Profile of Painted Lady Press
Painted Lady Press is an independent publisher based in East Africa.
Mission
To provide access to contemporary literature to all readers and publishing opportunities to African writers.
Vision
- Contribute to Africa’s cultural heritage by providing a platform for African perspectives and creative expression.
- Tell stories that travel the world
- Archive lore for ourselves and posterity.
Motto
- Believing in the stubborn endurance of stories.
- Ordinary people creating in extraordinary times.
Values
Collaboration

Collaboration across continents and borders, using stories to build the future we want.
Curiosity

Curiosity about the world around us to uncover narratives overlooked in mainstream discourse.
Authenticity

Nurturing and celebrating our originality to authentically contribute to the tradition of storytelling.
Creativity

Creatively delving into the nuance of daily life, to present our insights in an engaging manner.
Relatablity

Stories for entertainment, grounded in our context.
Our Services
Digital Publishing
Suitable for businesses and organizations who want to explore branding and storytelling opportunities with different formats such as magazines, comics books, or multi-media blog series, to broaden their audiences or present information in an accessible format.
Book a discovery call today by emailing editor@paintedladypress.africa
Trade Publishing
Our physical and digital collections publish Kenyan, East African, African writing that delves into the nuance of life to confront or reimagine narratives overlooked in mainstream discourse, documents the times or reflects on the past.
Query the editor with a synopsis, a draft of your manuscript, and your intended audience. Include your bio, country of orign.
Key Personnel
Lena Anyuolo | Founder and Publisher
At Painted Lady Press Africa, I publish submissions in addition to setting the editorial, and brand direction of the press. I also assemble and manage seasonal teams depending on publishing needs. I have ten years of experience, since 2017, in content creation, writing, editing, and communication roles at digital media, lifestyle publishing, event and entertainment companies, travel and transport sector, digital marketing agencies, and human rights advocacy centres. My poetry collection Rage and Bloom was published and launched in 2022 to local and international success.
Malia Mandisa Thandiwe | Contributing Writer
Malia Thandiwe is inspired by films, music, nature, and books. They are the in-house writer at Painted Lady Press Africa.
