Henry Chakava: publisher, Kenya (b. 1946, Vokoli)
Henry Chakava is an innovative, courageous and enterprising publisher who has devoted his life to the development of book publishing on the African continent. Following studies in literature and philosophy, he became editor and then managing editor of the Nairobi branch of Heinemann, a multinational publishing company. He was involved in the publication and promotion of many African writers who have become major internationally recognised authors, such as Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Chinua Achebe, Ali Mazrui, Okot P’Bitek, Meja Mwangi, Francis Imbuga and Marjorie Macgoye. He later took over the Kenyan branch of the company and transformed it into East African Educational Publishers with offices in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. When Heinemann stopped publishing their African writers series, Henry Chakava took up the East African list – something that has not happened elsewhere on the continent. Under his leadership, the company contributes enormously to the educational and cultural needs of the region, publishing leading writers and a notable range of children’s literature in local languages as well as English, and producing school and tertiary study textbooks on every subject from an African perspective.
Henry Chakava has taken serious risks in defence of freedom of expression and suffered assault by State agents. He published in local languages when this was considered subversive and has produced controversial books by authors who criticised the local governments. He has been at the forefront of publishing in African languages and has been instrumental in building up local readership, both important factors in the African context. For these achievements he was rewarded with the ‘Award for life-long contribution to African publishing’ by the Zimbabwe International Book Fair and with an honorary doctorate degree (D.Litt.) by the Oxford Brookes University.
Among his many contributions, he is the author of numerous articles and books related to publishing in Africa, has lectured widely on the African book industry, served on the editorial board of several magazines, is a founding jury member of the NOMA Award, founding member of the African Books Collective and the African Publishers Network, chairman and co-ordinator of Kenya’s National Book Week, founding chairman of Kenya’s National Book Development Council and of the East African Book Development Association, and director of Kenya’s Copyright Board.
This award honours Henry Chakava for his lifetime’s work in developing African publishing, for nurturing and promoting writers in a difficult context, for defying dictatorship in his own country, and for his major contribution to intellectual and cultural development in East Africa.
Henry Chakava
Book cover 'Coming to Birth'
Book cover 'Decollnising the Mind'
CV
www.eastafricanpublishers.com
