Over 50 local and international writers, editors, scholars, publishers, and booksellers gathered in a literary workshop to discuss challenges affecting the book industry, especially the ones related to reading, writing and publishing.

The workshop took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MINAFFET) on July 16.

According to Jean-Pierre Karegeye, a scholar who organized the workshop, the urge for Rwandans to tell their own stories instead of them being told by foreigners and the need to address that issue are what inspired him to bring together different key players in the book industry.

Some of the local and international writers, editors, scholars, publishers and booksellers who attended the workshop.

To him, the culture of reading and writing should be instilled in children right from early age and it should be given enough time as a subject taught in school.

"Our history is so rich, and we want to own it through reading and writing. It's also about learning new languages. We need to work on how we expose books to kids in different languages," said the US-based scholar.

Tackling why Rwandans need to write their own stories, he said, "Rwanda is doing so great in different sectors. That's a fact and facts indisputably exist but do not speak. What is not said or written is invisible. We have to be involved in interpreting our history and creating narratives about our facts."

He added: "Science, technology, and engineering are important but we also need humanities and social sciences to orient and give meaning to our actions. Social sciences disciplines can, for example, help to analyse the social and ethical implications of scientific and technological research. They can help to develop critical thinking and can equip Rwandans with instruments that can help in fighting Genocide denial and hatred as well as in sustaining development and peace".

Richard Hategekimana, the president of Rwanda Writers Federation (RWF) who was among the participants recognises that insufficient training, the absence of a book policy, and a few book buyers and libraries are challenges affecting Rwandan writers today that need to be addressed as the country also strives to have a knowledge-based economy.

Richard Hategekimana, President of Rwanda Writers Federation (RWF)

He urged writers to join the federation so that they can benefit from the advocacy it makes and join forces with fellows to uplift each other hence contributing to the country.

He said that the federation also seeks to train writers and help them to release their books, enforce writing projects that benefit the country and work with writers in the diaspora as well as regional and international writers' organizations.

Jean-Pierre Karegeye, a scholar who organized the workshop speaking during its opening.

Flore-Agnès Zoa, an editor and owner of Flores Zoa publishing house which plans to open a branch in Rwanda said their work cut across advocating for writers, editors and the reading culture.

As a publisher, she is aware that her role is to help solve challenges affecting local writers, especially young and emerging, by helping them to improve their manuscripts, get published and attain royalties on their books.

She is also set to work with local organizations and has so far offered 1000 copies of Murambi to be given to kids in high school and universities so that they can start reading in their clubs.

Since the books talks about Genocide, she hopes that young people can learn history from it and grow their literature — a kind of action she said needs to be done by many individuals and organizations.

Céline Uwineza, the author of Untamed: Beyond Freedom was among the participants of the workshop.

She sees not writing much in Kinyarwanda as a challenge because the English version of her book was most bought and yet her message was more specific to Rwandans.

She declared that most publishers in Rwanda are also limited to the Rwandan market and never cross borders and yet writers want their stories to reach many.

Talking about reading culture, she said it should start in families; with parents teaching their children and then be expanded to schools where children should be given enough reading materials and enough time to read.

Flore-Agnès Zoa, an editor and owner of Flores Zoa publishing house