What is African culture without books? In the words of renowned writer Prof David Maillu, “The book industry is highly threatened by the system, and the system is the government and the government is ourselves.” A panel discussion during the Nairobi International Book Fair brought together authors and book lovers to discuss the future of reading and writing. 

“Sometimes you wake up and feel like you have a story to tell,” said author Tony Mochama. According to him, creativity comes from tragic seasons of life. It is when you are going through a lot of challenges that the most inspiring stories come up. He said kids from well-off families normally lack nothing and therefore have no strife within them; the struggling individuals are the ones who come out to write great stories and move audiences.

A famous rumour claims that the best way to hide information from an African is to put it in books. But is this really true? Do we as individuals shun reading books? Prof Maillu describes the situation as a responsibility not only for individuals but also writers. He believes that writers should write books that not only interest readers but also that the reader can relate to. People currently read books to get information, to be entertained, and to share knowledge, he said. This means that a reading culture can be developed.

“After people are done with school, no one reads, yet we are competing with communities, other countries, and even colonial masters whose culture is reading,” pointed out Maillu. In the session moderated by voice-over artist Diana Wangari, Maillu bemoaned the fact that many bars and churches were being opened but never a library. “The systems are failing us and no one talks about it,” he said, and posed the question: “What happens when a community stops reading?”

When that happens, the writing is poor and individuals become less knowledgeable; to keep themselves busy, they will engage in harmful activities like taking drugs, drinking alcohol and engaging in crime. Mochama recommended that people use their free time, which includes travelling on public transport, to read because daily life is so full of distractions that getting time to read is next to impossible. 

“We should foster a reading culture from an early age,” Mochama said. “The famous saying is true—it is easy to forge iron when it is still hot. Young kids have better opportunities and have a lot of time to not only read books but also mould their minds to think and create things. Books have a way to put a thought into an individual’s mind and turn that thought into a reality that can help them and change them. Imagine all the truths that are revealed in books that talk about a country's systems or leaders. It goes without saying that the Generation Z was able to speak out on issues affecting the country and were confident in their actions because they have read about the norms of the country, they have seen for themselves and can finally relate to set books that they read back in school.”

The discussions centred on the youthful generation and the fact that it is yearning for information, as times have shown that everyone needs to be updated to avoid making the mistakes that our forefathers made when they were colonised and made to think that they couldn’t think on their own or make sane decisions. 

Guests in the audience were in agreement with the famous authors that a reading culture could only be fostered if there was promotion and awareness of books. Social media platforms have continuously helped convey information; if only they could also help in promotion of books, then the lazy generation of individuals who waste time on social media amid brain-rot would not exist.

Adipo Sidang, a Kenyan author, related to the fact that most young people today need a platform to air their voices and what happens is that when they feel left out or neglected, they create their own voice. According to him, this is not entirely a bad thing because what saved most writers in the past was creating their own voices and not being afraid to be controversial or vulgar. Most publishers today try to shrink the voice of a person, so sometimes looking for your own platform might actually help not only to grow but also pass information.

Edith Temba is a correspondent for Books in Africa. Email: editemba5@gmail.com