Why Do Books On Africa Look The Same?

May 15, 2014 in Daily Bulletin

On any given book on Africa chances are that the cover features a red sunset or an acacia tree or both. Michael Silverberg took a look at why:

  • Cover designers aren’t necessarily worldly in their outlook and may not know a lot about African countries.
  • In such circumstances it is safer to fall back upon existing clichés.
  • When there are exceptions to this cover design it is usually because the author is female or Muslim – and then clichés for female or Muslim authored books are used on the cover instead.
  • Someday there’ll be a bestselling book on Africa that won’t resort to this trope for its cover. This bestseller’s cover will then become the new cliché.

Read more over here.

Source: Quartz