SA Book Fair. Picture: Supplied
New and well-established local writers are set to turn the Women’s Jail at Johannesburg’s Constitutional Hill into a bookworm’s dreamscape for an entire weekend in early September.
With engaging discussions and debates on publishing, current issues, politics, African superheroes, philosophy and much more, this year’s South African Book Fair is set to see a diverse range of emerging talent joining local literary masters for a three-day smorgasbord of events fit for everyone from pre-schoolers to the most avid of book lovers.
This year’s theme, #OurStories, centres on the reclamation of our voices (especially female writers), and how this has revolutionised the way we tell our stories and experiences through literature.
With that said, the book fair will open with three new and powerful female voices, including Letshego Zulu, the widow of famed local race car driver Gugu Zulu, as well as Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter Ndileka Mandela and Gabi Lowe, author of Get Me To 21.
Picture: Supplied
Dr Gcina Mhlophe will also be leading the debut poetry talent featured on a very special tour of Constitution Hill on the Saturday.
From the austere halls of the women’s jail to the Anglo-Boer War era fort, the stark concrete of the men’s jail where many apartheid activists were incarcerated and the symbolic architecture of the modern Constitutional Court – where the battle for freedom continues – the tour includes moving performances by Tshepo Molefe and Fumane Ntlhabane along the way.
In addition to a plethora of female-themed showcases, the influence of kwaito music on the youth of the ’90s and its ripple effects on today’s youth will be unpacked by Sihle Mthembu in a conversation with Carsten Rasch and Steven Sidley through a tell-all session.
In true African fashion, a celebration without sharing a plate is not a celebration, and this year’s fair includes plenty of culinary excellence for those attending.
Mogau Seshoene of the beloved “Lazy Makoti” will be celebrating her birthday with the public in a live demonstration, while Lebo and Tebo Ndala will be sharing their love of food through their cooking.
Picture: Supplied
Foodies can also look forward to Lesego Semenya, affectionately known as “Les Da Chef”, as he takes us on a snobbery-less food journey.
This year’s SA Book Fair programme showcases what is possible if we are courageous enough to lead the change.
The fair’s newer authors will have visitors moving from one session to the next in anticipation of riveting and relevant engagements.
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