African Books Collective: History and Key Facts

The African Books Collective (ABC) is a nonprofit distribution and marketing collective owned by African publishers. Founded in 1989 and based in Oxford, United Kingdom, it enables publishers from across the African continent to reach international markets with their scholarly, literary, and children's books. Different from books by foreign authors, indigenous publishing reflects the history and culture of a people through language, writing, and the arts.

In the 21st century, more than 150 African publishers participate in ABC as a self-sufficient social enterprise to solve the problem of invisibility and dependence on outside distributors. Among ABC's major goals are support for African writers and scholars who are publishing with indigenous African publishers and, in turn, to give African publishing a noticeable, independent presence in the global book world.

Source and attribution

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