In opening the second International Publishers Association Africa Seminar event in Kenya, IPA president Hugo Setzer quotes Desmond Tutu on ubuntu: ‘You can’t exist as a human being in isolation.’
Kenya Publishers Association’s Lawrence Njagi at Nairobi: ‘African Languages’
In a warm welcome to the ‘Africa Rising’ conference delegates in Nairobi, Kenya Publishers Association chair Lawrence Njagi warns that without more indigenous-language publishing, children could face losing some of their lingistic identity.
Kenya’s Tonee Ndungu of Kytabu: ‘Enriching Curriculum Content’
The challenge of building young readers in Kenya is being addressed by Kytabu, a platform not just for students but also for parents and ‘super schools.’
Nigerian Entrepreneurs Chidi and Chika Nwaogu: Monetizing Creative Content
Focusing on issues specific to African creators, Nwaogu twins built platform Publiseer to enable writers and musicians sell their content online.
Kenya’s Peter Kimani: When African Publishers ‘Lack Imagination’
A ‘lack of imagination on the part of publishers is hampering the development of a reading culture in Kenya,’ says the Kenyan author Peter Kimani.
Dora Salamba: Aspects of Piracy Facing Malawi’s Copyright Society
The head of Malawi’s copyright agency, Dora Salamba, says the public doesn’t understand the damages that piracy can do to rights holders.
Côte d’Ivoire’s Isabelle Kassi Fofana: Publishing’s Need for ‘Reliable Data’
‘We need a true national book policy that recognizes the importance of reliable data,’ Isabelle Kassi Fofana will tell the IPA’s Africa Seminar in Nairobi.
Quantifying Markets: Nielsen’s Andre Breedt on Industry Research in Africa
Currently, Nielsen Book tracks books sales data in one African country, but Andre Breedt says there are plans to expand sales tracking across the continent.
Nigeria’s Gbadega Adedapo: African Publishers’ Lagos Action Plan
At the Nairobi IPA Africa Seminar in June, Gbadega Adedapo will lead a discussion on the ‘Lagos Action Plan’–set in motion at last year’s Nigerian seminar.
Ama Dadson of Ghana’s AkooBooks on Audiobooks in Africa
Looking for publishers to share the costs of building audiobook inventory for Africa’s markets, AkooBooks founder Ama Dadson heads to Frankfurt in October.