Macmillan moves beyond education to literature

The launch of Picador Africa in South Africa early in May 2004 was heralded by one newspaper as most welcome and needed since Heinemann’s African Writers Series closed to new works in 2003. And indeed it is, if it proves itself to be a continent-wide initiative.

Initial press material from the Macmillan imprint suggested a strong South African focus with little African interest apart from two successful Zimbabwean writers. Yet Picador Africa seems willing to make a contribution to African writing, in its broadest sense. The launch in South African was suitably high-powered with Wally Mongane Serote as the guest speaker.

One of the most comprehensive collections of short stories from Africa, which continues to sell well, is a Picador title, and the imprint has the weight and the network of Macmillan’s African enterprises behind it. The company is represented in most Anglophone countries of sub-Saharan Africa, as well as Lusophone countries, but the emphasis of these businesses is educational publishing.

Among other African authors to be published in South Africa as part of the Picador Africa imprint are the Nigerian Chris Abani and Moses Isegawa from Uganda. Isegawa’s first novel, Abyssinian Chronicles is one of Africa’s 100 Best Books, and Picador Africa has secured African rights for his new book Snakepit, to be released early in 2005. Two new authors on the list are Lisa Fugard, daughter of the more famous Athol, and Professor Phillip Tobias, renown for his work in South African archaeology. Apart from new titles, old Ravan Press titles are being republished. One of the first will be Steve Biko’s I Write What I Like, which was published as part of the African Writers Series.

Tony Morris, sales director of PanMacmillan in South Africa, said: "A large part of our
focus will tend to be on memoirs and biographies and we hope to have many new authors ‘telling their story’. We do accept manuscripts and are creating links with some writing groups and award structures (e.g. the Macmillan Writers prize)." [Read earlier article on this prize]

It is part of the imprint’s plan to introduce new writers but "in order to remain commercial and viable we do need some established authors", says Morris. "Picador Africa is a commercial imprint and to keep the imprint alive we need to focus on works that will appeal to a broad-base of readers," he says.

"We are forging ties with relevant people throughout Africa (including via the Macmillan network of companies in African countries) and as the list expands we hope to include a diverse range of authors from various African countries," said Morris.

Picador Africa is to be launched in London in June 2004 to agents, writers and the media, from where the imprint intends attract some key players in the writing and publishing arenas as advisers and scouts.

As the imprint is based in South Africa the rights to its titles will be sold to UK and US publishers, which means these new titles may not necessarily appear in these markets under the Picador imprint.

To reach customers elsewhere in Africa Picador Africa will use Macmillan’s many bookstore customers throughout the continent and "will sell to and be in touch with these customers with a view to promoting the list in Africa", said Morris.

A range of these new and republished titles was presented by Picador at the London Book Fair in March 2004, and "the response was positive and beyond any expectations we had", said Morris.

This imprint is one of those initiatives that have not just arisen to fill the gap left by the African Writers Series, but has taken the process of African literature a step further by seeking to promote and develop the market for African literature within Africa, rather than exporting it to English language markets elsewhere in the world. It is off to a promising start and seems likely to provide a channel for prominent African writers to reach a broader market.