Uganda Museum hosts Kampala book market
The monthly book market is taking place Saturday at the Uganda Museum. A number of publishers, authors and exhibitors will showcase their books for buyers. Books are sold on a 10 to 15 percent discount depending on the authors’ choice.
The Uganda Book Market aims to showcase Ugandan and African literature in all its genres: novels, drama, written poetry, performance poetry, short stories, oral literature, literary criticism, biographies and conversations on the reading and writing culture in the region.
Mr Wartson Atukwatse, the event organiser, says some of the prominent authors and publishers who attended the previous book market include, Kevin o’conor, Joseph Kabuleta, Mugabi Byenkya, Fountain Publishers, Longhorn Publishers among others.
Today, the expected authors are Mugabi Byenkya (Dear Philomena); Eunice Apio (Zura Maids); Kevin O'Connor (Insights into Uganda); Hope Babigumira (No Make-up On) Longhorn Publishers and Fountain publishers among others.
According to Atukwatse, the Kampala Book Market was also designed to increase visibility and accessibility of books on the market.
“And since most Ugandans are not so much into reading, he notes that the book market will increase the levels of love for reading among people, he said.
Isaac Kwizera the Sales Executive African Studies Bookstore says there will also be children authors like Cathy Kreutter, Mercy Ntangale and authors who write for young adults.
“Therefore, parents can bring their children and usher them into the world of literacy, he said.
Mr Atukwatse said that he aims at extending the services to other parts of the country so that literacy is promoted everywhere.
In 2016, FEMRITE, in partnership with the Centre for Culture and Development (CKU), carried out research on the market for Ugandan literature and discovered that Uganda is affected with poor book market, it people have a poor reading culture, and the country has few and inaccessible bookshops as well as lack of creative book selling initiatives.
Mr Atukwatse is confident that the Kampala Book Market initiative will put Ugandan and African literature out for people to read and appreciate.
The literary initiative was launched by the Uganda Society, FEMRITE - Uganda Women Writers Association and the African Studies Book Store in collaboration with Akira Digital, Lantern Meet of Poets and Writivism.
