Luanda, 20 October, 2025 / 8:53 PM
A member of the Pious Society of the Daughters of St. Paul (FSP/Pauline Sisters) in Angola has described her first participation in the Frankfurt International Book Fair as “a wonderful experience” that has opened new horizons for the growth and visibility of African Catholic literature.
In a message shared with Africa on October 18, Sr. Marlise Heckler said the five-day international event provided a valuable opportunity to present the works of Angolan and Mozambican Catholic authors to a global audience.
“We are here in Frankfurt as the Paulines for the first time. It is a wonderful experience of contact with the entire world — with people from many countries and printing houses from different nations,” Sr. Marlise has said referring to the October 15-19 event in the central German city on the river Main.
The Brazilian-born Sister, who was among the pioneer Pauline Sisters in Angola in 1999, has underscored the significance of the event, saying it reaffirmed her belief that “the world still believes in books, that people continue to seek knowledge, and that authors remain passionate about writing.”
She adds, “It is impressive to see the presence of Paulines and to know that we are the first Angolan publishing house to participate in such an important international fair.”
In her message while at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2015, Sr. Marlise expresses the hope the presence of the Pauline Sisters serving in Angola at the international exhibition would strengthen the visibility of African Catholic literature on the global stage.
“May God continue to give us the strength to bring the thoughts and voices of Angolan authors to the world,” the representative of Pauline Sisters serving in Angola and Mozambique at the book fair says, and further thanks God for the opportunity to participate and appeals for “prayers so that Angola may remain culturally alive and present internationally.”
The Frankfurt Book Fair (Frankfurter Buchmesse) is considered the largest international book fair in the world, bringing together publishers, authors, literary agents, booksellers, illustrators, translators, and media professionals.
The 2025 edition featured the Philippines as the guest of honor, showcasing the country’s rich literary and cultural diversity.
In an interview with ACI Africa, the Coordinator of the Paulines Biblical Center in Southern Africa, Sr. Elisabete Corazza, said the participation of the Pauline Sisters in Angola and Mozambique in the fair marks a “historic moment for evangelization and the promotion of African culture in the world.”
“It is the first time that Pauline Sisters in Angola are present in Frankfurt, and it opens doors for Angolan and Mozambican Catholic authors to be known internationally. It also makes possible the acquisition of translation rights and new publications for our writers,” Sr. Corazza said during the October 18 interview.
She explained that since 2000, the Pauline Sisters serving in Angola and Mozambique have published numerous books, which were on display in the German city.
“At the Frankfurt Book Fair, which gathers thousands of exhibitors from across the world, the African publications of the Paulines are featured in the global stand of our Congregation, representing countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Angola, Mozambique, Kenya, and Madagascar,” she said, adding that this year’s focus on Africa “is particularly meaningful for us.”
The member of the Pauline Sisters, also known as the Daughters of St. Paul noted that the participation of their Sisters serving in Angola at the 2025 Frankfurt Book Fair came at a symbolic moment for the Southern African nation, which is celebrating 50 years of independence.
For her, it is a time to “invest in culture and promote the value of Angolan writers.”
“We are still small, but the seeds we are planting now will help Angola build a more vibrant cultural life, recognizing its great writers and thinkers,” Sr. Corazza told ACI Africa said.
Pauline Sisters who participated in the 2024 Frankfurt Book Fair were impressed by the interest people have in books.
“I was awestruck by the number of people who turned up to buy books. There were people of all ages: children, young people and even the elderly. You could see everyone purchasing large quantities of books,” Sr. Mary Mutahi told ACI Africa on 29 October 2024.
The Kenyan-born Nairobi-based Pauline Sister added, “It was inspiring to see such a deep appreciation for reading in a highly developed country like Germany.”
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Sr. Mutahi further said that what she saw in Germany during the 16-20 October 2024 Book Fair was “a reminder that nurturing a reading culture is invaluable, regardless of where we are.”
Her sentiments were echoed by Sr. Agatha Chipulu Zimba who told ACI Africa that “there were so many people coming to buy books. That was something I have never seen in Africa. Such a big crowd of people.”
Noting a “very low” participation of African natives at the 2024 Frankfurt Book Fair, the Zambian-born Nairobi-based FSP member appealed to Africans to take participation in international book fairs seriously as books are the primary medium of conveying a people’s heritage.
In an earlier Book Fair, Sr. Praxides Nafula took note of the evolving nature of publishing and the need for African authors and publishers to embrace global trends to hack it on the international market.
“My biggest take-away from what I saw at the Frankfurt Book Fair is the fact that publishing is evolving drastically, especially in terms of typography,” the Kenyan-born Pauline Sister, who serves as Directress of the Nairobi-headquartered Paulines Publications Africa (PPA) told ACI Africa following the 18-22 October 2023 Frankfurt Book Fair.
Sr. Praxides added, “It was a challenge when a lady from Turkey looked at our books and said that our books looked ancient. This really kept me thinking.”
“The font sizes and types we are using in Africa, and the way we design our covers is, in a way, ancient. I saw very modern styles in books that were showcased in Frankfurt. We need to move with the rest of the world,” she told ACI Africa during the 23 October 2023 interview.
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