How TikTok celebrated World Book day
On World Book Day, TikTok celebrated the power of community and how #BookTok brings readers together.
This symbolic day in world literature, celebrated on 23 April, pays tribute to books and authors and encourages everyone to have access to books – the oldest and most beautiful invention for sharing ideas across the boundaries of people, space and time.
According to Boniswa Sidwaba, Head of Content Programming, Sub-Saharan Africa,
“There is a growing community of book lovers on TikTok in Africa, with creators sharing book reviews, recommendations and discussions under the hashtag #BookTok.
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In countries such as South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria, there is a larger community of book lovers creating content using the #BookTok hashtag.
Book-related content on TikTok in Africa is diverse, with creators sharing content in different languages, covering a wide range of genres and topics, and sharing their unique perspectives on reading and books.”
As the trend of book-related content on TikTok in Africa continues to grow, there is a promising future for #BookTok and book-related content in Africa.
Boniswa Sidwaba said engagement with book-related content on TikTok in Africa is steadily increasing, with users liking, commenting and sharing their favourite videos.
“This has encouraged more creators to produce book-related content and engage with the growing community of book lovers on the platform. African book influencers and authors have also collaborated with TikTok creators to promote their work and reach new audiences.”
Over the past six months, the top three BookTok hashtags in sub-Saharan Africa were #Read, with 1,628,940 video views.
#Booksyoushouldread, which had 725,920 views; and #Bookstoread, which had 186,847 views.
These hashtags demonstrate the enthusiasm and interest of African TikTok users in discovering new books and sharing their reading experiences with others.
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