Platinum Authors Conference: Elevating Zambia’s Literary Voice

The 2nd Platinum Authors Conference, held at Mulungushi International Conference Centre, brought together writers, publishers, policymakers, and literacy advocates to discuss the future of Zambia’s literary industry. The event emphasized the importance of Africans telling their own stories, preserving cultural heritage, and strengthening the publishing ecosystem as a tool for empowerment and national development. Key challenges such as high publishing costs, poor distribution, declining reading culture, the influence of short-form digital content, and the ISBN crisis were highlighted, with calls for stronger government support, private investment, and digital innovation to ensure Zambia’s literary industry grows and remains globally relevant.

BY LUYANDO MOOYA

On March 24, 2026, Mulungushi International Conference Centre hosted the 2nd Platinum Authors Conference, a landmark gathering of writers, publishers, policymakers, and literacy enthusiasts. The event was more than a celebration of storytelling it was a serious dialogue on the future of Zambia’s literary industry, its challenges, and its opportunities in the global publishing ecosystem.

Convenor Dr. Dora Siliya opened the conference with a deeply personal reflection on her journey with books. She recalled how her childhood reading was dominated by Western tales such as Goldilocks and The Hardy Boys, until she encountered Kenneth Kaunda’s Letter to My Children. That discovery revealed the power of local voices and inspired her lifelong passion for writing.

Dr. Siliya emphasized that if Africans fail to tell their own stories, others will continue to misrepresent them. She cited the global debate around Cleopatra’s portrayal in film as an example of how narratives are often shaped by outsiders. Her message was clear: books are not just entertainment they are tools of empowerment, cultural preservation, and national development.

She urged policymakers to integrate literature into development agendas, stressing that the publishing industry can create jobs, foster identity, and contribute to economic growth. Her rallying cry was to make books “sexy again” transforming them into interactive, digital, and engaging experiences that resonate with modern youth while preserving cultural depth.

Keynote Address by Abdullahi Pule, Founder of Nuria Stores

The conference was honored to host Abdullahi Pule, who flew in from Nairobi to share his journey and vision. Mr Pule who is the founder of Nuria Stores, one of Kenya’s largest online and physical bookstores, widely recognized for its bold campaign “Shamelessly Advertising African Books.” His mission is simple yet powerful: if Africans do not tell their own stories, no one else will.

In his address, Mr. Pule talked about Africa’s storytelling traditions, reminding the audience that oral narratives, proverbs, songs, and chants once carried culture and values across generations. The tragedy, he noted, was that while Africans excelled at oral transmission, they failed to document these stories, leaving outsiders particularly colonial powers to record and define African identities. This gap, he argued, is why African literature must now be deliberately documented, published, and promoted.

He highlighted Nuria’s deliberate shift from selling mostly international titles to prioritizing African authors. Today, 60% of the books sold by Nuria are African works, with over 3,100 self-published authors supported across the continent and diaspora.

He challenged Zambian communities to follow suit: every tribe, every storyteller, every cultural custodian should document their proverbs, myths, and traditions in book form. “Documenting our stories gives us power,” he said, “and ensures that future generations 50, 100, even 400 years from now will inherit a written legacy.”

He also addressed the broader forces that have shaped Africa’s literary landscape, from colonial economic exploitation and political systems to cultural erasure and psychological dependency on foreign validation. Yet, he pointed to a rising tide of change: the growth of book clubs, the resurgence of libraries, and the increasing appetite among Gen Z readers for fantasy and cultural books that help them rediscover identity. His central theme was clear, African publishing must reclaim its voice by documenting, owning, and promoting its stories intentionally.

Co-founder of the Women’s History Museum, Samba Yonga delivered a thought-provoking address of the day. She challenged participants to rethink the very definition of a library. While modern libraries are seen as buildings filled with books, she reminded the audience that pre-colonial African societies had their own “living archives” embedded in material culture, rituals, songs, and community practices.

These indigenous systems stored and transmitted knowledge through objects, symbols, and traditions, serving as pedagogical tools that taught values, ethics, ecological intelligence, and social order.

Examples included cave drawings as visual records, rainmaking practices as ecological knowledge, wooden tablets as mathematical memory devices, and the Musa as teaching instruments for womanhood and responsibility. She emphasized that these were not primitive fragments but organized systems of thought.

Colonial disruption, however, fragmented these systems, leaving what she termed “petrified archives” knowledge that exists but in a frozen, misunderstood form. She urged the audience to reconnect with elders, language, and traditions, treating material culture not just as heritage but as knowledge. Her message was clear: the future of Zambian publishing lies not only in producing books but in relearning and reading the libraries we have already inherited.

The panel discussions throughout the day offered a frank and constructive look at the state of Zambia’s publishing industry, beginning with the challenges and moving toward practical solutions.

Panelists pointed out that high publishing costs remain a major obstacle, particularly for emerging authors who struggle to afford production and distribution.

Distribution itself was highlighted as another pressing issue, with rural areas often left underserved despite their potential readership.

Limited literacy engagement was also raised, with calls for stronger community-based programs to nurture a culture of reading beyond formal education.

Finally, the influence of social media was discussed, as short-form content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram increasingly competes with long-form reading, threatening to erode attention spans and reduce deep engagement with books.

In response, the panelists proposed a series of resolutions designed to strengthen the ecosystem.

They emphasized the importance of government partnerships with authors and publishers to ensure schools and libraries are stocked with diverse, locally relevant books.

Private investment was identified as equally vital, not only to drive innovation but also to guarantee sustainability in the sector.

The discussions underscored the need to reframe publishing as a holistic ecosystem, one that involves authors, publishers, distributors, and readers working together to build a vibrant literacy culture.

Leveraging digital formats and interactive storytelling was also seen as a key strategy to capture younger audiences, making books more accessible and appealing in the age of technology.

Despite the dominance of short-form content, panelists expressed optimism about the enduring value of books. They noted that while social media satisfies immediate curiosity, books remain essential for deeper engagement, identity formation, and intellectual growth.

Gen Z readers, though mobile-first, continue to return to books for meaning and depth, proving that long-form reading still holds relevance.

The way forward, they concluded, lies in balancing modern digital trends with the timeless power of literature, ensuring that Zambia’s publishing industry not only survives but thrives as a cornerstone of cultural preservation and national development.

Alongside these discussions, the ISBN crisis was also highlighted as a serious challenge, with invalid numbers undermining authors’ credibility internationally.

Solutions included appointing a new interim agency, strengthening the role of the National Archives, and sensitizing authors through education campaigns. These issues, together with other challenges raised during the conference, underscored the urgent need for a transparent framework and collective effort to safeguard ISBN.

The Platinum Authors Conference left participants energized and united by a sense of collective responsibility.

It reinforced that literature is not just about books it is about shaping society, preserving identity, and driving innovation. By spotlighting both opportunities and obstacles, the conference positioned Zambia’s literary community for growth and global relevance.

It is clear from this conference that Zambia’s authors are ready to write a new chapter one that blends tradition with technology and ensures that Zambian stories resonate both locally and globally.