Cassava Republic has revealed the 2025 cohort for its Being Black in Publishing initiative, and this include JAY Lit content writer, Bakare Oluwatobiloba, and JAY Lit reviewer, Yinka Adetu. The cohort will attend a month-long virtual forum with black publishing experts as well as a 4-day professional workshop series on career-branding. They will also undergo a 3-month paid internship with mentorship. The selected writers will be able to gain real world publishing access and learn more about editorial processes.The selected members of the cohort are listed below.
Being Black In Publishing Cohort
- Star Zahra—Kachifo ltd, Editorial.
- Sharon Azzahir—Cassava Republic Press, Cross departmental.
- Uchenna Nnabugwu—Narrative Landscape, Cross departmental.
- Chinedu Queenette Nwangwa—Masobe Books, Cross departmental.
- Grace Wambui Mwangi—Jahazi Press (Kenya) Cross departmental.
- Manuela Arerite Owuiko—Roving Heights Bookstore, Marketing and community management.
- Abdulrafiu Olayinka Adetu—Masobe Books, Editorial.
- Leonora Ifeanyichukwu—Cassava Republic, Cross Departmental.
- Similoluwa Oladele—Kachifo ltd, Editorial
- Jochebed Peace Airede—Narrative Landscape Press, Cross departmental.
- Bakare Oluwatobiloba Oyindamola—Roving Heights, Marketing and communication.
- Alexis-Jade Marshoff—New Africa Books (South Africa) Cross Departmental.
Cassava Republic is a Nigerian book publishing company with a focus on affordability and developing upcoming talent. It was established in 2006 and headed by Bibi Bakare-Yusuf. It set up the Being Black in Publishing initiative to support upcoming writers and editors.
About Being Black In Publishing
This creative literary initiative began in 2023 and was developed in 2023 by an intern at the time, Boluwatitio Sanusi. Boluwatito is now an assistant editor at the Cassava Republic. It was created to open doors for young black publishing talent across the continent. In its first year, the program brought together 15 Black publishing professionals, hosted a public forum with over 500 signups, and placed interns in 4 publishing houses. The programme is now in its second year and has been expanded to include several more opportunities.
This year, Narrative Landscape, Roving Heights, Farafina Books (Kachifo), Masobe Books, Jahazai Press, and New Africa Books have partnered with the program in order to make it a memorable and impactful experience.
Congratulations to Bakare Oluwatobiloba, Yinka Adetu, and all other members of the 2025 cohort!
Oreoluwa Odusote
Writer, poet, and dreamer.
