No! Wahala Media at Bound Art Book Fair 2025

Bound Art Book Fair 2025. Photo by KC Nwakalor

Bound Art Book Fair 2025 took place on 25 and 26 October at the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester. It was a proud moment for us at No Wahala Media. We set out to share exciting African visual stories with a broader audience. We left feeling encouraged, inspired and more determined to keep building a platform that uplifts photographers from Africa and its diaspora.

This year’s fair brought together independent publishers, artists and photographers who believe in the power of printed work. For us, it was the perfect space to introduce our first major publication, Where A Chapter Ends, Another Begins. It is the debut photobook by Nigerian documentary photographer KC Nwakalor.

The book covers nine years of his journey. It reflects personal and public stories from Nigeria and the West African region. During the fair, visitors were able to hold the book in their hands, flip through each chapter and feel the care that went into every page.

We sold copies. We signed books. KC also read excerpts from the book, letting audiences hear the narrative behind the images in his own voice. Many people were drawn to the honesty in the work. Some were surprised by the complexity of the stories. Others were excited to see a body of African documentary photography grounded in lived experience.

KC Nwakalor reads excerpts from Where a Chapter Ends, Another Begins at the Bound Art Book Fair 2025. Photo by Tse Hei Long

Alongside the photobook, we showcased three past issues of No! Wahala Magazine. Each issue highlights strong photographic voices from across Africa and the diaspora. Many visitors were discovering the magazine for the first time and were excited to see African stories told with dignity and depth. There is growing anticipation for our next issue, which focuses on spirituality. It explores faith, ritual and the unseen ties that guide people in everyday life. This theme will offer some of our most thought-provoking work yet.

The fair gave us a chance to speak about who we are and what we are building. No Wahala Media publishes and supports African photographers. We want our books and magazines to reach curators, editors, commissioners and anyone interested in new voices. We want to make space for photographers who have something meaningful to say but lack the access, resources or networks to publish and push their work.

Anne Nwakalor, founding editor of No! Wahala Magazine at Bound Art Book Fair 25. Photograph by KC Nwakalor.

It was refreshing to connect with other independent publishers who share similar challenges and ambitions. We shared ideas about printing, distribution and how to ensure that books remain visible long after launch. There is a strong community spirit around independent publishing in the UK. We felt welcomed into it.

We are grateful to everyone who pre-ordered the book. We are thankful to everyone who stopped at our table, asked questions, showed support, or even just smiled while browsing. The energy from the weekend has given us confidence as we move forward.

Bound Art Book Fair reminded us why physical books matter. They travel into people’s homes. They sit quietly on shelves. They invite readers to return again and again. For African photographers, books help protect our stories from being lost or misrepresented. They hold our memories in ways that feel real and lasting.

No! Wahala Media is still growing. We are still experimenting. We are still learning. Bound Art Book Fair 2025 has strengthened our belief that what we are building is needed. We look forward to returning with more books, more voices and more stories that celebrate African creativity.

Support and Stay Connected

If you missed us at the Whitworth, you can still order copies of Where A Chapter Ends, Another Begins. Purchasing the book supports KC’s artistic practice and helps us continue producing thoughtful and independent work rooted in African stories.

If you would like to directly support our mission to publish and support more African photographers, you can:

• Purchase No Wahala Magazine

• Enrol or sponsor a photographer in our upcoming workshop

• Donate to support future publishing and education opportunities

Your support helps us keep building long-term platforms for African creativity.