The National Book Trust of Uganda (NABOTU), founded in 1997, is a non-government organization that brings together associations and institutions within Uganda's book sector to promote authorship, publishing and a culture of reading in Uganda.
NABOTU was set up in 1997 to promote authorship, publishing and the development of a culture of reading in Uganda. It was the successor body to the Uganda Publishers and Booksellers Association (UPABA) which had been formed in the early 1990s as a forum for promoting a good policy environment for Uganda's publishing industry. At the time of the formation of NABOTU, Uganda had started to embrace an open and competitive publishing environment following the adoption of the textbook policy in 1998. The textbook policy which allows 5 different titles for every school subject marked the emergence of a local publishing industry in Uganda which hitherto was dominated by multinational publishers. In 2000, NABOTU was one of the founding book councils together with the National Book Development Council of Kenya (NBDCK) and Baraza Ya Maendeleo Vitabu Tanzania (BAMVITA) of the East African Book Development Association (EABDA). Under the EABDA outfit with the support of Sida, Book Aid International and Hivos, NABOTU has been implementing the East Africa Book Development Programme. The goal of the programme is the eradication of poverty through literacy enhancement. The programme has several projects including Children's Reading Tents; support to school library development; rural community library development; annual National Book Week Festivals; skills development for book sector professionals like authors, publishers, booksellers, etc.; literary awards; book donations and advocacy on issues like textbook policy, national book policy, book trade, copyright, right to write and read, etc. NABOTU has recently expanded the programme with the support of the International Federation of Reprographic Rights Organisations (IFRRO) and IDRC to include copyright management and research on new publishing innovations such as flexible copyright licensing.
The East African Book Development Programme whose goal is the eradication of poverty through literacy enhancement is currently being implemented in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. The programme creatively engages the target groups to embrace a culture of reading through different activities including;
The programme seeks to broaden understanding of copyright law by authors, publishers, legal advisors and all rightsholders and users.
Following the enactment of the Uganda Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act 2006, there has been increasing pressure from copyright holders to put in place systems that facilitate enforcement. NABOTU is supporting the establishment of the Uganda Reproduction Rights Organisation (URRO) as a collective management organization for its rightsholders. If established, URRO will follow the successful path in rights management and enforcement already set by the Uganda Performing Rights Society (UPRS) in the music industry.
NABOTU is involved in researching the adoption of open access publishing by commercial publishers, research institutes and NGOs as a means of improving access to learning materials in Uganda. This is under the Publishing and Alternative Licensing Models for Africa (PALM Africa) project funded by IDRC currently being implemented in Uganda and South Africa. A publishing experiment involving two commercial publishers i.e. Fountain Publishers Ltd and Mastermind Ltd and; an NGO the Uganda Women Writers Association (FEMRITE [ permanent dead link ]) is experimenting with web based published books issued under a creative commons license exploring usage as per the number of downloads and quotations, orders for physical copies of the books and new business models adopted .
The World Book Capital (WBC) is an initiative of UNESCO which recognises cities for promoting books and fostering reading for a year starting on April 23, World Book and Copyright Day. Cities designated as UNESCO World Book Capital carry out activities with the aim of encouraging a culture of reading in all ages and sharing UNESCO's values. The nomination does not provide a financial prize.
The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) is an international non-profit organization committed to bringing books and children together. The headquarters of the IBBY are located in Basel, Switzerland.
The International Publishers Association is an international publishing industry federation of national publisher associations representing book and journal publishing, founded in 1896 in Paris. It is a non-profit and non-governmental organization, to promote and protect publishing and to raise awareness for publishing in the context of economic, cultural and political development. The IPA represents the interests of the publishing industry on an international level.
The African Publishers Network (APNET) is a pan-African and non-profitnetwork that exists to connect African publishing associations in order to exchange information and promote indigenous publishing.
The Publishers Association (PA) is the trade organisation serving book, journal and electronic publishers in the United Kingdom, established in 1896. Its mission is "to strengthen the trading environment for UK publishers, by providing a strong voice for the industry in government, within society and with other stakeholders in the UK, in Europe and internationally." It seeks to provide a forum for the exchange of non‑competitive information between publishers and to offer support and guidance to the industry through technological and other changes.
Monica Arac de Nyeko is a Ugandan writer of short fiction, poetry, and essays, living in Nairobi, Kenya. In 2007, she became the first Ugandan to win the Caine Prize for African Writing, with her story "Jambula Tree". She had previously been shortlisted for the prize in 2004 for "Strange Fruit", a story about child soldiers in Gulu, Northern Uganda. She is a member of FEMRITE – Uganda Women Writers Association and the chief editor of T:AP Voices. She taught literature and English at St. Mary's College Kisubi, before proceeding to pursue a Master's degree in Humanitarian Assistance at the University of Groningen. Her personal essay "In the Stars" won first prize in the Women's World, Women in War Zones essay writing competition. She has been published in Memories of Sun, The Nation, IS magazine, Poetry International and several other publications. She was one of the writers chosen as part of the Africa39 project unveiled by Rainbow, Hay Festival and Bloomsbury Publishing at the London Book Fair 2014, featuring a list of 39 of Sub-Saharan Africa's most promising writers under the age of 40.
National Book Trust (NBT) is an Indian publishing house, which was founded in 1957 as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Education of the Government of India. The activities of the Trust include publishing, promotion of books and reading, promotion of Indian books abroad, assistance to authors and publishers, and promotion of children's literature.
Glaydah Namukasa is a Ugandan writer and midwife. She is the author of two novels, Voice of a Dream and Deadly Ambition. She is a member of FEMRITE, the Ugandan Women Writer's Association, and is currently (2014) its Chairperson. She is one of the 39 African writers announced as part of the Africa39 project unveiled by Rainbow, Hay Festival and Bloomsbury Publishing at the London Book Fair 2014. It is a list of 39 of Sub-Saharan Africa's most promising writers under the age of 40.
Gertrude Kayaga Mulindwa is a Ugandan librarian who was the second director of the National Library of Uganda and is the director of the African Library and Information Association and Institution. She also holds various voluntary positions at organizations that promote literacy and library services throughout Uganda.
Ayeta Anne Wangusa is a Ugandan writer and activist. A founding member (1995) of FEMRITE, the Uganda Women Writers Association, Wangusa first achieved broader recognition in literary circles for her novel Memoirs of a Mother (1998). She was also a founding member (2009) of the African Writers Trust, currently serving on the advisory board. She is a contributor to the 2019 anthology New Daughters of Africa, edited by Margaret Busby.
FEMRITE – Uganda Women Writers' Association, founded in 1995, is an NGO based in Kampala, Uganda, whose programmes focus on developing and publishing women writers in Uganda and—more recently—in the East African region. FEMRITE has likewise expanded its concerns to East African issues regarding the environment, literacy, education, health, women's rights and good governance.
Goretti Kyomuhendo is a Ugandan novelist and literary activist. A participant at the inaugural International Literature Festival Berlin in 2001, Kyomuhendo has been internationally recognised for her novels such as Waiting: A Novel of Uganda's Hidden War. She was the first Programmes Coordinator for FEMRITE—Uganda Women Writers Association, from 1997 to 2007. She founded the African Writers Trust in 2009, after her relocation to London, Great Britain, in 2008.
Violet Barungi is a Ugandan writer and editor. She has edited several publications published by FEMRITE. Her published books include the novel Cassandra. She has worked as a book Production Officer at the East African Literature Bureau (1972–77), senior Book Production Officer at Uganda Literature Bureau (1978–94) and an editor at FEMRITE.
Susan Nalugwa Kiguli is a Ugandan poet and literary scholar. She is an associate professor of literature at Makerere University. Kiguli has been an advocate for creative writing in Africa, including service as a founding member of FEMRITE, a judge for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, and an advisory board member for the African Writers Trust. As a poet, Kiguli is best known for her 1998 collection The African Saga, as a scholar, and for her work on oral poetry and performance.
Hilda Twongyeirwe is a Ugandan writer and editor. For ten years, she taught English language and literature in secondary school, before she retired to do development work in 2003. She is an editor, a published author of short stories and poetry, and a recipient of a National Medal of the government of Uganda in recognition of her contribution to women's Empowerment through Literary arts (2018). She is also a recipient of a Certificate of Recognition (2008) from the National Book Trust of Uganda for her children's book, Fina the Dancer. She is currently the coordinator of FEMRITE, an organization she participated in founding in 1995. She has edited fiction and creative nonfiction works, the most recent one being, No Time to Mourn (2020) by South Sudanese women. She has also edited others including; I Dare to Say: African Women Share Their Stories of Hope and Survival (2012) and Taboo? Voices of Women on Female Genital Mutilation (2013).
Jackee Budesta Batanda is a Ugandan journalist, writer and entrepreneur. She is a senior managing partner with Success Spark Brand Limited, a communications and educational company, and a co-founder of Mastermind Africa Group Limited, a business-networking group. In 2006, Batanda worked as a peace writer at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice at the University of San Diego. She was later awarded a research fellowship at the highly competitive Justice in Africa fellowship Programme with the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2008. In 2010, Batanda was International Writer-in-Residence at the Housing Authors and Literature Denmark, where she commenced work on her novel, A Lesson in Forgetting. In 2012, she was also featured in The Times alongside 19 young women shaping the future of Africa. That same year she was also a finalist in the 2012 Trust Women journalism Awards. She has been writer-in-residence at Lancaster University in the UK. She was selected by the International Women's Media Foundation as the 2011–12 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow. During the fellowship, she studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Center for International Studies and other Boston-area universities, and worked at The New York Times and The Boston Globe.
Lillian Tindyebwa is a Ugandan writer living in Kampala. She is the author of numerous books, notably the novel Recipe for Disaster, published in 1994 as part of the Fountain youth series. She is a founding member of FEMRITE, and the founder of Uganda Faith Writers Association.
Rose Rwakasisi is a Ugandan author, editor, short story writer, curriculum developer and educator. She was the deputy head teacher of Old Kampala Secondary school, Nakasero secondary school and Kyamate Secondary School in Ntungamo. She is the director of St. Luke secondary schools and a teacher of Biology.
Evangeline Barongo is a Ugandan author of children's literature. Barongo is a founding member of the Uganda Children’s Writers and Illustrators Association (UCWIA), a platform that brings together writers and illustrators of children’s books, librarians, teachers, publishers, and booksellers. She is also a member of the Reading Association of Uganda (RAU), Uganda Library and Information Association and the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Uganda chapter established in 2004. She has served on the board of the National Book Trust of Uganda since its inception in 1997.
The African Storybook (ASb) is a multilingual literacy initiative that works with educators and children to publish openly licensed picture storybooks for early reading in the languages of Africa. An initiative of Saide, the ASb has an interactive website that enables users to read, create, download, translate, and adapt storybooks. The initiative addresses the dire shortage of children's storybooks in African languages, crucial for children's literacy development. As of March 2023, the website had 3 800 original titles, 7 266 translations and 236 languages represented.