Africa Rising

African authors and publishers are eager to make the 21st century the era of “Africa Rising.”

With a land mass bigger than China, India, the continental U.S., and most of Europe put together, the African continent is immensely rich in natural resources. And though it remains the world’s poorest continent, Africa has seen dramatic economic growth over the past decade. From the Sahara to the Cape of Good Hope, from Senegal to Somalia, Africans are eager to make the 21st century the era of “Africa Rising.”

In Nairobi, Kenya, on June 14 and 15, the International Publishers Association will welcome hundreds of delegates for a seminar program that aims to advance development of African publishing and to highlight achievements in literature, education, and freedom of expression.

“Educational publishing, being the mainstay of most African publishers, requires support with relevant legislation to ensure that it thrives,” Lawrence Njagi, chair of the Kenya Publisher Association, told Publishing Perspectives.

“Trade publishing require urgent promotion to ensure that Africans read for genuine acquisition of knowledge, for entertainment, and for keeping abreast of world happenings,” Ngagi said. “A lot of Africans, unfortunately, read only to pass examinations. This can only be reversed if we make available and promote more trade and general books.”

Njagi is managing director of Mountain Top Publishers and director of the National Book Development Council of Kenya. He spoke recently with CCC’s Chris Kenneally from Naioribi.