Zimbabwean author Sue Nyathi, best known for her novel The Polygamist has reacted strongly to the appearance of bootleg copies of her book in Nairobi. She said demand has surged since the Netflix adaptation of the same name premiered, and she has now called out the sale of pirated versions in the Kenyan capital.
Posting on social media, Ms Nyathi warned her followers not to buy the copies being sold on Ronald Ngala Street. She added that she is working to ensure legitimate copies of the book are available in Kenya through a proper distributor.
The Netflix series has been trending at the top of the Top 10 list in Kenya and in 12 other countries, including Romania, Slovakia, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Nigeria, South Africa, and more.
“There are pirated copies of #ThePolygamist being sold at Affordable Books in Nairobi along Ronald Ngala Street,” she tweeted.
“I know the book is in demand, & I’m working to make it available there through a reputable supplier. Copyright infringement is a crime. Don’t support the violation!”
Although no Kenyan distributor currently holds authorization to sell The Polygamist, readers can still buy an original copy on Amazon for Ksh 1,124.
The Kenya Copyright Board, the state corporation established under Kenya’s Copyright Act to administer and enforce copyright and related rights, urged Ms Nyathi to file an official complaint. The board said this step could help curb piracy of her book.
Sue Nyathi, a Bulawayo-born investment analyst, self-published her debut novel in 2012 after facing repeated rejections from mainstream publishers in South Africa and Zimbabwe.
On June 12, Netflix released all 22 episodes of The Polygamist. Within a week, the series had generated 19.1 million viewing hours and opened at number four on Netflix’s global non-English TV chart before rising as high as number three.
