Iskanchi Press is a new publishing outfit for African writing and it couldn’t have come at a better time. With the current dearth of people of colour publishing in the industry, it is a welcome addition.
Founded by Nigerian writer, journalist, teacher and publisher Kenechi Uzor, the publishing house was unveiled Yesterday following an announcement made by the founder via his Twitter.
The tweet reads in part: "Acting on the need for more #POC in the #publishing, we are launching @iskanchipress to produce and publish African books in US/Canada..."
Iskanchi Press is looking to publish fiction, essays, poetry, folklore and folktales, children’s books, books on African heroes, and history, as written by Africans.
An offshoot of the outfit is a literary magazine for shorter works called Iskanchi Literary Magazine. The Hausa word "Iskanchi" being its inspiration. Iskanchi is the Hausa word for mischief, irreverence, and craziness. Similarly, Iskanchi Mag will seek out and publish wayward literature by African writers. The idea is to showcase works that engage with and examine what the experimental form looks like in the African literary context. They are interested in pieces that disobey in form and content, in works that bother by being without borders.
They are open for submissions and equally pay their contributors. Click here for submission guidelines and further details.
Congrats Kenechi Uzor and a big welcome to Iskanchi Press.