Leaving a legacy: Cullen Mackenzie writes for his children and generations to come
Cullen Mackenzie wrote Impi yeHlathi because he wanted other children to experience the stories he had told his own children and isiZulu students. Mabhengwane of
Wondering how to stock our books?
At Clockwork Books (and under our Zazi Books imprint), we believe in publishing stories that matter — joyful, local, language-rich books that reflect South African lives. But the business of selling books isn’t always set up for small publishers.
The reality is that large-scale retail distribution comes with high fees, deep discounts, and rigid terms. For a small press like ours, it often means losing money on every copy sold — and giving up control over how our books are positioned, priced, or presented.
That’s why we focus instead on direct partnerships: with schools, libraries, independent stores, and community champions who believe in what we do.
If you’re a school, an indie retailer, or a literacy organisation, we’d love to work with you!
Our children’s education is at the core of our mission at Clockwork Books. We offer schools and educators:
Want to order for your school or set up a book club? Get in touch here.
Indie bookstores are more than just retailers – they’re champions of literacy, community, and the kind of storytelling that makes Clockwork Books tick. We offer indie retailers:
Sound like a fit? Let’s talk!
We’d love to work with NGOs, community reading programmes, and literacy initiatives. If you’re running a book drive or need multilingual content, let us help you match titles to your audience – and your budget.
Drop us a line to chat about your goals and how we can support them.
Every time you stock or share one of our books, you’re doing more than helping us stay afloat – you’re helping us:
We’re not just selling books. We’re building a reading culture rooted in identity, joy, and access.
Thank you for being a part of it.
Cullen Mackenzie wrote Impi yeHlathi because he wanted other children to experience the stories he had told his own children and isiZulu students. Mabhengwane of
Listening to her grandmother’s stories during childhood sparked Nolusindiso Dumezweni’s passion for crafting stories of her own. Nolusindiso grew up in Cofimvaba in the Eastern
Kalenga Augustine “KA” Mulenga is on a mission: To write stories that inspire children and guide them on their paths to adulthood. KA’s writing journey
In the world of publishing for tweens, a book’s cover isn’t just an aesthetic choice – it’s a portal inviting young readers into the story.