Fighting the western publishing hegemony

African publishers like Masobe Books standing up to the western publishing hegemony. That era when African writers mostly wrote and published immigrant fiction is fast fading. The stories published these days by Nigeria-based publishers center Nigerian voices and stories that reflect the Nigerian reality, and not predominantly narratives of exile and nostalgia in which Nigerians wrestle western hostilities and racism. 

It is heartening to see that rich variety of topics Nigerians are now exploring

It is not that those stories aren’t important; it is just that they aren’t our only stories. And it is heartening to see that rich variety of topics Nigerians are now exploring, and they do so because the gatekeeping of the past is fast crashing and they feel more confident, knowing that publishers like us at Masobe Books are ready and willing to publish their brilliant stories. There is power in centering our own voices, and as these voices continue to grow, they will place Africa at the forefront of global discourse—not as a continent defined by its struggles, but as one defined by its creativity, resilience, and innovation. In the future, the stories coming out of Africa will not just be about the continent—they will shape how the world views itself. This is the power of literature, and Africa will lead the way.

There is power in centering our own voices

This doesn’t come without major challenges though. We have faced push back from western publishers who seize the African rights of books by Nigerian/African authors. They refuse to sublicense them. But we remain unfazed; it doesn’t stop Nigerian publishers from fighting for our writers and bringing their books home to Nigerian readers, even if this means paying a premium or agreeing to restricted terms, such as retailing the copies the western publisher ships to Nigeria. What matters is that our writers are read by their people.