Publishers Weekly devoted one of its main reports on the 2025 Sharjah Publisher’s Conference reports to African publishing. Publisher’s Weekly is the leading magazine for the US publishing industry, so this attention on African publishing is important to highlight.

Sharjah had a striking energy this year. More than a thousand professionals from over a hundred countries gathered for three days of hands-on workshops and networking. The workshops focused on real problems facing publishers today, from metadata issues in French-language African markets to how small presses can approach rights sales with confidence.

African publishers stood out in this environment. Many came ready to exchange ideas and think through new ways to strengthen regional networks. The PW piece highlighted the session led by our Editor in Chief, Dr. Ainehi Edoro, titled “Inside the African Literary Market: What Global Publishers Need to Know,” as well as insights shared by the Executive Director of Lagos-based Narrative Landscape Eghosa Imasuen. The conversation brought together publishers, editors, and rights managers from several regions and showed how African publishers are responding to challenges while building strong local readerships.

Enjoy some of our favorite quotes from the piece and read the full article here.

On Shifting Reader Attitudes

“It was once chic to say, ‘I don’t read Nigerian books,’ but now nobody says that anymore. Now it is chic to read Nigerian books and proclaim, ‘I don’t read American books.’”

On the Power of Local First Publishing

“Publishers in Africa now say, ‘I write for the local market. I am not trying to publish that book that is going to be bought in the US or Europe. I write for Nigerians, and I write for Kenyans.’ That has really made the quality of the storytelling so much better.”

On Piracy and Market Pressures

“The bestselling title in Narrative Landscape’s history has been Making It Big, an autobiography by Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola. The book sold forty five thousand copies, yet before publication seven counterfeit titles appeared on Amazon Kindle, followed by forty six more versions, including unauthorized French translations.”

On Cross Border Collaboration and Rights Sharing

“Other African publishers give us a license, then we will produce locally. We are beginning to share rights and establish an equatorial band of partnerships across east and central Africa.”

On Linguistic Diversity and Global Perception

“The perception exists internationally that we are tethered to the UK and the US. It is important to remember that there are significant French, Lusophone, and Hispanophone publishers, along with many indigenous languages and literatures, all of which are underrepresented internationally.”

On Financial and Legal Infrastructure

“A new financial infrastructure now facilitates a boom in trade across the continent, supported by the African Continental Free Trade Area and the Pan African Payment System, which enables direct transfers without SWIFT.”