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Burundian culture gives a derisory place to the book

ByWebmaster

Apr 19, 2023

BUJUMBURA April 19th  (ABP) – The Burundian Association for Writers and Book Promoters (ABEPL) has, as part of International Book Day, organized on Thursday April 13, 2023 in Bujumbura, a panel around the theme: The place of the book in culture in Burundi” and the panelists castigated the negligible place that Burundian society gives to books and reading.

The director of the Burundian center for reading and cultural animation, Mr. Sébastien Ntahongendera indicates that the book, like the language, is the vehicle of culture. He believes that this day dedicated to the book falls within the range of the ministry having culture in its attributions which is in the process of promoting reading through the cultural animation centers (CLAC).

According to him, the International Day dedicated to the book fits well with the new cultural policy which puts the book in general and reading in particular at the center of the concerns, from where it can only meet a favorable reception in the socio-cultual circles. Mr. Ntahondereye affirms that Burundians no longer read and gives, in detail, the reasons which, according to him, have caused this situation: “Burundians no longer read as before and this is due to the political and security situation that the country has experienced in a cyclical way that led to the collapse of the economy. That situation affected, at the same time, the school and the book”, he explained. He indicates that at some point they witnessed establishments that had difficulty in obtaining books and this condition produced a generation that did not read not because they did not want to but because there was nothing to read. However, Mr. Ntahondereye remains hopeful that the situation can change: “Today people do not read as we wish but I think it is a situation that can evolve”, he persuaded.

That is how he recommends to Burundians the love of reading: “I think that Burundians in general should reconnect with reading because reading is traveling in time and space. With reading we are aware of what happened, what is happening but also and above all of what will happen through the works of fiction”, he said.

To writers Ntahondereye recommends that they be writers of their people while producing works that first attract Burundians: “As it is said that the people do not read, they must write to win the soul of the Burundian people while producing works that attract,” he recommends.

The ABEPL leader and country representative of the league of African writers at the same time, Mrs. Jeanne d’Arc Nduwayo, indicates that the book is the pillar of development, a bridge between generations but also and above all a source of education and knowledge. However, she regrets that in Burundi the book does not have its rightful place. “We want the book to have its place in the culture, in the education and in the country,” she said.

She regrets that the Burundian writer faces many challenges, particularly those related to the lack of publishing houses where even those that are available are self-employed publishing houses which oblige the author to pay all the costs related to the publication: “Imagine a Burundian who has written a book and who is going to spend his money for its release in a context where there are fewer consumers! “, she lamented.

To do that, Nduwayo recommends that the government promote publishing in Burundi so that there are publishing houses on the publisher’s account, but in the meantime she proposes exemption from the importation of works published in foreign.

Mrs. Concilie Bigirimana, professor of literature at the University of Burundi (UB) also considers that Burundi being historically and traditionally a country where knowledge was transmitted orally, that could be a factor originated from that lack of interest in reading and writing and which makes the book occupy a derisory place. She finds, in that case, that it is difficult to directly jump on a book and succeed. She wonders, moreover, about the two verbs, “to read” “and to drink”, which are related where it is obviously drinking that wins over reading.

Nevertheless, Burundi is not the only country in the world to have known a long oral tradition from which it is difficult to confirm 100% that this situation would have affected the book. The underlying reasons for that lack of love for books observed among Burundians could be found elsewhere.

Ms Jeanne d’Arc Nduwayo