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Henry Chakava: an annotated bibliography

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 December 2024

Hans M. Zell*
Affiliation:
Independent Researcher, UK
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Abstract

Henry Miyinzi Chakava (26 April 1946–8 March 2024), often described as ‘the godfather of book publishing in Africa’, started his early career at the Kenyan branch of Heinemann Educational Books, later to become the indigenously-owned East African Educational Publishers in Nairobi. He was Kenya’s first African book editor in 1972, at a time when there were still few books or educational materials published in African languages, and he devoted much his life to preserving and boosting the region’s languages. He was also a courageous and highly enterprising publisher who has made a massive and lasting contribution to indigenous publishing and the book trade in Africa. Henry Chakava has written extensively, perceptively, and eloquently on many topics as they relate to publishing and the book world in Africa, as is reflected in this annotated bibliography. Also included are a number of profiles, interviews, and obituaries.

Résumé

Résumé

Henri Miyinzi Chakava (26 avril 1946-8 mars 2024), souvent décrit comme « le parrain de l’édition du livre en Afrique », a débuté sa carrière dans l’antenne kenyane de Heinemann Educational Books, qui deviendra plus tard East African Educational Publishers, une société basée à Nairobi appartenant à des autochtones. Il fut le premier éditeur de livres africains au Kenya en 1972, époque à laquelle les livres et matériels pédagogiques publiés en langues africaines étaient rares. Il a consacré une grande partie de sa vie à préserver et à promouvoir les langues de la région. Éditeur courageux et entreprenant, il a contribué de façon considérable et durable à l’édition autochtone et au commerce du livre en Afrique. Henry Chakava a beaucoup écrit, avec perspicacité et éloquence, sur de nombreux sujets liés à l’édition et au monde du livre en Afrique, comme le reflète cette bibliographie annotée. Sont également inclus un certain nombre de profils, d’entretiens et de nécrologies.

Type
Journals and book publishing
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the International African Institute

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References

1 A substantial number of books and articles quoted in this annotated bibliography have been extracted from Publishing & Book Culture in Africa: a repository of selected resources. Third, updated and expanded edition 2024. © Hans Zell 2024, freely accessible at: https://www.hanszell.co.uk/repository.htm