GALLERY: South African Book Fair comes to Joburg
NEWTOWN – Authors, readers and books come together at the 2015 SA Book Fair.
Authors, aspiring authors, publishers and book lovers were enthralled at the recent South African Book Fair. The book fair was was held over the weekend of 01 August at the Turbine Hall in Newtown.
It was the first time the book fair was held in Johannesburg as it was previously based in Cape Town. New release books, old time classics as well as e-books were on display as publishing houses showcased their author’s talents while live readings were done by renowned authors.
Author and poet Finula Dowling showcased her latest release The Fetch. She said it was important for authors to attend such events as writing is a lonely career, and this also enabled her to meet her readers whose feedback she appreciated.
She advised aspiring authors to keep a diary and not hold back when trying to tell their truth. “A book is only really published when readers give their feedback and what I’m trying to say is that I feel this way about a particular issue and want to know if other people share my view,” she said.
Well-renowned author and storyteller Gcina Mhlope also attended the book fair and was there to launch her new book Stories of Africa. She lamented on the fact that it was not easy to get published, especially for authors of African languages, but added that it was great that more and more people were learning African languages.
Aspiring author Mazwi Mdima attended the fair with his son and grandson. He said he wanted to use the opportunity to meet other writers as well as to establish contacts with publishers.
“I’m writing a book about my two children’s violent deaths, and the book will focus on spousal abuse as I want to understand this love that killed my children,” he said.
Deputy chairperson of the Publishing Association Terry Morris, one of the organisers of the book fair, said that they were happy with the turnout, especially since it was the first time it had been hosted in Johannesburg.
“The fair is to bring authors, readers and books together as books are fun and engaging and we want to carve out a space for books from other entertainment that’s out there,” Morris said.
