Interview with Zindika Kamauesi, RISEbooks
I reviewed Zindika Kamauesi's book Valiant Women back in March - you can read it here: Valiant Women Zindika is a lady of many talents, works in education and is a writer and a bookseller. She initially started selling her own books, but following requests from her customers, she decided to branch out to sell the books of others. Today Zindika is the CEO of the RISEbooks.
How did RISEbooks begin?I am a writer and I went out selling my own books. People kept asking me for other books, so I saw a gap. I decided to specialise in children’s books because I was aware that there was a need for more positive images for children from ethnic backgrounds.
What is the ethos of the company?Our banner is ‘I see myself’ and that says it all. Children need to see positive images of themselves reflected in their society. When you are a minority in a majority culture it is very easy to be overwhelmed by the dominant culture and so it is important that they see beauty, aspirations and positive people from their own background reflected in all walks of life. We promote positive images through our books and toys.
How do you decide what to sell?Usually from experience and also on the basis of quality and what is popular.
Tell us about the product range at RISEbooks?We have a vast range of books, some toys and we also sell cultural artefacts and paintings.
How do you promote your books?Usually on the website - www.risebooks.com, word of mouth, by going out to public events and we have a regular spot in Lewisham market (south London) on a Sunday.
What kind of comments do you get from parents?Usually ‘I can’t get these kinds of books...you have such a wide range...where do you get these books from?’ Generally people really appreciate the stock and thank us for trying to fill a huge gap.
What do children say?Children tend to be wide-eyed and agog when they see our books. Sometimes they say they have seen a particular book before, maybe at school or in the library or they may have brought from us before and come back again for a new title. They tend to be very good at spotting a really good book.
Who is you inspiration?My inspiration for selling and writing books is of course children – I do it for them. I didn’t have this kind of material when I was a child and I know I would have loved these books had they been around then. I always think of the end user and the benefits they will derive from it, even if they don’t know it – that is great motivation for me.
How did you get into this, is it your main job?No, most definitely not my main job but I wish it was. I do have a day job and luckily for me it is in education. I am a teacher/ manager and so that gives me a current perspective on education and literature, so my roles are fairly complementary.
What is your bestselling book and why do you think that is?Anancy books, they sell really well because of the culture and traditions it contains and which we lack, also books promoting positive images, beauty and pride, the accepting of self such as I love my hair and our black history books are always a good seller, because children do not get that kind of input from their mainstream schooling.
What is your goal for RISEbooks?To grow, to rise and to reach a wider audience especially online. I’ve recently introduced a new programme called RISE education – offering black history, English and maths with online tutorial support which I hope will be of interest to parents who want to help their children to achieve their full potential.
What question should I have asked you and what is the answer?Why are black children books so expensive? It’s a question I get asked all the time - it’s to do with demand and supply. The more demand there is the market, the more we supply; the more we supply the cheaper it gets. So you have to buy more books and then it gets cheaper. Personally, I don’t think they are that expensive – the books are of high quality and well produced.
As a child what was your favourite book?I didn’t have a favourite book but I was an avid reader and read anything I could get my hands on. I read books beyond my years and thinking – but I was just as comfortable reading comics as well.
In the past few weeks the Harry Potter roller coaster has taken off again, as a multi-cultural book seller how do you deal with this?Well , if the Potter books encourage children to read, then that’s good, I’m just surprised that in this day and age we don’t have a main black character in the books – I can’t tell the writer what to write but you’d think the film makers would have addressed this in their casting.
In our book club – the Black Reading Group, we are thinking of reading a children’s book, what would you recommend?Great biographies such as Marcus Garvey and Bob Marley – they’ve been written for children.
What advice would you give to anyone starting off in publishing, selling books?It’s tough, really tough, you probably won’t get rich doing it, but do it for the love.
What is the greatest gift you have ever given or received?Books are great to give and receive. I got a copy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as a prize when I was at school. Somehow it ended up in my sister’s possession and she passed it onto my son. He loves the book and reads it again and again, just like I did. We also, saw the film. That is the beauty of a book, it is not just for now, and it can be passed on – and they make good movies. Unlike a toy that gets broken and discarded a book can be revisited again and again and children find new inspirations.
What or who do you think is going to be hot in 2011?Well, I hope it is Rise books! But, as the royal couple have just announced their engagement – I guess I’ll have tough competition.An edited version of this interview appears in Lime magazine Dec/Jan 2011 edition: www.comelime.com
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Valiant Women
by Zindika Kamauesi
Here is one of my two new reviews for Limemagazine. You will probably have seen compilations like Valiant Women on your trips to the US or in bookshops here that import American publications. It is a great idea and good to see one with UK-based people in it. Use the link at the bottom of the review to find out what else BIS Publications publishes.
If you would like your young family members and friends to celebrate International Women’s day (8 March 2010), get them a copy of Valiant Women - it will inspire them. It is a collection of biographical profiles of black African women from the West Indies, Britain, America and Africa. Written by playwright, teacher, writer, and educationalist Zindika Kamauesi, it is targeted at seven to 14 year-olds and designed in workbook format, starting with a picture and a profile, followed by quick facts and questions at the end of each double-page spread. The answers are towards the back, where you’ll also find further assignments, a timeline and a pretty detailed glossary of the phrases and expressions used throughout.
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| Queen Nzinga of Angola |
Having said that this is for seven to 14-year olds, actually everyone who picks it up will get something from it. I had never heard of the Angolan Warrior, Queen Nzinga, who spent a lifetime fighting the Portuguese and the Dutch in order to avoid being transported to Brazil. I loved that she seemed to have spent as much time trying to put some backbone into her brothers, as fighting the invaders, though I am less sure that I really needed to know that she was born with her umbilical cord twisted around her neck. Another fascinating inclusion is the Jamaican poet and storyteller Miss Lou (Louise Bennett). Famed for telling her stories in a lively and lilting Jamaican dialect, for many years she was often snubbed by the middle class supporters of ‘standard English.’ (One correction is that Miss Lou won a British Council scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) not the Royal College of Art, as the book states.)
Representing the UK we have MP and politician Diane Abbot – the first black women member of parliament - of course, you would expect her to be there. Doreen Lawrence – through her fight for justice after son Stephen’s murder, and her recent years as a social activist - she has most definitely earned her place any such collection. Claudia Jones, the founder of the Notting Hill Carnival has a prime slot at the front of the book and I applaud that. But MOBO founder, Kanya King? - mmm not so sure about that inclusion. I would have preferred to see Zadie Smith. And so this is the crux of the issue, when you start looking at a collection like this, you wonder why one such person is included and not another. Why not the Kenyan environmentalist Waathari Mangathi? Where is the economist and prime minister of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf – the first women elected to lead an African country? Michelle Obama is in, but no Zora Neale Hurston or Ella Fitzgerald? You could, of course turn this into a supporting activity to the book - who would you include in your Valiant Women collection?
One health warning to this book, it could have done with a little closer attention to detail in its editing and proofing. So do pay attention if you are planning to go through it with a young person.
- Info: www.bispublications.com
Image: Every Generation Media www.whenweruled.com
2 COMMENTS:
I recently bought Valiant Women for my son and daughter and we all went through this book.
We all found that it beautifully designed and very informative some of the women we already knew about but learnt interesting new facts, some of the women were new to my children which was great for them to understand the many women who have achieved and have had diverse challenges in their lives, I like the activities page great for me as a parent and very useful for teachers.Also I love the glossary very helpful!This is a great as well as vital resource that should be in every school / library and home.I really appreciate this book in helping empower our young people and my own children.Excellent!Thanks for your comment. Pleased that you like it. Let the publishers know what you think. best, tricia