A new South African company, Knowledge Thirst Media, unveiled its list at LBF. The company was set up by Siraj Ghoor, whose interest in publishing was sparked by the historical fiction his children read as part of their studies. ‘As I began to read some of their books, it intrigued me that they could learn history, geography, science and life skills through literature,’ he says. ‘It was far more interesting than using textbooks for these purposes! I realised that there was a dire need to get such books to schools in order to reach other children, and that adults would benefit from them as well.

’First, Siraj ‘dabbled’ with selling books by mail order. ‘I then moved on to distributing books from the UK – Classical Comics and 1001 Inventions – while I also attended the Cape Town and London book fairs to learn the book trade and locate publishers.’ But he began to nurture ambitions to publish his own list. ‘Publishing under my own brand really excited me because of its creative element and because of the prospect of getting books of my own choice into the market.

’His first two books are Cracking China and Phapo’s Gift. ‘Cracking China is an interesting, funny and thought provoking memoir of a South African who teaches English in China. China is a relevant setting, given the current worldwide economic interest and increasing cultural interest in the country, and therefore this book should have an appeal well beyond South Africa. It is an off-the-wall memoir of the author’s discovery of Chinese culture, from a largely western point of view. It manages to “crack” open the not-so-subtle nuances of Chinese culture, exposing the in-your-face squalor and intrusiveness, while demonstrating the easy-going and childlike nature of its people.

‘My other book, Phapo’s Gift, is an illustrated children’s story about a 10-year-old girl, Phapo, whose father is diagnosed with HIV. As she enters puberty and as boys start to look at her, she learns from her adult role models about the advantages of abstinence in order to prevent pregnancy and AIDS, and to stand up for herself. This book can be adapted to suit other markets, if need be.

’Siraj now plans to work full time on Knowledge Thirst Media. ‘As a publisher, I endeavour to address social ills among the youth by reaching out to young people, inspiring them, promoting a culture of reading and learning and sharpening the minds of our rising generation. We seek to equip the youth with life skills, to boost their self-esteem, to inculcate self-discipline and to present a different outlook on life. Instead of preaching to the young, we believe that exposing them to literature and other forms of media that are interesting and educational at the same time is much more effective and enthralling.’ He hopes that the LBF South Africa Market Focus, depleted as it unfortunately was by events, will have helped him to promote his list.