Afronaut is a new publishing project from Alanna Max featuring books about and for African children, the Afronauts. Many have yet to see themselves in a book, despite the millions of folktales and stories from each culture on the continent.
It’s been a dream of mine to play back all the wonderful ‘nganos’, or stories from my childhood in Zimbabwe. But travelling around the continent it’s become very clear that an African childhood is very different from a European or American one. Some of these children experience or witness things that they really shouldn’t. So we knew from the very start of the project that the list has to be appropriate to its readers.
We’re joining a growing list of African publishers committed to making their businesses work in difficult economic environments as well as to reflecting cultures back to readers.
Afronaut will publish books, ebooks, comics, posters, articles, and educational material over time. The list will focus on African countries first in as many local languages as possible. It will not shy away from being topical or political as a way of highlighting the lives of African children. Afronaut press is aiming to work alongside international organisations whose focus is children.
Afronaut launches in Spring 2020.