• News & Events

    Our new 2011/12 catalogue can be be downloaded here.

    Click and download this months new titles here. Or sign up to receive these monthly notices via email here.

    ABC will be at the African Literature Association conference in Dallas during April.

About us

Mission Statement

African Books Collective, founded, owned and governed by African publishers, seeks to strengthen indigenous African publishing through collective action and to increase the visibility and accessibility of the wealth of African scholarship and culture.

Who we are

African Books Collective (ABC) is a non-profit Oxford-based, worldwide marketing and distribution outlet for over 1,000 titles from Africa - scholarly, literature and children's books. It is founded, owned and governed by a group of African publishers, and its participants are 124 independent and autonomous African publishers from 21 countries.

History

A group of African publishers met in 1985. This self-help initiative arose from the constraints publishers were experiencing in financing, marketing and distributing their books, and the dearth of African published materials in the North. Collectively, it would be possible to strengthen the economic base of independent  African publishers and meet the needs of Northern libraries and other book buyers. Operations began in 1989, after securing sufficient support from funding agencies. ABC has, over time, adapted itself to changing markets and methodologies, although its founding ethos and aims remain unchanged.

Organisation and Structure

ABC is a collective owned by its 17 founder publishers. The founder publishers elect a five-member Council of Management which meets annually. The Council of Management is responsible for setting the collective’s policies and for its representation in the wider book and publishing world, in government, NGO and cultural organizations, within and outside Africa. 

ABC is a UK-registered company limited by guarantee. It has two UK non-executive directors who are legally responsible for the company. ABC seeks to be profit making on behalf of its publishers, and is non-profit making on its own behalf.

The day-to-day running of the collective is from a secretariat in Oxford. The staff is responsible for implementing the policies set by the Council of Management.

For a list of staff and their responsibilities, click here

The Books

ABC stocks largely English language titles in 39 subject disciplines. Some 150 new titles are added each year. There is an emphasis on scholarly and academic books, literature, and general culture titles. There are a small number of children’s titles in Swahili, and some titles in French.

All titles are available for immediate supply: either through Print-on-Demand, or from a UK wholesale partner. All POD titles are available through Lightning Source Print-on-Demand wholesale channels.

The Publishers

The collective is open to autonomous and independent publishers, and ABC actively seeks suitable titles for distribution outside Africa. For more information about publisher participation, click here.

ABC Participating Publishers

Benin

  • Centre Panfricain de Prospective Sociale/Pan-African Social Prospects Centre, Porto-Novo

Botswana

Cameroon

Eritrea

  • HDRI Publishers, Asmara

Ethiopia

The Gambia

  • Educational Services, Serekunda

Ghana

  • Afram Publications (Ghana) Ltd., Accra
  • Africa Christian Press, Accra
  • Association of African Universities Press
  • Blackmask, Accra
  • Freedom Publications, Accra
  • Ghana Universities Press, Accra
  • Sankofa Educational Publishers, Accra
  • Sedco Publishing, Accra
  • SEM Financial Training Centre Ltd., Accra
  • Sub-Saharan Publishers, Accra
  • Third World Network – Africa, Accra
  • Woeli Publishing Services, Accra

Kenya

Lesotho

  • Institute of Southern African Studies, National University of Lesotho, Roma

Liberia

Malawi

  • Central Africana, Zomba
  • Chancellor College Publications, Zomba
  • E & V Publications, Blantyre
  • Imabili Indigenous Knowledge Publications, Zomba
  • Kachere Series, Zomba
  • WASI (Writers Advisory Services International), Zomba

Mali Republic

  • Editions Yeelen

Mauritius

  • Editions VIZAVI, Port Louis

Morocco

  • Editions du Sirocco, Casablanca
  • Senso Unico Editions, Mohammedia

Namibia

  • Brookridge Publishing, Walvis Bay
  • Reader in Namibian Sociology, Windhoek
  • University of Namibia Press, Windhoek

Nigeria

  • African Heritage Press, Lagos
  • Apex Books, Lagos
  • The Book Company Ltd., Lagos
  • Compumetrics Solutions, Lagos
  • College Press Publishers, Ibadan
  • Concept Publishers, Oyo State
  • CSS Ltd, Lagos
  • Dokun Publishing House, Ibadan
  • Enicrownfit Publishers, Ibadan
  • Fourth Dimension Publishing Co. Ltd., Enugu
  • Handel Books, Eastern Nigeria
  • Heinemann Educational Books (Nigeria) plc, Ibadan
  • Humanities Publishers, Ibadan
  • Ibadan Cultural Studies Group, Ibadan
  • Ibadan University Press, Ibadan
  • Kemuela Publications, Port Harcourt
  • Kraft Books, Lagos
  • Maiyati Chambers, Lagos
  • Malthouse Press Ltd., Lagos
  • Manila Publishers Company, Abuja
  • New Horn Press, Ibadan
  • Niyi Osundare, Ibadan
  • Obafemi Awolowo University Press, Ile Ife
  • Onyoma Research Publications, Port Harcourt
  • Opon Ifa Readers, Lagos
  • Saros International Publishers, Port Harcourt
  • Spectrum Books Ltd., Ibadan
  • Statco Publishers, Lagos
  • University of Lagos Press, Lagos
  • University Press Ltd., Ibadan
  • Urhobo Historical Society, New York & Lagos
  • West African Book Publishers, Ltd, Lagos
  • Women’s Heath & Action Research, Benin City
  • Yintab Books, Lagos

Senegal

Sierra Leone

  • PenPoint Publishers, Freetown 

South Africa

Swaziland

  • Academic Publishers, Mbabane
  • JAN Publishing Centre, Mbabane
  • TTI Publishing Ltd, Mbabane

Tanzania

  • Centre for Energy, Environment, Science & Technology (CEEST), Dar es Salaam
  • Dar es Salaam University Press, Dar es Salaam
  • E & D Ltd., Dar es Salaam
  • Mkuki na Nyota Publishers, Dar es Salaam
  • Tanzania Publishing House, Dar es Salaam

Uganda

Zambia

  • Bookworld Publishers, Lusaka
  • Image Publishers, Lusaka
  • The Lembani Trust, Zambia, Lusaka
  • Multimedia Zambia, Lusaka
  • University of Zambia Press (UNZA Press), Lusaka
  • Zambia Women Writers Association, Lusaka

Zimbabwe

Document Actions