The Kenya Publishers Association partnered with Kisii University to host a successful regional book fair in Kisii, which concluded yesterday and brought together teachers, authors, book lovers, and various publishers, including Kenya Literature Bureau, Longhorn, and Story Moja.
Moran Publishers and Oxford University Press also participated in the fascinating exercise, which I mainly attended, with Kisii town traders and their children.
“This year’s book fair event in the region was unique because we included Tabaka soapstone carving stone, whose ancestral origin is only found in Kisii,” said Moran Publishers Executive Jacob Nzau.
He said that the main objective of the exhibition was to allow readers to have direct contact with books as they brought boos closure to them.
Story Moja Publishers Marketing supervisor Nahason Kabila said that the group’s broader interactive initiative with school children was aimed at encouraging them to embrace reading culture.
“We aim at the expansion of reading corners and creative writing workshops across the country to encourage a lifelong reading culture,” he said.
He asked teachers and parents to incorporate fun into their reading sessions with children to capture their interest and instil a passion for reading in young minds as they grow.
Danvers Mogaka from Hurricane Academy asked the convenor to empower groups and individuals at the village level to promote reading culture among children from low-income backgrounds who lack access to books.
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Dr Jacobo Bagaka of Kisii University advised teachers and parents to encourage their children, especially beginners, to start reading and writing books in their mother tongue as the primary entry point to advanced writing and reading.
He lamented the declining reading culture in the country and attributed it to the carefree attitude towards reading exhibited by adults.
Saying that reading is not meant for studying and passing examinations alone, Dr Tinega challenged the attendees to read one page of a book or a newspaper daily and told them to share it with a friend, who would then share it with another, to resuscitate literacy in the country.
During the five-day exhibition, the Kenya Publishers Association group led teachers and selected primary schools in the environs of Kisii town to plant 100 tree seedlings. They also encouraged heads of institutions to encourage children to be ambassadors of environmental conservation through active participation in the fight against climate change.
He encouraged them to plant indigenous trees and local fruits to increase food security in the region, as these are environmentally friendly.
By Enock Okong’o.
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