Sidi
“In his usual spot on 125th Street [& Adam Clayton Powell Blvd], taking call after call on his cell phone on a recent Tuesday, Sidibe Ibrahima looked every inch an editor. Under one arm, he carried proofs of a novel that a friend had asked him to look at. Over the phone, he was reassuring another writer about her book. ‘Send me two chapters,’ he told her soothingly. With his little glasses and his affable, patient manner, Mr. Ibrahima would not seem out of place stalking the halls of a high-profile publishing house”
—New York Times, July 17, 2005
Sidibe Ibrahima, affectionately called “Sidi,” was born and raised in
Africa’s Ivory Coast until he moved to Germany in 1982. He attended college in
Germany and developed his entrepreneurial spirit there before returning to the
Ivory Coast to open Sidibe & Freres Distribution (an import & export company) in
1995.
In 2000, Sidi headed to America armed with his ability to speak seven different
languages as well as write four and began working at a jewelry store for $3.50
and driving a cab. When he amassed $600 in savings, he opened his first table in
Harlem selling books.
In addition to selling books, Sidi began reading books from new publishing
companies and giving them to other book vendors. Due to his business savvy and
networking skills, he expanded to owning 5 book stands that encompasses various
neighborhoods Brooklyn, New York.
Over the years, Sidi has helped many authors, including
Terri Woods (Meow Meow Productions),
Shannon Holmes (Triple Crown)
Danielle Santiago (Little Ghetto Girl),
Treasure E. Blue (Harlem Girl Lost),
Al Saadiq Banks (No Exit, Bloc Party, Sincerely Yours),
Mark Anthony (Paper Chasers, Dogism, Ladies Night), Antoine "Inch" Thomas (Flower’s Bed, No Regrets, Unwilling to Suffer),
Anthony Whyte (Ghetto Girls I & II, Streets of New York),
K’wan (Gangsta Road Dowgs, Street Dreams), Michael Evans (It Was All In the Cards) and many others by helping them in
promoting their books. On the distribution side, Sidi has assisted Culture Plus
and A&B distributors and Bigdealbooks.
Recently, he’s worked with Ashante Kahari, Homo Thug, and helped Ashante to amass 25,0000-50,000 in
sales and become a best seller.
Sidi’s "starting small but thinking big" attitude has helped him to become the
most well known seller of African American books in New York City. He is
constantly sent books to sample as well as galley proofs prior to the book being
printed. He pretty much has kept his finger on the pulse of African American
book patrons and provided them with what they have both needed in wanted in
quality literature. He has a natural instinct and knowledge of the ever
increasing market for literature that many companies would spend countless
dollars to acquire that market share.
Sidi’s desire to continue to be the premier source for quality literature
prompted him to create Harlem Book Center (HBC), a publishing and distribution
company in based in Harlem, NY. The first release from HBC is Fatou: An African
Girl in Harlem, a novel that as actually penned by Sidi himself. Both HBC and "Fatou"
are doing well in their infancy and are anticipated to surpass Sidi’s original
expectations.
With Sidi already accomplishing so much, one would wonder what’s next. He
actually wants HBC to be a huge publishing and distribution conglomerate that
operates nationwide as well as internationally in France, England and other
locales. As for his writing, Sidi has other project both on his mind and in the
works.
Sidi’s desire for literature and culture to come together is evident in the
work, "Fatou." The culture of certain countries in Africa is explored as well as
the fast-paced culture of New York City. The result is a riveting story of a
young girl that quickly turns into a woman in America basically because she has
no other choice. The heartfelt passages solidifies Sidi’s ability to bond with
African American book patrons and primes him for a stellar writing career that
will complement his success as a book seller.
With all of his natural talents and instincts, Sidi has accomplished many things
in his young life. Be sure to visit Harlem Book Center at 106 West 137th Street,
Suite 5D in New York, NY or visit him online at
www.harlembookcenter.com [domain inactive] to keep
abreast of current and ongoing projects.
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