We need a Book Policy – Dr Makore

Trust Khosa

Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub

Dr Samuel Makore, the curator of the 2025 Zimbabwe International Book Fair, believes that Zimbabwe needs a Book Policy to ensure the success of its literary arts sector.

Under this proposed policy, authors and budding writers will benefit from having their works edited by experts before reaching the masses.

He recently made this assertion on the closing day of the 2025 Zimbabwe Book Fair, held in Harare Gardens.

The event was organised under the theme “Page by Page: The Book Returns.”

This mammoth literary festival, which returned to its traditional venue for the first time since 2017, was hailed as a success, although there is still room for improvement.

“The 2025 ZIBF was a huge success, especially considering we organized it in a short space of time after our mini-book fairs in Bulawayo and Harare leading up to the main event,” Dr Makore shared. “We had quite a number of exhibitors here at the venue, but one of the issues that emerged was the introduction of the Book Policy.”

“We have seen this policy working in other countries like South Africa. Locally, we have noticed an increase in self-publishing authors, but some of their works are riddled with silly mistakes, such as grammatical errors, which are unpleasant for readers,” he stated.

Dr Makore expressed his disappointment at the number of books making it to the market without thorough editing.

“I have observed this new trend, especially among self-publishing authors, who still have a long way to go. We can only improve the book industry if we work as a team and apply due diligence to the works we publish.

“In many cases, I have seen authors who end up disappointed when their books are turned down as set texts because their works lack thorough editing,” he pointed out.

Dr Makore, whose board has been advocating for a reading culture and embracing the technological revolution in this new era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), noted that it was high time to embrace technology.

“I know there is AI and other tools, but that does not diminish our creativity. We can still use AI without forgetting to be original.

“In my experience and that of other authors of my generation, we can easily differentiate between AI-generated proposals or assignments, but there is a need for your own input.”

Dr Makore, who enlightened both old and new attendees about the meaning of this year’s theme, was excited by the large turnout, which was dominated by learners.

“The theme focused on the revival of the Zimbabwe International Book Fair, which had gone dormant due to financial constraints since 2017. We were simply emphasising the need to counter challenges from television, computers, and various electronic devices that distract our readers. We want people to return to reading books, whether physical or digital, which was a major highlight of this event,” he stated.

Dr Makore also lamented the lack of a reading culture, which he believes will be addressed at this year’s ZIBF.

“We want to encourage people to read and write books. Our target audience includes publishers, booksellers, authors, illustrators, schoolchildren, scriptwriters, and many others, including parents. We aim to bring books back into homes and promote creativity among our people.”

ZIBF board chairman Memory Chirere and his team expressed their delight at the number of attendees that graced the event.

‘‘It’s a good turnout this year, as several schools visited in the mornings, and it’s really promising. Learners truly enjoyed themselves as they had the opportunity to meet some of the authors. This is what we have been calling for over the years,’’ Chirere noted.

Over the years, it has been noted that other art forms, such as music and dance, have received substantial funding, while literary and visual arts have been neglected.

Chirere and his board have been advocating for proper funding for the sector, allowing Zimbabwean stories to be told by its citizens without bias.

The two-day event greatly enhanced the visibility of new talent from grassroots levels to the top.

With school participation being one of the major highlights of the event, ZIBF 2025 not only provided exposure to young minds but also promoted a reading culture that has been fading in recent years.