If youāre a literary buff raving about, say, āNervous Conditionsā by Tsitsi Dangarembga, you can grab a used copy for less than the cost of a latte in the UKābut good luck finding it in Zimbabwe, where the author actually lives. Why are African authorsā books so painfully rare on the continent they call home, despite the global hype?
The Author's plight in Africa really hits home for me as I've finished my first novel manuscript since 2020 during the pandemic but haven't published yet for the reasons you outlined in this article. Who knows, maybe I'll finally publish before 2030 (a good decade after completing the manuscript) when I see the market is favourable for it.. until then, I'mma just be keeping it under lock and key and waiting for the tides to change š
Didn't look at it from that POV of missing out on critical voices but you are very much correct... The African landscape doesn't favour divergent and fresh voices and so we have become quite stale and this has to change for us to fully tap into our enormous potential
As for my book, thanks. I hope I publish before then as well š„°
The Author's plight in Africa really hits home for me as I've finished my first novel manuscript since 2020 during the pandemic but haven't published yet for the reasons you outlined in this article. Who knows, maybe I'll finally publish before 2030 (a good decade after completing the manuscript) when I see the market is favourable for it.. until then, I'mma just be keeping it under lock and key and waiting for the tides to change š
And unfortunately, that's how we miss our on crucial voices and perspectives, though we hope you can get it out before 2030! Best of luck!!
Didn't look at it from that POV of missing out on critical voices but you are very much correct... The African landscape doesn't favour divergent and fresh voices and so we have become quite stale and this has to change for us to fully tap into our enormous potential
As for my book, thanks. I hope I publish before then as well š„°