It does pay to know the right people. This was made clearer on Monday, November 22 with a generous review of the latest Oxford dictionary by none other than the Daily Nation's chief sub editor Ng'ang'a Mbugua. Mr Mbugua, a writer and an award winning one at that, is also a columnist with the paper he chief subs. He has been very visible promoting self-publishing.
Here is his review:
Sukuma and Ugali find way into the dictionary
Should a dictionary be engrossing? Or as my former English teacher, Mrs Kabiru Kimemia, would ask: Ought a dictionary be engrossing?
Well, that is the question that came to mind when I got a copy of the latest edition of the Advanced Learner’s Dictionary which is now in its 8th edition.
Ideally, or so we were taught, one only picked up a dictionary when one encountered a difficult word. And a dictionary was not a book one lingered with.
A quick thumbing as one silently recited the alphabet (I used to start at I, J,K,L), searching for the first letter of the word, a quick slide of the index finger down the page as you looked for the word in bold and, finally, the eye resting with relief on the troublesome word.
Now, it would appear, a dictionary is not just something you consult in times of need, like one does a doctor.
The Oxford version now comes with an iwriter CD-ROM that helps one to write better essays, professional plans, and yes, book and film reviews among others. The iwriter has 14 different models for different types of writing, which means that all those young people who nurture a dream of becoming writers now have a companion and do not have to tough it out as we used to back in the day when all one had to rely on was the imagination and a ball-point pen.
And at the back of the book is so much information, including maps, pictures and drawings of all the things and places that one would need to know about from time to time — much like a compressed encyclopedia, only it is more fun.
Never in my life had I ever imagined that one could write a book review for a dictionary, especially in a country where reading is largely regarded as an endangered pastime. But this book is interesting in an intriguing way. It is not just a functional book. It is a wealth of information, and in a world where there are other media promising more fun, this particular one takes competition to the doorstep of the new media.
What’s more, I am told by the publisher, Oxford University Press, that there were two Kenyans who were involved in compiling it.
By the way, Ugali and Sukuma Wiki are now officially English words. So you need not italicise them from now on. Seriously.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
Macmillan Kenya's Publishing manager John Mwazemba moving on up
John Mwazemba, the affable, full of laughter and full of life publishing manager of Macmillan Kenya Publishers, is leaving the firm after 7 years four of which he served at the helm of the department.
Mwazemba, perhaps the most read of publishing managers in the country in the past 4 years, is credited with revitalising Macmillan especially its 'Breakthrough' and 'Golden Tips' revision series.
Those who have worked with Mwazemba, including yours truly, agree that he is one loyal employee - and he loves reading and editing to the death!
As Mwazemba leaves, Macmillan will be hard-pressed to find a successor with as much visibility in the press as Mwazemba. He was a regular contributor to The Standard and The EastAfrican where he signed off as "Publishing Manager, Macmillan Kenya Publishers" and in a way marketed the firm.
Mwazemba is joining the African Economic Research Consortium as Technical editor.
We wish Mwazemba the best of whatever lies ahead.
Mwazemba, perhaps the most read of publishing managers in the country in the past 4 years, is credited with revitalising Macmillan especially its 'Breakthrough' and 'Golden Tips' revision series.
Those who have worked with Mwazemba, including yours truly, agree that he is one loyal employee - and he loves reading and editing to the death!
As Mwazemba leaves, Macmillan will be hard-pressed to find a successor with as much visibility in the press as Mwazemba. He was a regular contributor to The Standard and The EastAfrican where he signed off as "Publishing Manager, Macmillan Kenya Publishers" and in a way marketed the firm.
Mwazemba is joining the African Economic Research Consortium as Technical editor.
We wish Mwazemba the best of whatever lies ahead.
Friday, August 27, 2010
E-books? Think again
(From the Wall Street Journal)
Are E-Books Worth the Money?
by Brett Arends
Thursday, August 26, 2010
If you walk out of the cinema this week with a burning desire to read Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat, Pray, Love," you can download it onto your Amazon Kindle electronic book reader — if you have one—for $12.99.
Then again you could just walk into your local Borders bookstore with a coupon and get the paperback for $10.
Barnes & Noble will charge you $12.99 to read the book on its e-book reader, the Nook. But it's only $9.36 (shipping may cost you extra) if you order the paperback at bn.com.
As a society, we have gadget-itis. No new machine that goes ping goes unsung. People stand in line for hours to purchase an iPhone barely distinguishable from the one already in their pockets. Amazon's newest Kindles sold out within days of going on sale. (Those who bought quickly will receive theirs this week.)
E-book readers are booming. Amazon (AMZN - News) says in the past few months sales of e-books have zoomed past sales of the paper ones. While e-books are still in an early stage—the Association of American Publishers says that so far this year they account for 8% of consumer books, compared to just 3% in 2009—the growth rate is dramatic. (This is one of the problems besetting Barnes & Noble, which has just announced a quarterly loss following a decline in sales of traditional books.)
[See The Best Android Phones on the Market]
Beyond all the hype, are e-book readers a good deal? Are they worth the money? If so, how can you get the maximum return on your investment?
Here are six money tips for pennywise book lovers.
1. Casual readers probably shouldn't bother.
The median American book-buyer purchases just seven books a year, according to an AP-Ipsos poll in 2007.
An e-book reader right now typically costs about $150 (more on this below). Even if you save a couple of bucks per book by downloading them onto your e-book reader, the payback isn't going to be much for the casual reader. If you saved $5 a book, you'd have to buy 30 just to earn back your initial investment. If you only saved $2 a book, you'd have to buy 75.
I don't want to sound negative. I happen to think e-book readers are great. But that's because I read books avidly. (I've been known to take 10 books on a beach holiday.) If you are in my camp, e-book readers let you carry a library in your pocket or bag. But if you're a casual reader, they probably don't make much economic sense yet. (On the other hand, once you buy an e-book reader you will probably buy and read more books.)
2. The books aren't as cheap as they should be.
E-books are far, far cheaper to produce, distribute and sell than paper ones. There is no paper, no printing, no trucking and no retail space.
So they should cost a lot less to buy, but the deal often isn't anywhere near as good as it should be. Amazon has tried to drive prices for best sellers down to $9.99, but the publishing industry has fought back. A lot of best sellers go for $12.99 instead. That may be cheaper than the hardbacks, but the gap should be wider.
As in the case of Elizabeth Gilbert's runaway success, you may sometimes find the traditional version cheaper. Looking for Stieg Larsson's "The Girl Who Played With Fire"? It's $7.99 on the Kindle. I bought it in Borders, with a coupon, for $5.68.
Books are cheaper in electronic format, but not all.
3. Savvy readers read the classics anyway.
Why? Because they're free. From Aesop to "Zarathustra." From "Hamlet" to "Huckleberry Finn." They won't cost you a penny. These books are outside of copyright. Just go to Gutenberg.org and download them. Thousands of them. And they're better than most of the stuff published more recently anyway.
4. Be aware of the potential costs of buying a Kindle.
Amazon sells the best-selling e-book reader. It's a great product, very easy to use—much easier, I've found, than the competition. But Amazon has given the device a cellular connection and a keyboard so you can access its online bookstore any time, any place, to buy a book. Good for them. Not so good for you. The results are predictable: You may end up making lots of impulse purchases. Don't be surprised if you spend hundreds of dollars on books in your first year. (Amazon now sells a Kindle that only has a Wi-Fi connection instead of cellular. This may save you money, as the connection will only work in a Wi-Fi hot spot. By the time you've found one, you may have decided you don't want the book.)
5. Be aware of the costs of the rivals.
The main ones are time and hassle. The many rivals to the Kindle generally use a software platform from Adobe, and it can be a pain. Even worse: Adobe provides only very basic help if things go wrong. In extremis, you may find yourself emailing India. I asked Adobe why this was. A spokesman explained that because Adobe Digital Editions was given away for free, the company only provides "a baseline level of support, which is web-based," he says. This includes "an active user forum"—in other words asking other customers how to solve your problems. Good luck with that.
If you can overcome that problem, rivals do offer benefits that may save you money. First, they let you shop around for e-books at different online bookstores, and many run promotions. Second, they will let you borrow some e-books online from your local library. Third, many of them come without any wireless connection whatsoever. That means fewer impulse purchases.
6. And if you're thinking of buying a book reader—wait!
At least, hold off for a month or two or maybe even a few weeks. Prices simply have to come down. They may do so fast.
Amazon's first Kindles went on sale three years ago for $399. Its latest versions, out this week, start at just $139. That's cheaper than rivals. They're going to have to respond.
There's an upgrade cycle going on as well. E Ink Corp., the company that makes most of the screens, has developed a newer version with somewhat sharper contrast. (Handy if you're reading fine print, but not so important for most books).
In a rational market, we should see big price cuts this fall, especially as the last of the old models go on sale. Of course, that's in a rational market. Let me know if you ever find one.
Write to Brett Arends at brett.arends@wsj.com
Are E-Books Worth the Money?
by Brett Arends
Thursday, August 26, 2010
If you walk out of the cinema this week with a burning desire to read Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat, Pray, Love," you can download it onto your Amazon Kindle electronic book reader — if you have one—for $12.99.
Then again you could just walk into your local Borders bookstore with a coupon and get the paperback for $10.
Barnes & Noble will charge you $12.99 to read the book on its e-book reader, the Nook. But it's only $9.36 (shipping may cost you extra) if you order the paperback at bn.com.
As a society, we have gadget-itis. No new machine that goes ping goes unsung. People stand in line for hours to purchase an iPhone barely distinguishable from the one already in their pockets. Amazon's newest Kindles sold out within days of going on sale. (Those who bought quickly will receive theirs this week.)
E-book readers are booming. Amazon (AMZN - News) says in the past few months sales of e-books have zoomed past sales of the paper ones. While e-books are still in an early stage—the Association of American Publishers says that so far this year they account for 8% of consumer books, compared to just 3% in 2009—the growth rate is dramatic. (This is one of the problems besetting Barnes & Noble, which has just announced a quarterly loss following a decline in sales of traditional books.)
[See The Best Android Phones on the Market]
Beyond all the hype, are e-book readers a good deal? Are they worth the money? If so, how can you get the maximum return on your investment?
Here are six money tips for pennywise book lovers.
1. Casual readers probably shouldn't bother.
The median American book-buyer purchases just seven books a year, according to an AP-Ipsos poll in 2007.
An e-book reader right now typically costs about $150 (more on this below). Even if you save a couple of bucks per book by downloading them onto your e-book reader, the payback isn't going to be much for the casual reader. If you saved $5 a book, you'd have to buy 30 just to earn back your initial investment. If you only saved $2 a book, you'd have to buy 75.
I don't want to sound negative. I happen to think e-book readers are great. But that's because I read books avidly. (I've been known to take 10 books on a beach holiday.) If you are in my camp, e-book readers let you carry a library in your pocket or bag. But if you're a casual reader, they probably don't make much economic sense yet. (On the other hand, once you buy an e-book reader you will probably buy and read more books.)
2. The books aren't as cheap as they should be.
E-books are far, far cheaper to produce, distribute and sell than paper ones. There is no paper, no printing, no trucking and no retail space.
So they should cost a lot less to buy, but the deal often isn't anywhere near as good as it should be. Amazon has tried to drive prices for best sellers down to $9.99, but the publishing industry has fought back. A lot of best sellers go for $12.99 instead. That may be cheaper than the hardbacks, but the gap should be wider.
As in the case of Elizabeth Gilbert's runaway success, you may sometimes find the traditional version cheaper. Looking for Stieg Larsson's "The Girl Who Played With Fire"? It's $7.99 on the Kindle. I bought it in Borders, with a coupon, for $5.68.
Books are cheaper in electronic format, but not all.
3. Savvy readers read the classics anyway.
Why? Because they're free. From Aesop to "Zarathustra." From "Hamlet" to "Huckleberry Finn." They won't cost you a penny. These books are outside of copyright. Just go to Gutenberg.org and download them. Thousands of them. And they're better than most of the stuff published more recently anyway.
4. Be aware of the potential costs of buying a Kindle.
Amazon sells the best-selling e-book reader. It's a great product, very easy to use—much easier, I've found, than the competition. But Amazon has given the device a cellular connection and a keyboard so you can access its online bookstore any time, any place, to buy a book. Good for them. Not so good for you. The results are predictable: You may end up making lots of impulse purchases. Don't be surprised if you spend hundreds of dollars on books in your first year. (Amazon now sells a Kindle that only has a Wi-Fi connection instead of cellular. This may save you money, as the connection will only work in a Wi-Fi hot spot. By the time you've found one, you may have decided you don't want the book.)
5. Be aware of the costs of the rivals.
The main ones are time and hassle. The many rivals to the Kindle generally use a software platform from Adobe, and it can be a pain. Even worse: Adobe provides only very basic help if things go wrong. In extremis, you may find yourself emailing India. I asked Adobe why this was. A spokesman explained that because Adobe Digital Editions was given away for free, the company only provides "a baseline level of support, which is web-based," he says. This includes "an active user forum"—in other words asking other customers how to solve your problems. Good luck with that.
If you can overcome that problem, rivals do offer benefits that may save you money. First, they let you shop around for e-books at different online bookstores, and many run promotions. Second, they will let you borrow some e-books online from your local library. Third, many of them come without any wireless connection whatsoever. That means fewer impulse purchases.
6. And if you're thinking of buying a book reader—wait!
At least, hold off for a month or two or maybe even a few weeks. Prices simply have to come down. They may do so fast.
Amazon's first Kindles went on sale three years ago for $399. Its latest versions, out this week, start at just $139. That's cheaper than rivals. They're going to have to respond.
There's an upgrade cycle going on as well. E Ink Corp., the company that makes most of the screens, has developed a newer version with somewhat sharper contrast. (Handy if you're reading fine print, but not so important for most books).
In a rational market, we should see big price cuts this fall, especially as the last of the old models go on sale. Of course, that's in a rational market. Let me know if you ever find one.
Write to Brett Arends at brett.arends@wsj.com
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Is government all about lies and control?
I am reading Tim Weiner's 'Legacy of Ashes: History of the CIA' which depicts the CIA and the US government as built on layer upon layer of lies and intrigue all with the aim of controlling the world, or rather running the world via proxies, stooges of the worst kind..
The book gives some nasty revelations about JFK's death: Could he have been killed by a guy sent by Fidel Castro? (One of the agency's bosses seems to have warned the leadership that once the agency eliminates other countries' heads of states, there is no stopping such countries from coming for the head of the US president and/or leaders). I begin to understand the US-Cuba frosty relationship; and that of US-Iran.
interesting read. Now, if only someone could do an exhaustive writing o the Kenyatta and Moi governments then another does the Kibaki government (that will have to come like in 30 years time, I guess)... that would make for great reading.
The book gives some nasty revelations about JFK's death: Could he have been killed by a guy sent by Fidel Castro? (One of the agency's bosses seems to have warned the leadership that once the agency eliminates other countries' heads of states, there is no stopping such countries from coming for the head of the US president and/or leaders). I begin to understand the US-Cuba frosty relationship; and that of US-Iran.
interesting read. Now, if only someone could do an exhaustive writing o the Kenyatta and Moi governments then another does the Kibaki government (that will have to come like in 30 years time, I guess)... that would make for great reading.
Friday, May 7, 2010
World Bank bans Macmillan Publishers over Sudan bribery
From Macmillan Publishers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY 6 MAY 2010
Macmillan Publishers moves to address concerns over its education business in Southern Sudan
The international publishing business, Macmillan Publishers Ltd UK (“Macmillan”), has today confirmed that it has voluntarily referred to the Serious Fraud Office its concerns over historic payments made by a subsidiary of its education business, Macmillan Education, to secure a contract in Southern Sudan.
The move comes after the company reached a civil settlement agreement with the World Bank over allegations that improper and unauthorised payments were made to public officials in Southern Sudan in an unsuccessful bid to secure a contract funded by the World Bank.
Annette Thomas, Chief Executive of Macmillan, said:
‘Our message today is clear: we will not tolerate any form of potentially unlawful behaviour. We are deeply shocked to have discovered these issues, and are sorry for the harm that such behaviour will have done.
‘Macmillan is a business with strong values rooted in education and development, which we hold dear. We will work tenaciously to protect it from bad conduct.
‘There is no suggestion that these concerns have affected any of Macmillan’s other principal businesses, and it is the case that they are confined to a limited part of our education business. Despite this, we take the situation very seriously and have been co-operating fully with the authorities.’
Meanwhile, the company, with expert support, has conducted a review of Macmillan Education’s practices and procedures, and has prepared and begun implementation of a revised ethical framework, including comprehensive risk assessment and training of all relevant staff. The moves are designed to prevent any recurrence of potentially unlawful behaviour. A new, board-level, Risk & Compliance Committee is also being set up.
-ends-
Notes to Editors
1. Macmillan was founded in 1843 by Daniel and Alexander Macmillan and entered a period of international expansion in the 1960s. Today, the group has over 7,000 staff with offices in more than 80 countries and is one of the largest and best known international publishing groups in the world.
2. Macmillan’s education division, Macmillan Education, is one of the world's leading publishers of English Language teaching and school curriculum materials, with over 150 years of publishing experience. Macmillan Education works with teachers, students, institutions, educational authorities and Ministries of Education to develop high quality course books and supplementary materials to suit the needs of teachers and students of all levels.
3. Media enquiries to Jon McLeod on +44 (0)7775 530978, email jmcleod@webershandwick.com.
From the ICM website
http://news.icm.ac.uk/business/world-bank-bans-macmillan-publishers/6389/
World Bank bans Macmillan publishers
10:00am GMT, Friday, 7 May 2010
International publishing company Macmillan has been banned from all World Bank contracts for the next six years.
Macmillan, one of the best-known international publishers, has been banned from all World Bank contracts for the next six years, after admitting to bribery payments relating to a Trust Fund-supported education project in southern Sudan.
The publisher has been declared “ineligible to be awarded World Bank-financed contracts” and has itself voluntarily referred its concerns to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) over the “improper and unauthorised payments made to public officials in southern Sudan in an unsuccessful bid to secure a contract funded by the World Bank”.
Leonard McCarthy, Integrity Vice President at the World Bank Group, said: “This agreement is an acknowledgement of past wrongdoing by Macmillan and demonstrates the World Bank’s unwavering commitment to ensuring all those who participate in World Bank-financed projects, including those who do not actually get contracts, are held to the highest levels of integrity, while also encouraging companies to come forward and join our fight against corruption.”
Macmillan was originally barred for eight years, however this was reduced to six years due to an early acknowledgement of misconduct by the company. This, in turn, could be reduced further – to three years if Macmillan implements a compliance programme and cooperates with the World Bank’s Integrity Vice Presidency (INT).
Annette Thomas, Chief Executive of Macmillan, said: “Our message today is clear: we will not tolerate any form of potentially unlawful behaviour. We are deeply shocked to have discovered these issues, and are sorry for the harm that such behaviour will have done.
“Macmillan is a business with strong values rooted in education and development, which we hold dear. We will work tenaciously to protect it from bad conduct. There is no suggestion that these concerns have affected any of Macmillan’s other principal businesses, and it is the case that they are confined to a limited part of our education business. Despite this, we take the situation very seriously and have been co-operating fully with the authorities.”
Macmillan has its headquarters in Hampshire, England. Its Macmillan Education subsidiary is one of the world’s leading publishers of English Language teaching and school curriculum material, operating in 130 countries, and is based in Oxford.
By Susanna Woods
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY 6 MAY 2010
Macmillan Publishers moves to address concerns over its education business in Southern Sudan
The international publishing business, Macmillan Publishers Ltd UK (“Macmillan”), has today confirmed that it has voluntarily referred to the Serious Fraud Office its concerns over historic payments made by a subsidiary of its education business, Macmillan Education, to secure a contract in Southern Sudan.
The move comes after the company reached a civil settlement agreement with the World Bank over allegations that improper and unauthorised payments were made to public officials in Southern Sudan in an unsuccessful bid to secure a contract funded by the World Bank.
Annette Thomas, Chief Executive of Macmillan, said:
‘Our message today is clear: we will not tolerate any form of potentially unlawful behaviour. We are deeply shocked to have discovered these issues, and are sorry for the harm that such behaviour will have done.
‘Macmillan is a business with strong values rooted in education and development, which we hold dear. We will work tenaciously to protect it from bad conduct.
‘There is no suggestion that these concerns have affected any of Macmillan’s other principal businesses, and it is the case that they are confined to a limited part of our education business. Despite this, we take the situation very seriously and have been co-operating fully with the authorities.’
Meanwhile, the company, with expert support, has conducted a review of Macmillan Education’s practices and procedures, and has prepared and begun implementation of a revised ethical framework, including comprehensive risk assessment and training of all relevant staff. The moves are designed to prevent any recurrence of potentially unlawful behaviour. A new, board-level, Risk & Compliance Committee is also being set up.
-ends-
Notes to Editors
1. Macmillan was founded in 1843 by Daniel and Alexander Macmillan and entered a period of international expansion in the 1960s. Today, the group has over 7,000 staff with offices in more than 80 countries and is one of the largest and best known international publishing groups in the world.
2. Macmillan’s education division, Macmillan Education, is one of the world's leading publishers of English Language teaching and school curriculum materials, with over 150 years of publishing experience. Macmillan Education works with teachers, students, institutions, educational authorities and Ministries of Education to develop high quality course books and supplementary materials to suit the needs of teachers and students of all levels.
3. Media enquiries to Jon McLeod on +44 (0)7775 530978, email jmcleod@webershandwick.com.
From the ICM website
http://news.icm.ac.uk/business/world-bank-bans-macmillan-publishers/6389/
World Bank bans Macmillan publishers
10:00am GMT, Friday, 7 May 2010
International publishing company Macmillan has been banned from all World Bank contracts for the next six years.
Macmillan, one of the best-known international publishers, has been banned from all World Bank contracts for the next six years, after admitting to bribery payments relating to a Trust Fund-supported education project in southern Sudan.
The publisher has been declared “ineligible to be awarded World Bank-financed contracts” and has itself voluntarily referred its concerns to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) over the “improper and unauthorised payments made to public officials in southern Sudan in an unsuccessful bid to secure a contract funded by the World Bank”.
Leonard McCarthy, Integrity Vice President at the World Bank Group, said: “This agreement is an acknowledgement of past wrongdoing by Macmillan and demonstrates the World Bank’s unwavering commitment to ensuring all those who participate in World Bank-financed projects, including those who do not actually get contracts, are held to the highest levels of integrity, while also encouraging companies to come forward and join our fight against corruption.”
Macmillan was originally barred for eight years, however this was reduced to six years due to an early acknowledgement of misconduct by the company. This, in turn, could be reduced further – to three years if Macmillan implements a compliance programme and cooperates with the World Bank’s Integrity Vice Presidency (INT).
Annette Thomas, Chief Executive of Macmillan, said: “Our message today is clear: we will not tolerate any form of potentially unlawful behaviour. We are deeply shocked to have discovered these issues, and are sorry for the harm that such behaviour will have done.
“Macmillan is a business with strong values rooted in education and development, which we hold dear. We will work tenaciously to protect it from bad conduct. There is no suggestion that these concerns have affected any of Macmillan’s other principal businesses, and it is the case that they are confined to a limited part of our education business. Despite this, we take the situation very seriously and have been co-operating fully with the authorities.”
Macmillan has its headquarters in Hampshire, England. Its Macmillan Education subsidiary is one of the world’s leading publishers of English Language teaching and school curriculum material, operating in 130 countries, and is based in Oxford.
By Susanna Woods
Monday, April 26, 2010
David Baldacci and Graham Greene
Even with the reading I pride myself in, I had not read either Baldacci nor Greene so when I went to the bookshop, I picked 'The Simple Genius' and Greene's 'The Power and the Glory.'
I enjoyed Baldacci but it wasnt as gripping as I thought it would be; let me see how Greene goes ...
I enjoyed Baldacci but it wasnt as gripping as I thought it would be; let me see how Greene goes ...
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
John Grisham joins the e-book craze
By AP
NEW YORK—Best-selling author John Grisham is finally ready to go digital.
More than a year after reports emerged he would make his books available in electronic format, Random House, Inc. made it official Tuesday, announcing that all 23 of his works can be purchased as e-texts.
Mr. Grisham, the author of such favorites as "The Firm" and "The Pelican Brief," has expressed mixed feelings about e-books and the quickly growing market, currently estimated at around 3% to 5% of total sales. In an interview with the "Today" show last fall, he worried that if e-books really caught on "then you're going to wipe out tons of bookstores and publishers and we're going to buy it all online."
"I'm probably going to be all right," he said, "but the aspiring writers are going to have a very hard time getting published."
"John Grisham is one of the greatest storytellers of all time," Sonny Mehta, chairman and editor-in-chief of the Random House division Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, said in a statement. "This is one of our most exciting e-book initiatives to date and is certain to usher in a new generation of Grisham readers and e-book adopters."
Random House is a unit of Germany's Bertelsmann AG.
NEW YORK—Best-selling author John Grisham is finally ready to go digital.
More than a year after reports emerged he would make his books available in electronic format, Random House, Inc. made it official Tuesday, announcing that all 23 of his works can be purchased as e-texts.
Mr. Grisham, the author of such favorites as "The Firm" and "The Pelican Brief," has expressed mixed feelings about e-books and the quickly growing market, currently estimated at around 3% to 5% of total sales. In an interview with the "Today" show last fall, he worried that if e-books really caught on "then you're going to wipe out tons of bookstores and publishers and we're going to buy it all online."
"I'm probably going to be all right," he said, "but the aspiring writers are going to have a very hard time getting published."
"John Grisham is one of the greatest storytellers of all time," Sonny Mehta, chairman and editor-in-chief of the Random House division Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, said in a statement. "This is one of our most exciting e-book initiatives to date and is certain to usher in a new generation of Grisham readers and e-book adopters."
Random House is a unit of Germany's Bertelsmann AG.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Angela's Ashes ... Poverty kweli kweli
Poverty. Humour. Detrmination.
The two words sum up Frank McCourt's 'Angela's Ashes.'
More later.
The two words sum up Frank McCourt's 'Angela's Ashes.'
More later.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
You must endure because you are a woman...
That, in a few words, sums up Abidemi Sanusi's Eyo, a book about a character by that name who endures all sorts of things: living in the slums (aptly named Jungle City), being trafficked to the UK, sex slavery and finally the jeers on her return home.
Abidemi Sanusi's tale of the life of Eyo and her struggles (make that her parents hope) against poverty grips us all the way to the end.
We meet Eyo hawking water with her brother Lanre - a tough task in this hot, stinking city of Lagos. For a Kenyan, it is easy to identify with the mob justice that is meted to the man who tries to rob Eyo of her daily proceeds from the sale of water.
Kenyans reading the book will quickly flip over the pages that describe the Kibera- and Mukuru Kayaba's kind of life: human faeces in polythene bags, open drainage, drunk men idling about etc.
We are told of Eyo's inhuman living conditions, their houses built on solidified waste, how they can only shower - for the few that get to do that - when it is still dark (for there are no bathrooms), a meal - and a light one at that - a day, the paedophile bully of a landlord, the defaulting tenants, the absence of privacy (with parents doing their 'thing' a few centimetres from their sleeping children) ...
This is the life that motivates Eyo's father, Wale, to send his 10-year old daughter to the UK, for a 'better' life. Never mind that Wale is one of those that make Eyo's life hard in Jungle City (I mean, what father has sex with his 9-year old daughter, has the same daughter performing oral sex on him ... all the while with the 'silent' conspiracy of his wife?)
But as we blame this beast of a father, we are told of his wife, Olufunmi undergoing the same at the hands of her father: She(Olufunmi) fought back memories of herself at Eyo's age and her father leading leading her to a secluded spot at the edge of the village. She could hear her mother's voice,"Olufunmi, you must endure because you are a woman and that is what women do. We endure."
What a custom!
All through the book, Eyo endures all that is thrown her way.
First she endures the mistreatment at Lola and Sam's house. She is worked like an unwanted donkey, she is beaten, underfed... name it!
Lola has this great idea: Since her two children go to school much of the day, why not start a babysitting outlet, after all, Eyo will do the baby sitting and the extra sterling pound is more than welcome!
Worse, Sam turns her into his sex machine. He doesn't stop there: He turns his house into a mini-brothel, bringing in men who pay to sleep with Eyo. All the men who are forced on her agree that she is excellent at her 'thing.'
It is still puzzling how Lola didn't suspect her husband of anything. many are the nights he helped himself to Eyo's body before retiring to his bedroom where we presume the wife was waiting!).
In all these, Eyo develops a defense mechanism and turns herself into a robot: Does what she is told to do and gets on with it. (She learns of the robot and its workings from Lola's daughter, Tolu, who tries to teach her how to read and write.)
But eveything has an end. Eyo miscarries right infront of Sam's children! In a cruel turn of events, Lola demands her dismissal. Ingenious Sam sends Eyo away to The House, run by Big Madame.
The House is indeed, the house, but of sin! The sex that goes on here, trust me, is a lot. Wale, Eyo's father, was not far from the truth when he argued that by shoving his fingers, and later his penis, into Eyo's privates (and into her mouth as well!!!), he was preparing her for life. "... endure because you are a woman and that is what women do."
In a macabre sort of way, her early sexual dealings with her father, turn her into a virtuoso. She gives the best 'head' so much so that clients come and ask specifically for her.
Unknown to Stella, Big Madame herself, Eyo just endures it all. And her taking up the robot model helps her more for she is able to black out everything. But all thisngs must come to an end: Once out and on the way to a client's place, Eyo tries to end her life by throwing herself in front of a moving car and later by almost jumping out of the top room of The House. In both cases, she doesn't die but lives to service more clients.
Things come to a head between Eyo and Big Madame when Eyo talks a client into buying her off. Big Madame doesn't take it lightly and has Eyo given away to a pimp, Johnny from where Eyo - after so much sexual assault and selling sex on the streets - gets her freedom and returns home.
Johnny the pimp does just that, pimps! Here, again, Eyo's endurance is tested to no end. However, Johnny cohabits with Eyo but pretty much gives her freedom - she visits the park frequently. But that is not to say she has stopped enduring nor softened, not at all. She even changes her name to Jungle. To her, 'Eyo' long died and was buried the moment she left The House.
He loses his cool when he comes across £2000 that Eyo had hidden in the house. She'd made this money by sleeping with her 'North African' friends at the park. She is beaten to within an inch of her life. She survives ... and later, after an exhausting sexual do with Johnny, she returns the favour: Using a bat she had picked form someplace, she beats Johhny to within a millimetre of his life, and runs off to some Catholic priest she'd met on the streets. The priest had tried to get her off the streets to no avail.
From here, it's all downhill for Johnny, Big Madame, Lola and Sam as Eyo's case is taken up by a social worker who leads to the arrest of them all in the full glare of the media and its numerous cameras. . Eyo, on her part, returns to Nigeria, Jungle City.
Back in Jungle City, nothing has changed though the father has since been kicked out by the mother for she could not stand him having his way with Sade, Eyo's much younger sister. The way she is treated after her money near runs out leaves her wondering if she made the right decision to return to Jungle City.
In Eyo, the book, we come face to face with the lucrative world of human/women trafficking and sex slavery abroad and the web of deceit that covers it all. We see women at their worst - as hapless prostitutes (Nkem, Eyo, Daisy), powerful pimps (Big Madame), cruel employers (Lola), co-conspirators (Big Madame, Olufunmi); and at their best - Eyo worrying more about the younger sister than herself, Tolu volunteering information to the police at the expense of her family, Bola lying through the teeth and through her pants to send money back to Nigeria for the upkeep of her children etc.
We get to see how poverty and despair pushes well-meaning albeit ignorant parents into a world they have a very vague idea of. (Eyo's parents and neighbours think that London is everything!). But following Eyo's story, one wonders whether some people are born to suffer and never rise above their poverty.
Abidemi Sanusi has done justice to her field - human rights - with this eye-opening tale of the supposed rosy life abroad. She has made nonsense of many people's assumption that a father cannot defile his daughter with the wife's knowledge nor that prostitutes can ever have real feelings (Bola with Mark, Eyo with Johnny). She's even shown us that the so-called functional society like the UK has rogues within it. It is these that are in the employ of the Big Madames of this world (they could easily erase the unwanted portion of a street's CCTV camera) and ensuring she never faces any charges in any court.
Abidemi Sanusi's tale of the life of Eyo and her struggles (make that her parents hope) against poverty grips us all the way to the end.
We meet Eyo hawking water with her brother Lanre - a tough task in this hot, stinking city of Lagos. For a Kenyan, it is easy to identify with the mob justice that is meted to the man who tries to rob Eyo of her daily proceeds from the sale of water.
Kenyans reading the book will quickly flip over the pages that describe the Kibera- and Mukuru Kayaba's kind of life: human faeces in polythene bags, open drainage, drunk men idling about etc.
We are told of Eyo's inhuman living conditions, their houses built on solidified waste, how they can only shower - for the few that get to do that - when it is still dark (for there are no bathrooms), a meal - and a light one at that - a day, the paedophile bully of a landlord, the defaulting tenants, the absence of privacy (with parents doing their 'thing' a few centimetres from their sleeping children) ...
This is the life that motivates Eyo's father, Wale, to send his 10-year old daughter to the UK, for a 'better' life. Never mind that Wale is one of those that make Eyo's life hard in Jungle City (I mean, what father has sex with his 9-year old daughter, has the same daughter performing oral sex on him ... all the while with the 'silent' conspiracy of his wife?)
But as we blame this beast of a father, we are told of his wife, Olufunmi undergoing the same at the hands of her father: She(Olufunmi) fought back memories of herself at Eyo's age and her father leading leading her to a secluded spot at the edge of the village. She could hear her mother's voice,"Olufunmi, you must endure because you are a woman and that is what women do. We endure."
What a custom!
All through the book, Eyo endures all that is thrown her way.
First she endures the mistreatment at Lola and Sam's house. She is worked like an unwanted donkey, she is beaten, underfed... name it!
Lola has this great idea: Since her two children go to school much of the day, why not start a babysitting outlet, after all, Eyo will do the baby sitting and the extra sterling pound is more than welcome!
Worse, Sam turns her into his sex machine. He doesn't stop there: He turns his house into a mini-brothel, bringing in men who pay to sleep with Eyo. All the men who are forced on her agree that she is excellent at her 'thing.'
It is still puzzling how Lola didn't suspect her husband of anything. many are the nights he helped himself to Eyo's body before retiring to his bedroom where we presume the wife was waiting!).
In all these, Eyo develops a defense mechanism and turns herself into a robot: Does what she is told to do and gets on with it. (She learns of the robot and its workings from Lola's daughter, Tolu, who tries to teach her how to read and write.)
But eveything has an end. Eyo miscarries right infront of Sam's children! In a cruel turn of events, Lola demands her dismissal. Ingenious Sam sends Eyo away to The House, run by Big Madame.
The House is indeed, the house, but of sin! The sex that goes on here, trust me, is a lot. Wale, Eyo's father, was not far from the truth when he argued that by shoving his fingers, and later his penis, into Eyo's privates (and into her mouth as well!!!), he was preparing her for life. "... endure because you are a woman and that is what women do."
In a macabre sort of way, her early sexual dealings with her father, turn her into a virtuoso. She gives the best 'head' so much so that clients come and ask specifically for her.
Unknown to Stella, Big Madame herself, Eyo just endures it all. And her taking up the robot model helps her more for she is able to black out everything. But all thisngs must come to an end: Once out and on the way to a client's place, Eyo tries to end her life by throwing herself in front of a moving car and later by almost jumping out of the top room of The House. In both cases, she doesn't die but lives to service more clients.
Things come to a head between Eyo and Big Madame when Eyo talks a client into buying her off. Big Madame doesn't take it lightly and has Eyo given away to a pimp, Johnny from where Eyo - after so much sexual assault and selling sex on the streets - gets her freedom and returns home.
Johnny the pimp does just that, pimps! Here, again, Eyo's endurance is tested to no end. However, Johnny cohabits with Eyo but pretty much gives her freedom - she visits the park frequently. But that is not to say she has stopped enduring nor softened, not at all. She even changes her name to Jungle. To her, 'Eyo' long died and was buried the moment she left The House.
He loses his cool when he comes across £2000 that Eyo had hidden in the house. She'd made this money by sleeping with her 'North African' friends at the park. She is beaten to within an inch of her life. She survives ... and later, after an exhausting sexual do with Johnny, she returns the favour: Using a bat she had picked form someplace, she beats Johhny to within a millimetre of his life, and runs off to some Catholic priest she'd met on the streets. The priest had tried to get her off the streets to no avail.
From here, it's all downhill for Johnny, Big Madame, Lola and Sam as Eyo's case is taken up by a social worker who leads to the arrest of them all in the full glare of the media and its numerous cameras. . Eyo, on her part, returns to Nigeria, Jungle City.
Back in Jungle City, nothing has changed though the father has since been kicked out by the mother for she could not stand him having his way with Sade, Eyo's much younger sister. The way she is treated after her money near runs out leaves her wondering if she made the right decision to return to Jungle City.
In Eyo, the book, we come face to face with the lucrative world of human/women trafficking and sex slavery abroad and the web of deceit that covers it all. We see women at their worst - as hapless prostitutes (Nkem, Eyo, Daisy), powerful pimps (Big Madame), cruel employers (Lola), co-conspirators (Big Madame, Olufunmi); and at their best - Eyo worrying more about the younger sister than herself, Tolu volunteering information to the police at the expense of her family, Bola lying through the teeth and through her pants to send money back to Nigeria for the upkeep of her children etc.
We get to see how poverty and despair pushes well-meaning albeit ignorant parents into a world they have a very vague idea of. (Eyo's parents and neighbours think that London is everything!). But following Eyo's story, one wonders whether some people are born to suffer and never rise above their poverty.
Abidemi Sanusi has done justice to her field - human rights - with this eye-opening tale of the supposed rosy life abroad. She has made nonsense of many people's assumption that a father cannot defile his daughter with the wife's knowledge nor that prostitutes can ever have real feelings (Bola with Mark, Eyo with Johnny). She's even shown us that the so-called functional society like the UK has rogues within it. It is these that are in the employ of the Big Madames of this world (they could easily erase the unwanted portion of a street's CCTV camera) and ensuring she never faces any charges in any court.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
EAEP looking for a micro-managing director
East African Educational Publishers (E.A.E.P, one of the leading publishers in the region by title wants a Managing Director. The details are herebelow (I don't like the word, sounds so corny!)
I have gone through the JD and I think it is an absolute joke. The JD fits that of a kawaida manager of a 'little' firm, the sort that has a few people, a few titles and a small office - not the MD of the calibre one would expect of EAEP with all its titles, authors and employees. If not, then what EAEP are looking for is a micro-manager or a superstar MD ... they better pay him/her/it well to compensate for all that 'work.'
Anyway, here is the ad in its entirety.
(see: http://www.eastafricanpublishers.com/careers.htm)
East African Educational Publishers (E.A.E.P) is an equal opportunity employer.
We are currently seeking a candidate to fill the position of Managing Director as advertised in the Daily Nation, and The Standard on February 5th, 2010.
Below is a detailed job profile for the position
MANAGING DIRECTOR JOB PROFILE
This position comes with the responsibilities outlined below;
Publishing and Production
* Preside over approval of new title acquisitions by the Editorial Board
* Supervise New books/Product development
* Ensure proper costing of all products
* Ensure close liaison with Printers and other Service Providers
* Encourage research in editorial development and new forms of publishing media, automation, equipment policies and procedures
* Keep abreast of publishing industry trends and their possible impact on EAEP.
Sales & Marketing
* Monitor Annual/Quarterly/Monthly/Weekly sales budgets and performance
* Monitor the formulation and implementation of new marketing plans and strategies
* Oversee and approve new prices, discounts, and any special offers
* Approve all essential information/publicity/promotional materials going out of the company to clients.
Finance
* Establish Corporate development plans
* Oversee preparation of yearly Corporate Revenue/Capital budget and its subsequent implementation
* Receive and review Monthly Management accounts and initiate remedial measures as necessary
* Monitor operating and capital budgets and cash flows for all projects and activities
* Monitor the company’s Financial performance using performance indicators set by the company
* Ensure a strong and enforceable credit policy and review as necessary.
Human Resource/Administration
* Hire, instruct and supervise all staff
* Evaluate staff in accordance with evaluation procedures set by the company and with inputs from head of Department
* Lead staff in developing long-range goals, direction and plans in support of the EAEP Mission and Vision
* Handle personnel related activities- salary reviews, training, disciplinary actions to ensure that they are in the interest of the company
Candidates interested in this highly rewarding job should send their applications to be received by 19th February 2010 and including a detailed resume`(CV) with email address, daytime telephone contacts, current and expeced renumeration package, names and contacts of three referees and copies of academic certificates and restimonials to;
The Chairman, Board of Directors,
P. O Box 45314 - 00100,
Nairobi GPO
or
Drop them at Brick Court, 3rd Floor,
Woodvale Groove/Mpaka Rd.
Westlands
I have gone through the JD and I think it is an absolute joke. The JD fits that of a kawaida manager of a 'little' firm, the sort that has a few people, a few titles and a small office - not the MD of the calibre one would expect of EAEP with all its titles, authors and employees. If not, then what EAEP are looking for is a micro-manager or a superstar MD ... they better pay him/her/it well to compensate for all that 'work.'
Anyway, here is the ad in its entirety.
(see: http://www.eastafricanpublishers.com/careers.htm)
East African Educational Publishers (E.A.E.P) is an equal opportunity employer.
We are currently seeking a candidate to fill the position of Managing Director as advertised in the Daily Nation, and The Standard on February 5th, 2010.
Below is a detailed job profile for the position
MANAGING DIRECTOR JOB PROFILE
This position comes with the responsibilities outlined below;
Publishing and Production
* Preside over approval of new title acquisitions by the Editorial Board
* Supervise New books/Product development
* Ensure proper costing of all products
* Ensure close liaison with Printers and other Service Providers
* Encourage research in editorial development and new forms of publishing media, automation, equipment policies and procedures
* Keep abreast of publishing industry trends and their possible impact on EAEP.
Sales & Marketing
* Monitor Annual/Quarterly/Monthly/Weekly sales budgets and performance
* Monitor the formulation and implementation of new marketing plans and strategies
* Oversee and approve new prices, discounts, and any special offers
* Approve all essential information/publicity/promotional materials going out of the company to clients.
Finance
* Establish Corporate development plans
* Oversee preparation of yearly Corporate Revenue/Capital budget and its subsequent implementation
* Receive and review Monthly Management accounts and initiate remedial measures as necessary
* Monitor operating and capital budgets and cash flows for all projects and activities
* Monitor the company’s Financial performance using performance indicators set by the company
* Ensure a strong and enforceable credit policy and review as necessary.
Human Resource/Administration
* Hire, instruct and supervise all staff
* Evaluate staff in accordance with evaluation procedures set by the company and with inputs from head of Department
* Lead staff in developing long-range goals, direction and plans in support of the EAEP Mission and Vision
* Handle personnel related activities- salary reviews, training, disciplinary actions to ensure that they are in the interest of the company
Candidates interested in this highly rewarding job should send their applications to be received by 19th February 2010 and including a detailed resume`(CV) with email address, daytime telephone contacts, current and expeced renumeration package, names and contacts of three referees and copies of academic certificates and restimonials to;
The Chairman, Board of Directors,
P. O Box 45314 - 00100,
Nairobi GPO
or
Drop them at Brick Court, 3rd Floor,
Woodvale Groove/Mpaka Rd.
Westlands
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
2010 Readings, reviews and the rest
Welcome to 2010.
For this year, I have challenegd myself to read and review 52 books. I will post the reviews - at least 250 words long - here for your reading. That will be in addition to publishing and book related news, links and blogs. Keep reading.
For this year, I have challenegd myself to read and review 52 books. I will post the reviews - at least 250 words long - here for your reading. That will be in addition to publishing and book related news, links and blogs. Keep reading.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Dr Ezekiel Alembi passes on
On Saturday, January 17 at about 2.30pm, Dr Ezekiel Alembi passed away at the Mater Hospital where he had been hospitalised three days before.
At the time of his death, Dr Alembi was a senior lecturer in the Department of Literature and the Director, Kenyatta University Radio Services. He was also the National Chairman, Kenya Schools and Colleges Drama Festival.
But what is important to this blog is that Dr Alembi was a great though humble writer and an inspiration to many in the publishing industry. He wrote over 40 children books, some of which I will review this year.
Go well Dr Alembi. We've lost a great story teller.
At the time of his death, Dr Alembi was a senior lecturer in the Department of Literature and the Director, Kenyatta University Radio Services. He was also the National Chairman, Kenya Schools and Colleges Drama Festival.
But what is important to this blog is that Dr Alembi was a great though humble writer and an inspiration to many in the publishing industry. He wrote over 40 children books, some of which I will review this year.
Go well Dr Alembi. We've lost a great story teller.
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