What is it about?
In 2018, the International Publishers Association [IPA] held the seminar, "Publishing for Sustainable Development: The role of publishers in Africa" in Lagos, Nigeria. Attended by the most prominent book industry practitioners, it was the IPA's first ever summit on African soil and so historic, it attracted the fascination of the local population who heard that it was happening, and the Nigerian media. On June 14th - 15th, in Nairobi, Kenya, IPA repeated the feat but doubled the size of the constellation of stars from Africa's book industry and the wider world. This conference was given the utopian title: "Africa Rising: Realising Africa's Potential as a Global Publishing Leader in the 21st century"
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Why is it important?
The event review and 3 interviews that make up this article, look at the African book industry from multiple view points. The content of the papers is extensive, zooming into the micro-picture with exciting case-studies (eg the piracy scandal which erupted between Jumia online retailer and Nigeria-based Book Craft Africa; the risks and dangers courted in South Africa as NB publishers produced Jacques Pauw's book: "The President's Keepers: Those keeping Zuma in Power and Out of Prison" ). Content reflects richly on the the bigger pictures impeded by inadequate government policies making and poor legislation for the publishing industry. If the baseline study of Africa's publishing landscape shows up serious deficits, [poor data gathering is one], the papers highlight the very real hope for the industry which the digital revolution is bringing and the promising collaboration with the International Publishers Association signalled by the 2 seminars and underscored by MoUs signed between the IPA and Association for the Development of Education in Africa [ADEA] and African Publishers Network [APNET]
Perspectives
Attending the 2 IPA Africa conferences in 2018 and 2019 were a joy. I found the panel discussions and Q & As sessions that followed, hugely rewarding to listen to. There was so much knowledge coming from the experts and importantly, passion. I felt their passion for the industry they were determined to keep building despite the obstacles. I felt their passion inspiring my own. The joy I derived from writing the Africa Rising review and conducting the 3 interviews [2 in situ and 1 as a follow up], confirmed my vocation as a book industry journalist.
Ms. Olatoun Kofoworola Gabi-Williams
Borders Literature for all Nations
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Notes and News, The African Book Publishing Record, September 2020, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1515/abpr-2020-0006.
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