Hans Zell and the organic development of African publishing

Writing a tribute to Hans Zell is, as I realize while writing, both a personal exercise, a demanding task of research, and, above all, a profound continuation of meaning in relation to a person I admire and consider a friend. These are the reasons why I accepted without hesitation the invitation from Stephanie Kitchen and Terry Barringer to write this tribute. It is, therefore, both an honour and a considerable challenge for me to write this ‘selective’ retrospective, especially as Hans continues to develop his work and to offer new valuable articles and in-depth analyses. It is fascinating, and certainly unique, to think that Hans has been tirelessly publishing his work since 1964. I am also convinced that he will hate reading such a tribute, given that he has always preferred to highlight the work of others and encourage them to follow their own path. I will therefore take full responsibility for this, never mind!