Hans M Zell
Hans Zell has been author, editor, and publisher on African topics for over five decades, and has written extensively on many aspects of publishing and book development in Africa. In addition to a substantial number of articles published in journals, he is also the author of several books, training manuals, and African studies reference resources. He was the founder of the quarterly bibliographic and book trade journal The African Book Publishing Record, which started in 1975 and which he edited until 2002. In a part-time capacity, he was the Senior Consultant to African Books Collective Ltd from 1986 to 1995, and between 1979 and 1995 also acted as the Secretary to the Managing Committee of the Noma Award for Publishing in Africa.
Phone: +44-(0)1520 722951
Address: Glais Bheinn, Lochcarron, Wester Ross
IV54 8YB, Scotland, UK
Phone: +44-(0)1520 722951
Address: Glais Bheinn, Lochcarron, Wester Ross
IV54 8YB, Scotland, UK
less
InterestsView All (16)
Uploads
Sadly, on the evidence of this investigation at least, some of these major, mostly high-level action plans have yet to be implemented, for reasons this writer has been unable to establish for the most part. In some cases, it would appear that a number of the projects have been quietly dropped, and enquiries about their current status did not elicit a response.
Publishing of scholarly journals has changed quite dramatically in recent years, transformed by digitisation, consolidation and, above all, by the dominance of the leading citation indexes such as Elsevier’s Scopus and the Web of Science, among others. A large number of African scholarly journals are still excluded from these indexes, on the grounds that they are not fully meeting their criteria for inclusion. With scholarly reputation nowadays increasingly measured by these journal rankings, and their ‘impact factors’, this has inevitably created an uneven playing field. It is now widely recognized that academic journals in the developing world face many challenges in becoming known and respected in the international research landscape. Many journals in Africa struggle to achieve visibility amid the now highly professionalized journals environment elsewhere in the world. At the same time, most are poorly funded/supported by their parent organizations, and this has led to a hugely fragile environment for indigenous research publishing. While researchers in Africa face equal pressure to publish as their colleagues elsewhere, they often lack, do not have access to, or are not aware of appropriate resources or support networks that could assist them to improve their skills and publishing know-how.
This paper sets out some of the background to the current (2023) picture: the sources, directories and platforms for African journals, the frameworks for assessing publishing practices and standards, the leading citation indexes, and the resources for academic journal editors and publishers in Africa that might assist them to enhance their publishing operations. With a select literature review.
This is an inventory of these journals, with details of their publishing history (year first published and date ceased, where known), their editors, a summary of contents, together with links to articles or profiles about them, where available. It lists a total of 82 African-published, principally literary magazines, of which 41 are still published today, in print or digital form, or both; or which are recently launched new magazines. Also included are scholarly journals on African literature and African literary history.
Many of the journals listed have ceased publication a long time ago, while those still going face numerous challenges and constraints, but on the evidence of this inventory it can be said that publishing of literary journals and magazines in Africa is still full of energy—and is alive and well.
The first in a series of profiles of ‘Women in African Publishing and the Book Trade’ appeared in The African Book Publishing Record volume 47, issue 1, 2021, and was well received. It profiled a group of women who have made notable achievements and impacts on the book sector in Africa: in publishing and the book trade, in different roles and positions. A kind of mini Who’s Who, the profiles are intended to be a showcase of the variety, richness and energy of women involved in book publishing and the book trade in Africa today, as well as some of the women who have made significant contributions to the African book sector in the past.
The initial series of profiles focussed on 24 women in publishing in nine countries in English-speaking sub-Saharan Africa. Series II presents a further series of profiles of 28 women breaking the mould in African publishing – currently and in the past – in eight countries in anglophone Africa, and one in Mozambique. In Series II the scope has been extended to profile not only women actively engaged in book publishing and the book sector in Africa (as directors or heads of publishing companies or book trade organizations, or in senior management positions), but now also including a number of women/academics involved in publishing education and training, and who have written extensively, and eloquently, about many aspects of publishing and book history in Africa.
The pre-print version of Series I of Women in African Publishing (2021) remains freely accessible at https://www.academia.edu/44277446/Women_in_African_Publishing_and_the_Book_Trade_A_Series_of_Profiles.
Nigerian university presses operating today seem to be far removed from the ideals and primary responsibility of a university press, which should be to produce and disseminate knowledge of all kinds, and promoting a literate culture upon which the foundation of the university as a national institution must ultimately rest. Partly due to financial constraints and the demand to be self-sustained, many university presses have ceased to be publishing presses and have become printing presses. University administrators now view their presses as an opportunity for making money in times of dwindling resources, rather than as an outlet for the dissemination of scholarship.
Publishing opportunities for African scholars by Western presses, and the availability of content within Africa, remains limited. The demise, and the now almost total lack of publishing output by Nigerian university presses, with most of them currently dormant or disbanded, can be said to be a major contributory factor to this unhappy situation.
A two-part Appendix offers a select, critically annotated bibliography of scholarly publishing in Nigeria, and in other parts of Africa.
It has been pointed out from time to time that, for African publishers, a web presence is perhaps not as vital for marketing and promotion – and generating sales – as it may be for other publishers in the countries of the North; and that some African publishers may well have other priorities, strategies, and needs at this time. That is true to some extent. However, it is also a fact that a good number of African publishers have realized that a web presence is now absolutely vital for them, if not necessarily to generate sales alone, but above all for visibility of their publishing activities, and, perhaps most importantly, visibility for their authors. Equally, in terms of global reach, and in today’s digital world, a web presence is essential for any book industry organization.
Publishers’ associations in Africa are in need of a higher profile. They will want to become more proactive, more visible in shaping policies and identifying needs; and publishers and book trade associations should be driving research, data gathering, and developing training programmes for the African book professions. It could be argued that this is even more important now when, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the book industries everywhere are facing hugely difficult and uncertain times.
A ‘Further reading’ section offers details of a small number of earlier studies and articles about women in publishing in Africa.
Academic libraries in Africa have had to adapt new technologies in order to satisfy today’s user expectations. Yet at the same time university libraries in Africa have been battling with declining budgets, and serious and chronic underfunding for over three decades now.
Amidst all the digital euphoria, and the constant proliferation of electronic information sources, a number of common myths and misconceptions have emerged, especially so among students. One misconception is that all information is available online, on the Internet, whether free or from fee-based services, and that most of the information anyone requires nowadays for study and research can be tracked down by Google searches or other search engines. The second misconception is that traditional print resources are now largely obsolete and need no longer be consulted in research; and visits to the library are no longer required. This is fallacious thinking on several counts.
There have been a good number of studies on reading preferences, and access and use of print vs. electronic resources at African university institutions. Their findings tend to vary among different disciplines, but most seem to indicate that both undergraduates and graduate students still expect a mixture of print and electronic resources to meet their information needs.
This discussion document argues that digital resources have not, and cannot, completely replace physical information resources. At the majority of academic institutions in Africa – and indeed those elsewhere – students and scholars will continue to need access to both digital and traditional print materials, in the foreseeable future at least.
Records are grouped under a range of regional/country and topic-specific headings. The literature review covers books, chapters in books and edited collections, journal articles, Internet documents and reports, theses and dissertations, interviews, audio/video recordings, podcasts, as well as a number of blog postings.
The Guest Essay in this edition, “African Books Collective: 30 Years of Providing Visibility for African Books in the Global Market Place”, has been contributed by Justin Cox, CEO, African Books Collective, the worldwide marketing and distribution organization for books from Africa that is celebrating its 30th year of trading in 2020.
This update seeks to provide a broad round-up of the current situation of the book industry in Africa today (primarily that in English-speaking sub-Saharan Africa), together with a brief review of the work and activities of the various organizations and associations that have been supportive of African publishing over the years.
Part One examines the persistent failure of African governments to support their book industries in a tangible and positive fashion, and their lack of support of public libraries. I review the current status of book development councils in Africa, and the unsatisfactory progress that has been made in establishing national book policies; examine the challenges of generating book industry data; and look at the opportunities now available to African publishers by the new digital environment.
In Part Two I offer a number of reflections and recommendations on the way forward, particularly as it relates to capacity and skills building, training for book industry personnel, strengthening book professional associations, South-South linkages and knowledge sharing, encouraging international collaboration, the need for ongoing research and documentation, as well as issues as they relate to African books in the global market place, and the important but neglected area of publishing in African indigenous languages.
The literature review covers books, chapters in books and edited collections, journal articles, Internet documents and reports, theses and dissertations, interviews, audio/video recordings, podcasts, as well as a number of blog postings.
Starting with the 2018 edition it now also includes a ‘Guest essay’ feature preceding the literature survey. The first contribution is Richard Crabbe’s ‘Revitalizing the Book Chain for National and International Cooperation’, his keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 16th Ghana International Book Fair on 30 August 2018, an eloquent and timely address, and which at the same time offers a succinct summing-up of the state of publishing and the book sector in Africa today.
It is true that reliable figures of book publishing output for the continent of Africa do not exist at the present time, with the exception of a very small number of countries, notably South Africa and Morocco. Meantime the state of African national bibliographies, which can form the groundwork of book industry data, presents a picture of neglect for the most part, with many national bibliographies seriously in arrears, currently dormant, or having ceased publication altogether. Only a small number are accessible in digital formats.
Book publishing data and book production statistics are important elements in measuring the growth and vitality of indigenous publishing in any part of the world. In the absence of such data for most of the African continent, there is a need for research, analysis, documentation, and systematic gathering of current, reliable data and statistics on the whole book sector in Africa. However, there are huge challenges and complexities in the goal of collecting data for book industry surveys, which must not be underestimated. Many questions will need to be asked: for example, how is data going to be collected and analysed; what will be the parameters; and what are going to be the sources and the methods? Who should be responsible for undertaking the research and the compilation of such book industry data; and, crucially, who is going to fund the research and the data gathering process on a systematic and ongoing basis?
Collecting book industry data is closely interrelated with the publication of national bibliographies and, in addition to examining the issues and challenges relating to the creation of book industry statistics, this paper also provides an analysis of the current state of national bibliographies in Africa, as well as linked matters such as legal deposit legislation, and compliance of legal deposit. Most national libraries and bibliographic agencies in Africa continue to operate under severe constraints, and have been chronically underfunded by their governments for the past four decades or more. An analysis of the current status of African national bibliographies sadly presents a dismal picture.
It is unlikely that reliable data for the African book industries can be collected and published without the input and full cooperation of national libraries or bibliographic agencies. There is equally an urgent need for much more active collaboration and interaction between the agencies producing national bibliographies with publishers and book trade associations in each African country.
Any attempts to revive the fortunes of African national libraries, and the resumption of publication of high quality and timely national bibliographies, will amount to a formidable task. This paper offers a range of suggestions and recommendations how the situation might be addressed and improved, but also points out that regular compilation of a national bibliography, and effective maintenance of legal deposit, necessitates adequate staff in terms of both numbers and expertise, which is not the case at this time.
Following an introductory overview of current publishing in African languages – and a discussion of its many barriers to success – it lists a total of 170 records, covering the literature (in English) published since the 1970s and through to early 2018. Fully annotated and/or with abstracts, it includes books, chapters in books and edited collections, reports, journal articles, Internet documents, theses and dissertations, as well as a number of blog postings.
As is evident from the literature survey, the topic of publishing in African languages still amounts to a relatively modest body of literature, although it has been growing in recent years. There have been a good number of significant, indeed even ground-breaking studies and investigations about multilingual publishing in Africa, but the literature review also demonstrates that many African countries are still poorly served in terms of research on publishing in indigenous languages.
The literature review covers books, chapters in books and edited collections, journal articles, Internet documents and reports, theses and dissertations, interviews, audio/video recordings and podcasts, as well as a number of blog postings. Records are grouped under a range of regional/country and topic-specific headings.
Sadly, on the evidence of this investigation at least, some of these major, mostly high-level action plans have yet to be implemented, for reasons this writer has been unable to establish for the most part. In some cases, it would appear that a number of the projects have been quietly dropped, and enquiries about their current status did not elicit a response.
Publishing of scholarly journals has changed quite dramatically in recent years, transformed by digitisation, consolidation and, above all, by the dominance of the leading citation indexes such as Elsevier’s Scopus and the Web of Science, among others. A large number of African scholarly journals are still excluded from these indexes, on the grounds that they are not fully meeting their criteria for inclusion. With scholarly reputation nowadays increasingly measured by these journal rankings, and their ‘impact factors’, this has inevitably created an uneven playing field. It is now widely recognized that academic journals in the developing world face many challenges in becoming known and respected in the international research landscape. Many journals in Africa struggle to achieve visibility amid the now highly professionalized journals environment elsewhere in the world. At the same time, most are poorly funded/supported by their parent organizations, and this has led to a hugely fragile environment for indigenous research publishing. While researchers in Africa face equal pressure to publish as their colleagues elsewhere, they often lack, do not have access to, or are not aware of appropriate resources or support networks that could assist them to improve their skills and publishing know-how.
This paper sets out some of the background to the current (2023) picture: the sources, directories and platforms for African journals, the frameworks for assessing publishing practices and standards, the leading citation indexes, and the resources for academic journal editors and publishers in Africa that might assist them to enhance their publishing operations. With a select literature review.
This is an inventory of these journals, with details of their publishing history (year first published and date ceased, where known), their editors, a summary of contents, together with links to articles or profiles about them, where available. It lists a total of 82 African-published, principally literary magazines, of which 41 are still published today, in print or digital form, or both; or which are recently launched new magazines. Also included are scholarly journals on African literature and African literary history.
Many of the journals listed have ceased publication a long time ago, while those still going face numerous challenges and constraints, but on the evidence of this inventory it can be said that publishing of literary journals and magazines in Africa is still full of energy—and is alive and well.
The first in a series of profiles of ‘Women in African Publishing and the Book Trade’ appeared in The African Book Publishing Record volume 47, issue 1, 2021, and was well received. It profiled a group of women who have made notable achievements and impacts on the book sector in Africa: in publishing and the book trade, in different roles and positions. A kind of mini Who’s Who, the profiles are intended to be a showcase of the variety, richness and energy of women involved in book publishing and the book trade in Africa today, as well as some of the women who have made significant contributions to the African book sector in the past.
The initial series of profiles focussed on 24 women in publishing in nine countries in English-speaking sub-Saharan Africa. Series II presents a further series of profiles of 28 women breaking the mould in African publishing – currently and in the past – in eight countries in anglophone Africa, and one in Mozambique. In Series II the scope has been extended to profile not only women actively engaged in book publishing and the book sector in Africa (as directors or heads of publishing companies or book trade organizations, or in senior management positions), but now also including a number of women/academics involved in publishing education and training, and who have written extensively, and eloquently, about many aspects of publishing and book history in Africa.
The pre-print version of Series I of Women in African Publishing (2021) remains freely accessible at https://www.academia.edu/44277446/Women_in_African_Publishing_and_the_Book_Trade_A_Series_of_Profiles.
Nigerian university presses operating today seem to be far removed from the ideals and primary responsibility of a university press, which should be to produce and disseminate knowledge of all kinds, and promoting a literate culture upon which the foundation of the university as a national institution must ultimately rest. Partly due to financial constraints and the demand to be self-sustained, many university presses have ceased to be publishing presses and have become printing presses. University administrators now view their presses as an opportunity for making money in times of dwindling resources, rather than as an outlet for the dissemination of scholarship.
Publishing opportunities for African scholars by Western presses, and the availability of content within Africa, remains limited. The demise, and the now almost total lack of publishing output by Nigerian university presses, with most of them currently dormant or disbanded, can be said to be a major contributory factor to this unhappy situation.
A two-part Appendix offers a select, critically annotated bibliography of scholarly publishing in Nigeria, and in other parts of Africa.
It has been pointed out from time to time that, for African publishers, a web presence is perhaps not as vital for marketing and promotion – and generating sales – as it may be for other publishers in the countries of the North; and that some African publishers may well have other priorities, strategies, and needs at this time. That is true to some extent. However, it is also a fact that a good number of African publishers have realized that a web presence is now absolutely vital for them, if not necessarily to generate sales alone, but above all for visibility of their publishing activities, and, perhaps most importantly, visibility for their authors. Equally, in terms of global reach, and in today’s digital world, a web presence is essential for any book industry organization.
Publishers’ associations in Africa are in need of a higher profile. They will want to become more proactive, more visible in shaping policies and identifying needs; and publishers and book trade associations should be driving research, data gathering, and developing training programmes for the African book professions. It could be argued that this is even more important now when, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the book industries everywhere are facing hugely difficult and uncertain times.
A ‘Further reading’ section offers details of a small number of earlier studies and articles about women in publishing in Africa.
Academic libraries in Africa have had to adapt new technologies in order to satisfy today’s user expectations. Yet at the same time university libraries in Africa have been battling with declining budgets, and serious and chronic underfunding for over three decades now.
Amidst all the digital euphoria, and the constant proliferation of electronic information sources, a number of common myths and misconceptions have emerged, especially so among students. One misconception is that all information is available online, on the Internet, whether free or from fee-based services, and that most of the information anyone requires nowadays for study and research can be tracked down by Google searches or other search engines. The second misconception is that traditional print resources are now largely obsolete and need no longer be consulted in research; and visits to the library are no longer required. This is fallacious thinking on several counts.
There have been a good number of studies on reading preferences, and access and use of print vs. electronic resources at African university institutions. Their findings tend to vary among different disciplines, but most seem to indicate that both undergraduates and graduate students still expect a mixture of print and electronic resources to meet their information needs.
This discussion document argues that digital resources have not, and cannot, completely replace physical information resources. At the majority of academic institutions in Africa – and indeed those elsewhere – students and scholars will continue to need access to both digital and traditional print materials, in the foreseeable future at least.
Records are grouped under a range of regional/country and topic-specific headings. The literature review covers books, chapters in books and edited collections, journal articles, Internet documents and reports, theses and dissertations, interviews, audio/video recordings, podcasts, as well as a number of blog postings.
The Guest Essay in this edition, “African Books Collective: 30 Years of Providing Visibility for African Books in the Global Market Place”, has been contributed by Justin Cox, CEO, African Books Collective, the worldwide marketing and distribution organization for books from Africa that is celebrating its 30th year of trading in 2020.
This update seeks to provide a broad round-up of the current situation of the book industry in Africa today (primarily that in English-speaking sub-Saharan Africa), together with a brief review of the work and activities of the various organizations and associations that have been supportive of African publishing over the years.
Part One examines the persistent failure of African governments to support their book industries in a tangible and positive fashion, and their lack of support of public libraries. I review the current status of book development councils in Africa, and the unsatisfactory progress that has been made in establishing national book policies; examine the challenges of generating book industry data; and look at the opportunities now available to African publishers by the new digital environment.
In Part Two I offer a number of reflections and recommendations on the way forward, particularly as it relates to capacity and skills building, training for book industry personnel, strengthening book professional associations, South-South linkages and knowledge sharing, encouraging international collaboration, the need for ongoing research and documentation, as well as issues as they relate to African books in the global market place, and the important but neglected area of publishing in African indigenous languages.
The literature review covers books, chapters in books and edited collections, journal articles, Internet documents and reports, theses and dissertations, interviews, audio/video recordings, podcasts, as well as a number of blog postings.
Starting with the 2018 edition it now also includes a ‘Guest essay’ feature preceding the literature survey. The first contribution is Richard Crabbe’s ‘Revitalizing the Book Chain for National and International Cooperation’, his keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 16th Ghana International Book Fair on 30 August 2018, an eloquent and timely address, and which at the same time offers a succinct summing-up of the state of publishing and the book sector in Africa today.
It is true that reliable figures of book publishing output for the continent of Africa do not exist at the present time, with the exception of a very small number of countries, notably South Africa and Morocco. Meantime the state of African national bibliographies, which can form the groundwork of book industry data, presents a picture of neglect for the most part, with many national bibliographies seriously in arrears, currently dormant, or having ceased publication altogether. Only a small number are accessible in digital formats.
Book publishing data and book production statistics are important elements in measuring the growth and vitality of indigenous publishing in any part of the world. In the absence of such data for most of the African continent, there is a need for research, analysis, documentation, and systematic gathering of current, reliable data and statistics on the whole book sector in Africa. However, there are huge challenges and complexities in the goal of collecting data for book industry surveys, which must not be underestimated. Many questions will need to be asked: for example, how is data going to be collected and analysed; what will be the parameters; and what are going to be the sources and the methods? Who should be responsible for undertaking the research and the compilation of such book industry data; and, crucially, who is going to fund the research and the data gathering process on a systematic and ongoing basis?
Collecting book industry data is closely interrelated with the publication of national bibliographies and, in addition to examining the issues and challenges relating to the creation of book industry statistics, this paper also provides an analysis of the current state of national bibliographies in Africa, as well as linked matters such as legal deposit legislation, and compliance of legal deposit. Most national libraries and bibliographic agencies in Africa continue to operate under severe constraints, and have been chronically underfunded by their governments for the past four decades or more. An analysis of the current status of African national bibliographies sadly presents a dismal picture.
It is unlikely that reliable data for the African book industries can be collected and published without the input and full cooperation of national libraries or bibliographic agencies. There is equally an urgent need for much more active collaboration and interaction between the agencies producing national bibliographies with publishers and book trade associations in each African country.
Any attempts to revive the fortunes of African national libraries, and the resumption of publication of high quality and timely national bibliographies, will amount to a formidable task. This paper offers a range of suggestions and recommendations how the situation might be addressed and improved, but also points out that regular compilation of a national bibliography, and effective maintenance of legal deposit, necessitates adequate staff in terms of both numbers and expertise, which is not the case at this time.
Following an introductory overview of current publishing in African languages – and a discussion of its many barriers to success – it lists a total of 170 records, covering the literature (in English) published since the 1970s and through to early 2018. Fully annotated and/or with abstracts, it includes books, chapters in books and edited collections, reports, journal articles, Internet documents, theses and dissertations, as well as a number of blog postings.
As is evident from the literature survey, the topic of publishing in African languages still amounts to a relatively modest body of literature, although it has been growing in recent years. There have been a good number of significant, indeed even ground-breaking studies and investigations about multilingual publishing in Africa, but the literature review also demonstrates that many African countries are still poorly served in terms of research on publishing in indigenous languages.
The literature review covers books, chapters in books and edited collections, journal articles, Internet documents and reports, theses and dissertations, interviews, audio/video recordings and podcasts, as well as a number of blog postings. Records are grouped under a range of regional/country and topic-specific headings.