One of the highlights of this year’s Kisii Book Fair was the launch of When Love Says Goodbye, a collection of poems by Scholastica Moraa, published by Mvua Press, the newest publisher in town.

The Fair was held at the Quickmart Supermarket Parking area from Wednesday, May 28, to Sunday, June 1.

The launch of this book was truly a homecoming for Moraa, who hails from Nyamanagu village in neighbouring Nyamira County.

The launch acquired new meaning for her since both her parents and relatives were able to attend the event, unlike when it was launched at the Alliance Française, on Valentine’s Day.

“We are finally bringing our stories, our words, and our thoughts back where it all began,” said Moraa, who, courtesy of Mvua Press, took the book to the Frankfurt Book Fair last year.

“We are home-grown talents for our younger sisters and brothers to look up t,o and it is such a pleasure to let them know that whatever they dream of can be achieved,” she said.

Then there was Cynthia Kerubo, a 16-year-old Form Two student from Bong’onta Secondary School, in Keroka, who has written a children’s book titled Nyasaina’s Sad Moments. Kerubo’s book addresses the plight of a young girl, Nyasaina, whose life is pegged back many obstacles, right from home, a fact that negatively impacts her education.

Apart from marketing her book at the Fair, Kerubo was excited to meet Moraa, whom she considers her role model, as far a writing is concerned.  

These and other moments marked the Kisii Book Fair, whose attendees spoke highly about.

Many were especially happy with the sales, particularly on school books.

In the past, regional book fairs used to be staid affairs, where exhibitors would find themselves playing games on their phones to while away the time; such were the low levels of attendance then.

The tide appears to have turned in 2022, when the Kenya Publishers Association (KPA) held the fair in Nakuru City. The Nakuru Regional Book Fair was held after a two-year hiatus enforced by the COVID-19 pandemic. It would appear that the COVID-19 restrictions brought out a hitherto suppressed love for books among Kenyans.

The 2023 Book Fair held in Eldoret City was an improvement from that of Nakuru. However, it is the Mombasa Book Fair in 2024 that marked a turning point.

This seaside fair effectively shattered the stereotype that coastal people are not keen book readers. In Mombasa, some exhibitors reported making more sales in a day than they made in the entire five-day period in Eldoret.

“‘Taking books to the people’ has always been an initiative that the Kenya Publishers Association holds dear to its heart. And at the Regional Book Fair in Kisii, we did not disappoint,” noted Kiarie Kamau, the chairman of KPA.

“An array of books cutting across genres, age groups, and reading tastes was displayed and attracted enthusiastic responses. In addition, for the first time, KPA engaged in tree planting, to replenish the tree cover, in line with KPA’s 10-Point Transformational Agenda.”

Kamau, who is also the CEO of East African Educational Publishers, revealed that members of KPA donated books worth Sh5 million to the Kisii County library. “As it were, this is perhaps the most successful regional book fair ever; we shall raise the bar even higher next year,” he added.

James Odhiambo, the CEO of KPA, attributed the continued success of the regional fairs to the efforts that marketers put in. “The moment we announced that this year’s Fair would be held in Kisii, publishing houses dispatched their sales and marketing teams to the ground, to promote the event,” he explained.

Timothy Muita, the General Manager of Moran (EA) Publishers, who led his troops to the Kisii Book Fair, expressed his satisfaction with the event.

“The atmosphere at our stand was truly vibrant and engaging! We experienced enthusiastic participation from teachers, students, parents, and booksellers alike,” he said.

Muita said his team gathered valuable insights and made excellent connections that will serve them well in future engagements with the region.

Odhiambo thanked Prof Timothy Arege, who laid the grounds for the Fair to smoothly take off in the county. Arege is not just an author and a publisher (Access Publisher), he is also the county minister in charge of Education in Kisii.