Once again, let’s talk about books and reading culture

Yes, it was our subject two months ago. Some might wonder, why the repetition? Well, to start with, there is no harm repeating things (especially educational stuff) in a “different angle” , as us media folks like to say.
Last occasion we highlighted Jukwaa la Sanaa, a WhatsApp forum with over 130 participants , and run by Fidelis Tungaraza. Being a lover of social networking, Tungaraza is supported by other zealous art activists – Mwafrika Merinyo (author and fashion facilitator of Afrika Sana, Dar), Robert Mwampembwa and Ghonche Materego. The positive group has rallied heavyweights of Tanzanian publishing, broadcasters, book promoters (e.g. Soma Cafe), linguists, musicians, cartoonists, writers, theatre and filmmakers, teachers, etc.
Their call, (as highlighted on this column on November 27, 2020), is the need to promote reading and the government taking concrete action.
And what next?
No nation in the world has progressed without citizens taking reading seriously, seasoned journalist Jenerali Ulimwengu’s remarks in Rai in September 2018, were re quoted and re emphasized. WITHOUT BOOKS WE ARE DEAD, WE ARE JUST BUILDING CEMETERIES, his article screamed, chanted and reminded.
Now.
In that same month, we were overjoyed to note on the literature page of this newspaper a cheerful review by Neelam Babul. The book, Charming Falls Apart (hopefully, not an intended pun to Chinua Achebe’s famous 1958 book Things Fall Apart), “is a woman’s search for something better in life.” Ms Babul insists Angela Terry’s novel “will definitely keep every reader entertained.”
Books.
How much do we read them?
As the question sunk, 2020 got buried in Covid-19 malaise, and 2021 steps out, I happened to stumble upon a different type of reading campaign here in Europe. As we know folks in these regions take reading of books much, much more seriously.
So I found, The Reading Room, a page created by the Duchess of Cornwall, other wise known as Prince Charles’ wife. Camilla Parker Bowles has used Instagram to promote books.
“...To me, reading is a great adventure. I have loved it since I was very small. And I would love every body else to enjoy it as much as I do .You can escape and you can travel and you can laugh and you can cry. There is every kind of emotion of humans’ experience is in a book.”
To be honest, I did not expect this lady to speak about books.
Having a celebrated personality saying these things makes people pay more attention.
I thought and reflected and circled the issue in my head. Questions hollered. Ideas popped out.
How great would it be if any of our well known and cherished personalities went on television (and radio) and narrated on how they had enjoyed reading Shaaban Robert, Said Ahmed Mohammed, or Mwalimu’s Ujamaa?
Instead of just promoting their sector of business, politics or social standing, they spoke about books with enthusiasm.
Can you imagine how effective it would be were the musician Diamond sat on the verandah (or baraza) of glamorous house, the Zanzibar beach or anywhere picturesque, with Adili na Nduguze or Kusadikika in his hands?
Diamond, the young rich musician, openly reading excerpts from the legendary Shaaban Robert?
Maybe the billionaire Mohammed Dewji enjoying Adam Shafi’s brilliant Mbali na Nyumbani? Or the prize winning Vuta Nkuvute? On TV? Perhaps star opposition leader Zitto Kabwe venting his feelings through a recent book he leafed through? Say the autobiography of late Benjamin Mkapa...what would such a gesture do to the young minds who do not value literature, these days? The most that is read are usually WhatsApp messages, Facebook chit-chats and forwarding internet fear mongering texts.
About Covid -19, religion and so on and so forth. Ask Millennials (kizazi kipya) what is the latest they read and it would be Android phone-based, YouTube-based.
If it is a book it would have an academic value. To be discarded after certificates and graduation.
Many decades ago I wrote Reading in a Bar where I narrated an incident, one afternoon in 1981. The curious waitresses (or barmaids) stood watching me with a mixture of horror, contempt and curiosity. One kept drawing imaginary circles around her head, while her colleagues burst out laughing, shaking their pretty skulls and plaits.
They were enjoying watching a mad man.
In 1981 you did not go to a pub to read a book. No way.
The conversation might have gone like :
“How can he read here? This is a place to get drunk, binge, booze. We read in a classroom. To pass exams. Not in a bar. Not on the street. In fact we do not recommend reading at all. Ha ha ha!”
That was 1981.
Have things changed 40 years on?
Are we frequently, reading books?
Can we enjoy Ngugi wa Thiong’o in a Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Songea pub?