Book business on the eve of the 2013/2014 academic year is marred by so many challenges in the North West Region in general and Bamenda, in particular. Issues such as delays in supply of required textbooks, several publishers for same books, expensive but doubtful quality textbooks, amongst others, form the most recurrent complains from book vendors.

In effect, the city's commercial centre and neighbouring bookshops are flooded by parents in search of books, some of which are rare to find because, according to Raphael Fondeh of Tafara Bookshop, booklists were published early enough and respective colleges equally made available their booklists but delays in supply are registered, with publishers to blame. He, however, acknowledges that the prices are acceptable but for the fact that some are poorly printed and do not qualify to fetch the prices attached.

Nevertheless, Henriette Happi of Lifrom Bookshop told CT that authors dictate the prices of their books. Lifrom commercialises essentially French textbooks which are often very expensive, according to Henriette Happi. Meanwhile, Daniel Lenyuy of Destiny Bookshop told CT that the price list from the Ministry of Trade is applied and there are no special worries from customers.