Another copyright ‘modernization’ battle appears to be shaping up–not unlike the protracted crisis in Canada–as the IPA raises concerns over a new bill.
South Africa’s Snapplify and Econet Wireless Announce Partnership for Digital Reading in Africa
With more than 240,000 titles, the South African ed-tech company Snapplify is working with communications provider Econet to make ebooks available to more African readers.
PEN Afrikaans Translation Fund Is Open, Two Deadlines This Year
Established in June 2017, the new PEN Afrikaans Translation Fund supports international publishers who successfully apply for grants to fund translation of Afrikaans works into other languages.
In South Africa, Jacana Media’s New Imprint Invests in Diverse, Local Fiction
To counter the dominance of international fiction in South Africa, Jacana Media’s imprint Storied is raising money to publish and promote diverse, local fiction authors.
In an Economic Crunch, South African Readers Turn to Used Book Stores
From the VOA: Amid tough economic times in South Africa, consumers are supporting a growing number of used book stores, avoiding new-book prices.
South Africa’s Feminist Press Modjaji Books Turns 10: ‘Needs and Issues’
Struck by ‘the gatekeeping that keeps women’s writing out of sight,’ Colleen Higgs started Modjaji Books a decade ago in Cape Town.
African Book Trust Raise Funds for South Africa’s Library Collections
With a goal of getting South African authors’ work to the country’s readers, the African Book Trust is working to donate bookjs to library collections.
South Africa’s Exclusive Books Customers Move to Canada’s Kobo
In another deal that expands its international reach, Canada’s Kobo is taking on the ebook customers of South African bookseller Exclusive Books.
South Africa’s Bridge Books: ‘To Link Publishers With Readers’
As in parts of the world, distribution challenges loom large in Johannesburg for the book business. Bookseller Griffin Shea sees the need for a ‘metaphorical bridge.’
South Africa’s Lidudumalingani Wins Caine Prize
Honored for a short story that ‘leaves the reader full of sympathy and wonder at the plight of its protagonists,’ the Cape Town-based LIdudumalingali says he’s interested in seeing that we ‘not try to lie to ourselves.’