Library

This month’s Library Highlight showcases 23 zines from the Swahili region of Lamu, Kenya, which the African Library recently acquired. The booklets were produced in January 2025 as part of the Lamu Maktaba Ya Sanaa Project, initiated by Karin Voogd. The recently acquired zines are currently exhibited at the African Studies Centre.

From 14 to 16 March 2025 the fourth edition of the Salon du Livre Africain de Paris took place. Some 120 publishers, mostly from francophone African countries and France, were represented at the fair. Cameroon was guest of honour, and Brazil special guest. Heleen Smits of the African Library visited the fair to expand our French-language collection.

This week the papal conclave is convened to appoint the new pope to succeed Francis who died on 21 April 2025. One of the possible successors is the Congolese archbishop Fridolin Ambongo Besungo (born 24 January 1960).