Contemporary African Literature and Publishing: African Independent Publishers and Book Stores

"Cassava Republic Press was founded in Abuja, Nigeria, 2006 with the aim of bringing high quality fiction and non-fiction for adults and children alike to a global audience. Our mission is to change the way we all think about African writing. We think that contemporary African prose should be rooted in African experience in all its diversity, whether set in filthy-yet-sexy megacities such as Lagos or Kinshasa, in little-known communities outside of Bahia, in the recent past or indeed the near future."

"We are an independent initiative with the mission to publish and disseminate innovative knowledge on Africa to strengthen the understanding of humanity. Our aim is to promote a broader understanding of Africa and its people by providing a platform for authors to express new, alternative and daring perspectives and views on people, places, events, and issues shaping our world. We engage authors to go beyond existing realities to chart new terrains and domains of knowledge production."

"Masobe Books is an independent Nigerian publishing company. It was founded in 2018 by Nigerian author Othuke Ominiabohs and has since become one of the leading publishers of contemporary African writing on the continent."

"Jahazi Press is a Nairobi-based independent publisher of literary fiction and nonfiction by Kenyan authors. It was founded in 2020 by Ahmed Aidarus."

"Jonathan Ball Publishers was founded in 1976 to publish books of an independent character that enlighten and entertain. We publish a range of non-fiction titles and specialise in South African politics, current affairs, biography and history."

"Talking about publishing in Nigeria, you could say Ouida Books is one of the newest kids on the block. Our vision is to cater to the needs of readers who enjoy high quality fiction by authors like Bisi Adjapon, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, Nnamdi Ehirim, Helon Habila and Hadiza Isma El-Rufai."

"Modjaji Books is an independent feminist press that publishes southern African women writers. Modjaji Books fills a gap by providing a platform for serious and ground-breaking writing by new and established women writers with brave voices. We publish short stories, novels, memoirs, biography, poetry, essays, narrative non-fiction, reference books and relevant non-fiction."

"Swahili for ‘Read with Me’, SOMA NAMI is a woman-owned and run Pan-African bookstore and literary hub based in Nairobi, Kenya. Over the last three years, the bookstore has grown to become Kenya’s leading Pan-African bookstore offering a vast and eclectic selection of books from a wide range of genres".