Book Fair Comes Alive Again

The Standard
By Beaven Tapureta
14 June 2009

THE Zimbabwe International Book Fair returns to the Harare Gardens at the end of July with Professor Hope Sadza, the Vice-Chancellor of Women’s University in Africa, set to provide the keynote address.
The ZIBF will run from July 27 to August 1, under the theme “Reading and Writing Zimbabwe”.

ZIBF Acting Executive Director Greenfield Chilongo said this year’s event is likely to be officially opened by the Minister of Education, Sports, Arts and Culture, Senator David Coltart during the Indaba conference.
The announcement of the dates for this year’s Book Fair comes hardly a month after a new ZIBF board was elected.
It is chaired by University of Zimbabwe lecturer Ruby Magosvongwe. Her deputy is Cletus Ngwaru of the Zimbabwe Book Publishers’ Association. Other members of the new board include Gondai Vutuza of the Booksellers’ Association of Zimbabwe, Dr Rosemary Moyana an educationist at the UZ, Dr Xavier Cerelse (scientist and author with SIRDC) a member of the Zimbabwe Academic and Non-Fiction Writers Association, Professor Zifikile Muguni-Gambahaya, an author and academic (UZ) and Obert Kutadzaushe, a publisher.

“We are seeking to come up with something new. Our objective is to give the readers and stakeholders what they want and provide an opportunity for them to meet some of the leading authors as well as discuss current challenges in the book sector,” Chilongo said.

The return of the Book Fair is expected to send a message to potential foreign exhibitors that the book industry in Zimbabwe is still alive and that new works are still being produced.

“The grant received from the Culture Fund has made it possible for us to ensure that the visitors to the Book Fair are admitted free of charge,” Chilongo said.

The Indaba conference, which provides a platform for publishers, academics, authors, copyright administrators, consumers and book sellers to debate topical developments in their industry, will be held at the Crown Plaza Monomotapa on July 27 and 28.

Chilongo also said the six-day event would cater for school children.

“We have revived the Children’s Reading Tent so that school children, the writers, readers and leaders of tomorrow, develop a reading culture at an early age,” he said.

The tent, a place where children read and listen to modern stories and folktales from experienced storytellers and teachers, was last held several years ago under the auspices of the Zimbabwe Book Development Council.

This year’s theme Reading and Writing Zimbabwe is intended to focus much more on the diverse Zimbabwean literature and voices.

At last year’s Book Fair there were no exhibitions due to the shortages of cash and high cost of transport but the Indaba workshops proceeded as before and provoked spirited debate.

This year’s Book Fair will include book launches, Live Literature, the ZBPA Literary Awards, writers’ workshops and literary debates, book draws as well as exhibition of books, magazines, journals and other artistic creations by stakeholders.