A new publishing partnership which aims to promote and support local writers and publishers in South Africa and help more people gain access to books has been announced, with ebooks and digital distribution key to its plans.
The partnership is between local association of independent publishers African Narratives (AFNA) and the Bookshop Association of South Africa (BASA). AFNA advisory board director David Robbins says the value of the partnership is obvious because it will result in a needed outlet for books written by people who are excluded from commercial publishing for reasons that include high publishing costs and the fact that many of them write on minority subjects.
“We met at the Indie Book Fair in March… what is so important for us and for I think the country is that these people (the Bookshop Association) comprise of black owned, small and medium bookshops and they are at the moment in excess of a hundred bookshops.” said Robbins on the phone to us.
“With regard to the technical side, we are going to use fairly sophisticated software programs and the importance of electronic books that people can read on their devices is huge… it’s massive.”added Robbins who also told us that they aim to make reading more accessible in South Africa.
BASA spokesperson Simon Mataboge describes working with AFNA as a huge potential to bring bring vibrancy in the book industry. Mataboge says the challenges of improving literacy in our country is not insurmountable and only needs cooperation of all role players.
Robbins says AFNA is also encouraging writers, small publishers and book publishers to embrace social media. “There is no reason why South African writers shouldn’t take advantage of the technologies that exist in support of literature when we read stories of school books ending up in dams.”
The Bookshop Association of South Africa also hopes that it’s 173 members will eventually supply stationery and books to schools in under-resourced urban and rural communities. Robbins says they cannot reveal the amount both organisations will invest in their shared projects as the agreement is currently still ‘’fairly loosely phrased’’. The two organisations will take joint proposals to relevant government agencies as soon as they sign a memorandum of understanding will be signed in May.
[Image – ANFA]
