from the Belles-Lettres category. An author who often enters these competitions can win up to three times, but a winner cannot enter the competition in the year after winning. Another GPLA rule allows books published by authors themselves without a publishing company, as long as they are supported by literary associations.
Other GPLA prizes
In addition to the prizes given for Research and Belles-Lettres, there is a Memory Grand Prix (Grand prix de la mémoire), which is awarded after a person has passed away to a well-known literary figure. The Grand Prix des Mécènes is given to recognize all of a writer's work. The Asso-Prize honors the efforts of an organization that works to promote literature.
In 2017, two other awards from the GPLA were added: the Tam-tam Short Story Prize and the Prix Nnanga Kon.
Rewards
The GPLA gives a reward of about $1,000 and more extensive media promotion to authors and works that win awards. The GPLA also organizes many literary events based on the winning works, such as the GPLA Essay Contest (Concours de Dissertation-GPAL) and the GPLA Student Day (Journée de l’Etudiant-GPAL), among others.
Report on the winners’ designation procedures
The GPLA Report on how winners are chosen is a document released every two or three years after the awards ceremony. This report provides clear information about the methods used by GPLA to ensure fairness. It helps avoid disputes about the winners and shows that the contest is conducted in a fair and unbiased way.