The South Africa National Book Week 2017 is happening in Johannesburg from September 4-10. The highlight will be the South Africa Book Fair 2017 from September 8-10.
South Africa National Book Week is a reading promotion campaign implemented by the South African Book Development Council (SABDC) in partnership with the Department Of Arts and Culture. It was initiated in 2010 and is celebrated the first week of September every year. World Literacy Day which is commemorated on September 8th every year.
National Book Week activities include reading awareness events like those that took place the Laingsburg Thusong Centre in the Western Cape, TVET College Hall in Umzimkhulu, KwaZulu-Natal and Zwide Library in Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.
Then there is the #BUY_A_BOOK campaign that being run at Exclusive Books, Bargain Books and Takealot.com where you are asked to buy a book for another person especially the youngest amongst us. You are asked to go to these retailers and buy a book for R20, add it your order at the counter and drop it off at the National Book Week #BUY_A_BOOK donation bins. These books will be donated to National Book Week reading projects.
The highlight of the National Book Week will be the South African Book Fair 2017 in Newtown, Johannesburg which we spoke about a few moons ago from September 8-10. The event with the theme #OURSTORIES will be attended by National Book Week ambassadors Keeno-Lee Hector, Mostoaledi Setumo, Vatiswa Ndara and Mogau Motlhatswi.
There will be also the National Book Week Magic Tent, sponsored by the National Arts Council. All are invited to attend events at the tent, from smaller children to grandparents; and to revel in the affirmative power of books and reading. The Cotlands toy libraries in the Magic Tent will allow children to play with carefully selected educational play materials, and a wide range of educational toys and resources that enhance learning for young children. A variety of ‘reading champions’ from Project Literacy, an early-childhood-development programme, will read from books, wonderful books, to the children in the Magic Tent.
For those interested in academic literature, the SABF has established an entire Research Lane dedicated to the word of scholarly publishing and the work that some of our continent’s most prolific writers and thinkers are publishing. Scholarly publishers from Wits, UCT, UNISA, UP and others will be present and ready to engage you.
The foodies can look forward to tasty test kitchens where chefs and food lovers will offer cooking demonstrations. Featured foodies include Sydda Essop, Antonia de Luca, Mpho Tshukudu and Yemisi Aribisala.
Poetry will also feature this year with the Poetry Café Sponsored by Gauteng Sports, Arts & Culture, featuring poets such as Koleka Putuma, Rustum Kozain, Lebo Mashile, Mbali Vilakazi, and Philippa Yaa De Villiers. These sessions promise to be a feast for the soul.
Featuring at the festival will be Zakes Mda the festival headeliner, Athambile Masola, Ayòbámi Adébáyò, Lola Shoneyin Mũkoma wa Ngũgĩ, Bibi Bakare-Yusuf, Lebo Mashile, Ferial Haffajee Sindiwe Magona, Makhosazana Xaba, Hugh Masekela and many more.
Leave a Reply