One area that most publishers in Africa say is growing rapidly is children’s books.
Laura Shonein, a Nigerian novelist and publisher of Weeda Books, is leading a project to train writers, agents, illustrators, editors and graphic designers in children’s book publishing.
The project, known as BookStorm, was born out of a trip she took to Kaduna in northern Nigeria in 2017. While reading picture books by Western authors to the children there, she said she noticed that the children were fidgety and clearly couldn’t relate to the experiences in the books.
Shonein, who has previously written children’s books, decided to write a series set in each of Nigeria’s 19 states in northern Nigeria. Millions of children there are out of school and quality picture books are hard to find. . Shonein, who is also the founder of the annual Ake Arts and Book Festival, also plans to publish 100 children’s books through Bookstorm by 2027.
“We’re arriving and we’re going to break out of the book market ourselves,” Shoin said.
Even as the industry grows, challenges remain. Inflation and increased taxes have a negative impact on the entire production process. The founders also lament that they don’t make enough money from sales or receive enough subsidies and subsidies to pay editors and hold events. Piracy means that books are easily shared for download on social media.
But the only way to resolve these constraints is for those working in the industry across Africa to stand in solidarity with each other and confront them together, said Dooku Festival’s Ngamije.
“We have to put our boots on the ground. We cannot resolve this struggle from elsewhere,” he said. “We’re going to need each other, and we’re going to have to support each other, embrace each other, represent each other, and hold space for each other.”
