“This place called Africa. You think you know it. You have learned about it in school. You have come across stories about it in the media. Perhaps, you have visited the place or better still live there and so you feel that you really know it. It is not until you pick up a book that you realize that you probably do not know this place called Africa — its many countries and peoples, its multitudes of languages and experiences, its overwhelming diversity and vibrancy — as well as you think you do. And that is the beauty and joy of reading African Literature — the constant discovery.”
—Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu, author of The Theory of Flight and The History of Man
We started #ReadingAfrica Week in 2017 as an annual celebration of African literature. Each year, during the first full week of December (this year December 4-10), we ask book-lovers of all kinds to use the hashtags #ReadingAfrica or #ReadingAfricaWeek across social media on posts that spotlight African literature.
We started this campaign to bring attention to writers who are doing diverse and genre-spanning work from every corner of the African continent. And because we’re an indie publisher, we really wanted to spotlight all of the great things our colleagues in the indie publishing world are doing to bring these voices to more readers. Our first year was small: we reached out to just a few presses and asked them to use the hashtag on their social media posts to spotlight new books, old favorites, upcoming releases, and gems from their catalogs to show people the diversity of African literature.
From that first campaign, to 2022— our sixth year— the campaign has only grown in scope and reach. We’ve included events, and we’ve had participants from four continents, spanning fields and organizations such as libraries, schools, publishers, writers and more. Last year also marked the first #ReadingAfrica playlist, curated by a member of acclaimed Afro-funk band, Sinkane.
Each year, we find ourselves overwhelmed by the support of readers and publishers from around the globe, each eager to celebrate African literature. Africa is a place with incalculable stories to tell, and our goal each year is to prioritize African voices, spark conversation, and to resist the flattening of a place with limitless possibilities.
The easiest way to join us is to the hashtags across social media, but you can also create a booklist, spotlight an author, create a video, write about the event, focus on a publisher— the possibilities are endless!
#ReadingAfricaWeek 2022 Events/Activities
- Spotlight a different genre every day of the week with our #ReadingAfrica challenge cards. Download here
- Attend one of our three live events
- Have a listen to our #ReadingAfrica playlist
- #ReadingAfrica Sale. Save 30% on every book in our catalog when you buy from our site. Use the code READING at checkout
