Why aren’t there more books in Sudan?
A stack of Mohammed al-Muhdi al-Bushri’s latest books stands in the corner of his home. He explains that his publisher, Al-Hasad Publishers, decided to cut costs by putting him in charge of distributing his own book: a collection of critical essays entitled ‘Al-Shamaa wa Al-Zalam’ (The candle and the darkness).
I often bear most of the costs.”
And that is one of many problems weighing on writers in Sudan, according to the professor: Each time I print a book, I often bear most of the costs, sometimes the publisher bears part of the burden.”
He says the country has a limited number of distribution channels as well as a state which impedes printing and publishing. Financial obstacles also shrink the country’s literary scene. In Sudan, authors earn very little, if there is a profit at all, and the distributor collects 35 percent of the profit. The rest goes to the printer and the publisher,” Al-Bushri explains.
He adds that the state missed its chance to support the Sudanese novel, such as holding contests and giving rewards or grants for creative works.
The book also lacks visibility in broader society, author and novelist Asem al-Haj says. In an interview with Taarof, he complained that state schools had slashed the numbers of school library classes in government schools, undermining attempts spark children’s interest in books.
Interest in books should start from an early age.”
Interest in books should start from an early age,” he says. Children should be raised on the notion that acquiring knowledge is vital and children should be motivated towards that purpose.”
Unfortunately, the loss of library classes has dampened a generation’s interest in book collecting and reading, compared to the previous generations who were more zealous, he explains.
But modern technology has boosted the number of books printed in the country. In the last ten years as many books were published as during the whole century before, publisher and owner of Izza Publishers Nour al-Huda Mohammed said during a seminar at the Khartoum Center for Reading and Viewing.
However, publishers still face the double problem of official bureaucracy and censorship, Nour al-Huda explained. Every book needs a registration number, which means that the book must pass the censorship office before being approved. When the government disapproves the content of any book it refuses to give a registration number to its publisher, which forces publishers to print books outside Sudan.”
We also don’t know who is in charge of quality assessment.” Nour al-Huda pointed out that the state deducts 37 percent in tax from the price of every printed material. They have many names for these taxes they decide to collect,” he said. For example they collect a quality tax but we still don’t know what they mean by ‘quality’. We also don’t know who is in charge of quality assessment, or who judges the content or the literary or artistic value of the material.”
He called for more state support and less bureaucracy.
Two months ago his Izza Publishers officially applied to hold a book fair, but it is yet to be approved. However, an Egyptian publisher was given permission and its book fair was even officially opened by the Interior and Defence Ministers.
Speaking at the same event, Abdullah Darrar said the state fears books as dangerous weapons: This explains why they insist on censorship and on confiscating books.”
