Nigerian school stakes claim to have set up Africa's first printing press

The Hope Waddell Training Institution, a school in Nigeria founded in 1895 by Presbyterian missionaries, is laying claim to have set up Africa's oldest press. But could it be so?Hope Waddell, in Calabar, Cross River State, had a functioning printing press from 1903, initially to serve the school but later used to print newspapers. In an interview with Nigeria's Daily Trust, the school's principal, Edet Inyang, was unequivocal: "Our school had the first printing press in Africa."According to Wikipedia a large Wharfedale flat-bed printing press, donated by "friends in Scotland" was still in use in 1960. But another Wikipedia entry, about the development of media in Sierra Leone, states that although the first printing press in Africa, which arrived in Freetown in 1794, was destroyed by a French raiding party, another one became operational in 1800.And a paper on printing presses in sub-Saharan Africa, published last year (July 2013) by Julia Cagé and Valeria Rueda, contends that several mission societies acquired presses in Cape Colony between the 1820s and the 1870s.And, they write, the Methodists acquired a printing press in Grahamstown in the 1830s while the Anglicans set up presses at several places in the eastern Cape in the 1860s and 1870s.So Hope Waddell's claim to printing fame looks rather shaky. On the other hand, to be using a flat-bed printing press as late as 1960 must be some kind of record. More of a last than a first, perhaps. Sources: Daily Trust/Wikipedia... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2014-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kobo to set up publishing arm

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 28/10/2011 - 08:40 Kobo will move into publishing, its c.e.o. has announced, with plans to offer complete publishing services directly authors, Canadian CBC News reports. C.e.o. Michael Serbinis told the network that Kobo will roll out its... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Survey: Professionals Not Replacing Print With Digital?

This week alone, Ziff Davis Enterprise announced it will replace its three remaining print magazines with digital editions in 2012 and Hanley Wood president and CEO Frank Anton indicated that more magazine closures are likely in his organization, yet a new study from Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-10-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin set for Adrian Mole anniversary

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Fri, 21/10/2011 - 08:20 Penguin is promising a "whole year of celebration" for Sue Townsend next year to mark the 30th anniversary of the publication of her most famous creation's diary. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Somper sets up author training company

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Fri, 21/10/2011 - 11:35 Vampirates author and long-time children's book publicist Justin Somper has set up Author Profile, a training company aimed at helping authors navigate the media and social networking. Writers including Damian Kelleher,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Issuu Adpages Makes Print Ads Digital-Ready

In the digital sector, some publishers are still waiting for online advertising to become as profitable as its print counterpart once was. Many complain digital ad offerings are not comparable to the quality in print; others say the infrequency and size of advertising units may be causing the... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-10-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Press lauds Barnes' Booker win

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Wed, 19/10/2011 - 09:34 The thrice-denied Julian Barnes has been lauded in the press for finally winning the Man Booker prize with his The Sense of an Ending. The Guardian warmly welcomed the decision. Claire Armistead said: "To those who believe the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Robson Press to publish Stoker's lost notebooks

Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Thu, 13/10/2011 - 08:50 Jeremy Robson has secured world rights to a book that features the previously unpublished notebooks of Bram Stoker as one of Robson's launch titles for his new imprint at Biteback. Robson bought the rights directly from... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Condé Nast Partners with HP for Print-On-Demand Content

Pilot program will allow direct-to-home printer access for some branded content. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-10-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Future set to launch N-Photo Nikon magazine

Specialist magazine publisher Future is launching a new monthly print and digital magazine, N-Photo, next month. Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2011-10-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The History Press shrinks pre-tax losses

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Wed, 12/10/2011 - 15:35 The History Press has shrunk pre-tax losses to under £1m for 2010, down from £1.4m the previous year. Using an EBITA measure (recorded earnings before interest, tax and depreciation) the company recorded earnings of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Downer warns publishers: 'set the agenda'

Written By: Philip Jones Publication Date: Tue, 11/10/2011 - 15:33 Publishers must take ownership of selling books or face quickly becoming irrelevant, former Borders UK chief Philip Downer told delegates at Tools of Change Frankfurt today (11th October). Downer said he was concerned that... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Europe set to embrace the ebook

Written By: Philip Jones Publication Date: Mon, 10/10/2011 - 14:49 European publishers are becoming less resistant to the "digitisation tsunami" as local distribution networks are built and publishers await the arrival of global players such as Amazon, Apple and Google in their territories. ... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Print Power

Mobile content and community brands dominated the media category of the 2011 Inc. 5000, which recognizes the 5,000 fastest-growing privately-held companies in the U.S. (The number one company in the media category: GoLive! Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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History Press Marches On

In a time of change in the book industry, the History Press, an independent publisher in Charleston, S.C., is doing a brisk business in titles designed specifically for local markets. From 20 books in its inaugural year of 2004, History Press is on track to release 325 books in 2011. The company... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Canongate sells controlling stake in Text Publishing

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Mon, 03/10/2011 - 15:21 Canongate has sold its controlling stake in Australian publisher Text Publishing to Maureen and Tony Wheeler, the founders of Lonely Planet. The deal, for an undisclosed sum, generates a "sizeable" amount of cash to invest into... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Future sets aside £4.9m for job cuts and unused property

Magazine publisher Future expects to pay out up to £4.9m to cover redundancies and unused property, according to a trading update released today. Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2011-09-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Indie Alliance sets up loyalty card scheme

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 23/09/2011 - 09:00 The Independent Alliance has launched a nationwide loyalty card scheme for independent bookshops, with 114 indies signed up so far. Love Your Indie, which will be run in association with the Guardian and Observer as part... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Former RDA CEO’s Severance Package Set at $500,000

Earlier this week, it was reported that former Reader Digest Association’s CEO Tom Williams was awarded $500,000 in a severance package. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-09-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Reading scheme axed due to school spending cuts

Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Mon, 19/09/2011 - 09:39 A primary schools project that has helped thousands of struggling young pupils to read is being axed by the government, according to the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT). The Reading Recovery Project involves... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Print Declines Outpace Digital Gains

Sales of print books in the major trade categories fell 22.9% in the first six months of 2011 at the houses that report figures to the Association of American Publishers. The declines were greatest among the adult segments, with sales down by more than 20% in the hardcover, trade paperback, and... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-09-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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