Elieshi Lema

Elieshi Lema (born 1949) is a Tanzanian writer and publisher, also active in Tanzania's civil society.

Biography Lema was born and raised in the village of Nronga in Moshi District of Kilimanjaro Region. She studied library science and worked at the national library. She continued her education by studying English literature at the University of Dar es Salaam and creative writing at San Francisco State University.

Lema began writing poetry and then children's books which also operates a book café in Dar es Salaam.

Both as a writer of young adult literature as well as a publisher and educator, Lema has focussed on books for children as the basis for a publishing industry in her country. She is also a founding director for the Tanzania Cultural Trust Fund. Further, she has served on the board for the African Publishers Network, Haki Elimu, the Tanzania Gender Networking Programme, the Tanzania Media Fund and on the executive board for the Publishers Association of Tanzania,

In an interview about her experience about the challenges of building a sustainable reading culture in East Africa, she said: Mwendo , 1998 Parched Earth, 2001 The Man from Tanga: A Reader on HIV, 2007 In the Belly of Dar es Salaam, E & D Vision Publishing, 2011 with graphic artist M. Sagikwa: Ndoto Ya Upendo, 2017

as editor: The Future of African Indigenous Publishing: Report of the Dag Hammarskjold Foundation Seminar Held at Arusha, Tanzania, March 25th-28th 1996. with I.M Omari and Rakesh Rajani: Nyerere on Education: Selected Essays and Speeches. Dar es Salaam: Haki Elimu, 2006

Reception In her 2013 scholarly article in a French scientific journal, Flavia Aiello Traoré highlighted the interplay between literature, education, and culture, stating that Lema's work has significantly contributed to Tanzania's literary and educational landscape. According to the study, the context of children's literature in Tanzania is closely tied to public education and the promotion of Swahili as the national language. Swahili was introduced as the medium of instruction after independence, but challenges remain in its consistent application across all educational levels. From the 1990s onward, initiatives like the "Children’s Book Project" improved literacy rates and supported local publishing. Despite progress, Tanzania's children's literature sector faces obstacles such as limited resources, underdeveloped markets, and inconsistencies in educational quality.

As the founder of her own publishing house, E&D Limited, her works have aimed to support public education while nurturing children's curiosity, identity, and self-esteem. Further, she often addresses important themes such as cultural traditions, children's rights, education, and gender equality. Lema's storytelling also has incorporated Tanzanian oral traditions and realistic character portrayals to engage young readers.