With a total of $200,000 to be disbursed, the Africa Publishing Innovation Fund is seeking proposals from Africa-based entrepreneurs and innovators, particularly in publishing, with fresh, practical ideas “for projects to develop reading culture beyond the classroom in Africa.”
The Covid-19 pandemic was hard-hitting for publishers in the continent because several are primarily textbook presses and schools were closed. Now that it is clear that what seems to be the lifeblood of publishing in the continent could be crippled, how can we develop love for reading, which consequently will sustain and profit the publishing industry?
“[A] diversified book sector is good for publishing and its many satellite industries, which employ hundreds of thousands of people,” Bodour Al Qasimi, president of the International Publishers Association, said.
He continued, “This year’s Africa Publishing Innovation Fund challenge is especially exciting because it’s so far-reaching, and I’m hoping to see some really big ideas to get more Africans reaching for a book in their spare time.”
Al Qasimi formed the Fund with Tariq Al Gurg, the CEO of the philanthropic program Dubai Cares, in 2019.
“We at Dubai Cares are confident of the response that the fund will receive for this challenge, and we look forward to the impact this will have on the wider African community across all age groups,” Al Gurg said.
Invested with an endowment of $800,000, the fund is created to run for four years. It is administered by the International Publishers Association.
Proposals will be accepted until August 31, 2021.
Visit here to submit.
One Response
This is a very important funding opportunity I missed as a Burundian who is not pleased not to have any publishiong house in the country as a whole. For the next time I will unddoubtedly embark on this opportunity.
Thanks