South Africa’s Soweto will play home to the Gauteng International Book Festival on December 11, 2022. The festival has “Unlimited Africa” as its theme. The Gauteng International Book Festival is a recent addition to the African literary calendar. On Sunday, December 11, it will take place in Soweto at the Ubuntu Kraal, where Soweto Craft Beer is brewed, just off the historic Vilakazi Street. Lorraine Sithole is one of the Festival Director and founder.
African literary tales come to life at the Gauteng International Book Festival. The top writers in South Africa will spend the day discussing their most recent works with local and international readers of all ages. In book discussions and signings, a distinguished group of biographers, historical novelists, and authors of classic children’s books are led by Fred Khumalo, Dudu Busani-Dube, Sue Nyathi, Mpush Ntabeni, Songezo Zibi, Chef Mbombi, and Lorato Trok.The festival aims to “inspire the culture of reading for leisure within our communities, connect book lovers, and host conversations between our favourite writers and readers.”
The Gauteng International Book Festival will close the year by honoring the top African books because Gauteng has a thriving reading culture. “Unlimited Africa” will be the focus of the Gauteng International Book Festival in 2022. The festival emphasizes Africa as limitless and inspirational. Dudu Busani-Dube and Fred Khumalo are the two headliners for 2022, and Dr. Nokuthula Mazibuko Msimang, a multiple-award winner, will give the keynote address.
The well-known Hlomu series of self-published books, which includes Hlomu the Wife, Zandile the Resolute, and Naledi his Love, was authored by Dudu Busani-Dube and has sold tens of thousands of copies. Her most recent book, Zulu Wedding (2018), was commissioned by the film’s director and producer, Lineo Sekeleoane, and is based on the hit movie of the same name. The fourth and last book in the Hlomu series is now being written by Busani-Dube, a journalist who is located in Johannesburg.
Fred Khumalo is a journalist and author his books cover a range of genres, including short stories, novels, non-fiction, and memoir. Among the honors he has earned are the Nadine Gordimer Short Story Award, the Alan Paton Award, and the European Union Literary Award. Numerous media, including the Sunday Times, Toronto Star, New African, The Sowetan, and Isolezwe, have published his writing. He served as the host of the SABC 2 public debate show Encounters in 2008.
Tickets will also be available at the gate on the day of the event and cost R100 for a day pass via Quicket. The day is from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The two-part family-friendly program includes a captivating storytelling spectacular for kids and the young at heart, in which 12 children’s writers will share stories fireside-style, games, and pictures; meanwhile, the literary program comprises 23 panelists, including 18 authors and 5 moderators. Sessions will cover subjects like the state of our country right now and the significance of our stories while also elevating the shisanyama in a live cooking session.
The idea behind the festival
The intention of the festival, according to the literary activist and facilitator,is to introduce Sowetans to a book festival. “There is no shortage of literary celebrations in Gauteng. Everywhere you go, especially in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg, you will find book events taking place such as the Kingsmead Book Fair, the Jozi Book Fair, and more. But mostly these happen in places that are too far for Soweto residents. Attendees need to consider transport fare, and a budget for the event as well, because you’d want to buy books when you’re there,” she said.She founded the festival along with novelist and journalist Niq Mhlongo and Dr. Nokuthula Mazibuko Msimang and they are all Sowetans.
“How can we be involved in everything concerning literature outside of Soweto and not invest in something? That was the motivation for us we had to bring it home to our people somehow,” said Sithole.She continued by saying that they intended to reach a wider audience rather than just Sowetans.“This is for the whole province and essentially the world. Literature is affected by everything that happens around it, including everything that happens outside the continent,” she said.
Other South African proudly book festival
The Open book Festival
The Open Book Festival, which takes place over the course of three days and features 41 activities, is regarded as a truly South African literary event because it brings together more than 80 South African authors, poets, and performers.
This festival commits a large chunk of its time to promoting South African authors to both domestic and foreign readers. Similar to other artists, South African writers have struggled mightily in recent years.Since Covid-19 started, all sorts of opportunities for writers to launch their books disappeared, opportunities to engage and market their books. Open Book is a space where difficult conversations are held – it’s really important for us that the festival is a safe space for those difficult conversations.
Knysna Literary Festival
The Knysna Literary Festival, which Pam Golding Properties Knysna sponsors to highlight South Africa’s rich literary legacy, is in its eleventh year. It is the only yearly festival on the Garden Route that features a select group of carefully chosen South African authors, and it is quickly growing in popularity among bookworms and those who enjoy all things literary. The #KnysnaLitFest seeks to give established authors a forum to interact directly with their readers and target audience in addition to introducing residents and tourists to South Africa’s literary talents.
There is something for everyone in the Festival’s diverse program, which covers topics including hot-button current affairs and politics, history, adventure, conservation, food, and storytelling. All of the bestselling authors are either South African natives or have strong ties to the country. They were chosen not only for their literary prowess but also for their ability to enthrall audiences with readings, talks, debates, and seminars. The #KnysnaLitFest has drawn many well-known literary luminaries over the years, and this year is no exception, making the festival a “must-do” event for all bookworms, culture vultures, and literary fans.
BookJol
The event’s goal is to recognize writing and reading books as a way of life in the academic setting. The first SA eBook Fair, which will present attendees to the new world of electronic and digital books, will also be held at this time. Leading minds read is another goal of the campaign, which also aims to promote a reading culture.
According to Ujala Satgoor, Deputy Director at the University’s Department of Library Services, the BookJol is a platform where the following will be showcased:
- current trends and developments in academic publishing
- A hundred years of publishing at the University of Pretoria
- South African writers and authors (some of whom are the University’s alumni)
The festival is intended for all tertiary students, faculty, and alumni, as well as students and teachers in schools, as well as libraries, bookshops, publishers, book clubs, reading groups, and other organizations, as well as tourism and cultural organizations, government agencies, and the diplomatic community. In short, it’s for bookworms everywhere!
At the official opening, Mathews Phosa, a politician and Afrikaans poet, will give a speech. His speech is anticipated to touch on the use of language as a means of rapprochement.The festival will also feature participation from well-known authors. Among them are Shimmer Chinodya and renowned journalist Fred Khumalo (winner of the 2007 Noma Award for African writing)Ingrid de Kok, Peter Horn, Sally-Ann Murray, and Chris van Wyk are poets. Sindiwe Magona is the author of ,Living, Loving, and Lying Awake at Night, which was named one of Africa’s 100 best books. Michiel Heyns shared the Sunday Times Fiction Prize last year.
The first SA eBook Fair will feature a virtual display of eBooks as well as presentations from prominent international publishers on their most recent eBook collections. A New Chapter in the eBook Phenomenon. On March 7, 2008, a symposium will be conducted to discuss the new electronic book environment and how it will affect print media, publishing, information exchange, and creation. a session on the reading and writing of women. The Institute for Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Pretoria is responsible for organizing this seminar.
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