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This year’s Reading Week has received exceptional enthusiasm, marked by the hosting of the 32nd National Book Festival in Dar es Salaam.
Explaining in detail, the Chief Executive Officer of a leading book-publishing company that also hosted the exhibition, Hermes Damian, said:
"During the early years after independence, Tanzania produced an extraordinary number of books. Within the first twenty-five years, the country published numerous titles, including several plays, which greatly contributed to the growth of Swahili literature,” he emphasized.
Mr. Hermes, who is also the chairman of the Publishers Association of Tanzania, noted that this momentum declined as many parents gradually reduced efforts to encourage a strong reading culture among children.
“In those years, our literary heroes did tremendous work - among them, Kezilahabi and others. We commend them for their commitment to writing extensively in the Swahili language.”
Tanzania’s literary history grew significantly in the 25 years following independence, driven in part by translation efforts by the Father of the Nation, the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, among other contributors
According to historical records, many Tanzanian writers had the potential to gain widespread popularity across Africa had they opted to write in English. However, they opted for Swahili to promote the language and strengthen local literature.
“There were many successful writers during those years who demonstrated remarkable patriotism by choosing Swahili. This decision helped build a strong foundation for writing and reading. Imagine a time when reading a book was considered stylish, prestigious, and even a mark of intelligence,” he added.
Although this culture appears to be fading, he said, there are still many individuals who take pride in reading and maintaining personal book collections, either in their offices or homes.
“Take a simple example: if you visit Prof. Kabudi’s office, you’ll see he owns a huge collection of books. There are many people with this same passion, and it inspires others,” he said with a light laugh.
Historically, the country has had various reading resources, including book labs in different areas owned either by the government or private individuals.
“Book labs are an important resource. They genuinely help society. When someone wants to learn quickly, a book lab is essential, it nurtures the culture of reading,” he insisted.
He added that although Tanzania now has millions of readers, many African countries continue to publish books without a clear national book agenda.
The number of books written by local authors and sold in the country remains lower than the number of foreign titles sold. He questioned why this imbalance persists and what needs to be done.
“We have a tendency to read more English books than Swahili ones. Many local readers are more attracted to books from America or Europe than those written in Swahili.”
He emphasized that as a nation, efforts must be directed toward boosting reading interest, beginning with active support from parents.
“We have countless billboards filled with different kinds of messages, yet it is rare to see campaigns promoting reading. We can change this, as a nation, through government support and citizen participation,” he said.
The 32nd International Book Reading Exhibition is scheduled to take place from November 21 to 26 at the National Library in Dar es Salaam
