BOOK SA – News

Alert! Cape Town Book Fair director Vanessa Badroodien has resigned from her post, after four years at the helm of Africa’s largest books and publishing event.

As she wrote on her Twitter account earlier today:

1. 
   soliette have loved my job at the book fair – feels odd to be moving along 28 Jul 2009 from web

“The Book Fair’s been my life for four and a half years, but I’m looking forward to taking a break and finding a new challenge,” Badroodien told BOOK SA when we contacted her this afternoon.

As the Fair’s founding director, Badroodien had a hit on her hands from the inaugural day in 2006, when the Fair opened its doors to a stampede. Over 24 000 people visited the first CTBF, the number swelling to a peak of 57 000 visitors in 2008. This year saw a dip -contrary to what was widely reported because of an erroneous figure in the Cape Times – with 43 000 coming to visit, but the Fair is still the largest annual event at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

“In the past four years, the Cape Town Book Fair has put the love of books and reading firmly on the public agenda in South Africa,” said Badroodien.

Inevitably, there will be speculation around whether she jumped or was pushed. Disagreements between Badroodien and the Fair’s board of directors – comprising representatives of the Publishers’ Association of South Africa and the Frankfurt Book Fair, which own the CTBF – were well known in publishing circles. A point of particular contention was the Fair’s inability to attract a headline sponsor after the Sunday Times pulled out following the 2007 event.

Badroodien is unsure of her future plans, but says that it’s likely she’ll remain in the world of books and publishing. “It’s such a wonderful world, after all,” she said. “Why would I want to leave?”

BOOK SA wishes Badroodien best of luck with the next stage of her career. We’ll miss you, Vanessa!

Gallery: Vanessa Badroodien in action

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by Bruce Dennill

THE third instalment of the Spud story, Spud – Learning To Fly, was recently released, and part of author John van de Ruit’s punishing promotional schedule was last week’s Cape Town Book Fair, where his talks and signing sessions attracted throngs of fans.

The event is designed to promote the work of as many authors as possible, however.

Surely some of those in town to raise their own profiles must have wondered if they were receiving due appreciation?

The question put to these hard-working souls: “How annoying is it to be at the same fair as John van de Ruit and his new book?”

The answers? See below…

Tim Richman (Is It Just Me Or Is Everything Kak?): “Not annoyed at all. I’ve walked the whole circle writing my own book, which has made me appreciate it more. I aspire to what he has.”

Nkumiso Ngcobo (Is It Coz I’m Black?): “I hate him! (laughs). I loved the book – it’s right up my alley. I’m so happy to see it’s doing well – proves the point that it doesn’t have to be Grisham or Harry Potter to sell big. He’s a pioneer.”

Adele Parks (Tell Me Something – has sold 1,5 million books in the UK): “Not at all – he’s a delight. Also, he’s mortified. He wants to move his pile of books when I’m signing. We’ll swap roles when he’s in the UK.”

Simon Gear (Going Green): “I love it. I’ve been mistaken for John four times today! I think it’s because I have my ‘happy John hair’ on. And I got him to sign one for me.”

Sarah Lotz (Exhibit A): “People have to walk past my stuff to get to his, so that’s good. He’s going to get carpal tunnel syndrome from all that signing.”

Margie Orford (Like Clockwork): “Who? Oh – you need the sound effect of a one-armed bandit every time he signs. I am willing to marry him.”

Max du Preez (Of Tricksters, Tyrants And Turncoats): “I open the paper this morning and he’s there. I come to the Book Fair and he’s here. I think he should emigrate to Australia.”

Ann Gadd (Finding Your Feet): “My son’s reading the new one. I’m so grateful that he’s got my 14-year-old to read rather than play computer games.”

Roger Smith (Mixed Blood): “It hasn’t impacted – I’ve just come in for a panel thing. Is he here?”

Annica Foxcroft (More Ants!): “Haven’t met him, but he sounds nice. The best man’s got to win. South African schools are part of our heritage.”

Alex Smith (Drinking From The Dragon’s Well): “I can only shake my head in misery. The bank has handed me over to the lawyers. I have a healthy sense of envy – can he be a polygamist?”

Paula Marais (The Punishment): “We don’t even exist. He’s taken over the whole thing. It should be called the John van de Ruit Fair.”

Justin Fox (Under The Sway): “On a scale of one to 10? Ten. Wait … 11.”
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Alert! During the recent Cape Town Book Fair, I chaired a panel on literary awards comprising four delightfully incisive writers (all from the Kwela stable): Julia Martin, Finuala Dowling, Anne Landsman and Zukiswa Wanner (pictured in the photo here).

They held the audience rapt – and frequently had it in stitches – with their various takes on the relevance of the gongs and corresponding cheques that go, year after year, to the books that they and their peers labour over. A highlight for me was when Dowling opined that the main problem with literary prizes was that, in winning them, authors became something other than the lonely pariahs they needed to be to write so well in the first place!

Martin, who saw her first work of non-fiction, A Mililmetre of Dust, published last year, opened our discussion with a prepared statement on literary prizes that is well worth reproducing for its thoughtful laying-out of the issues writers tussle with when faced with something so intimate yet wholly external as an award. She’s kindly agreed to allow us to publish it here:

On Literary Prizes, by Julia Martin

Of course there is a voice in me that rather likes the idea of literary prizes, and is easily very impressed when someone wins. The person whom my husband Michael has recently called, in a series of poems, ‘Little Me’, is rather excited at the idea of possibly winning a prize. She is a small girl who’d really like a nice present, preferably in gorgeous packaging, and she’d like lots of attention and praise, and to be the best … and also to be able to show a couple of people a thing or two if someone were to give her a prize. ‘That would show them…’ she thinks. And of course people would buy more of the books, and she’d have more excuse for writing another one, and the publisher would like it. Certainly the publisher would like it – maybe even run a second edition? – and the booksellers would like it because they would know who to promote, and the public would like it because they would know what to read… and … So OK there is a rather determined little person who is rather keen on this stuff.
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Alert! Durban-born, Cape Town-based filmmaker Zinaid Meeran (pictured above right) has won the 2009 EU Literary Award for his unpublished novel, Saracen at the Gates. He wins R25 000, publication by Jacana and inclusion in next year’s Exclusive Book’s Homebru promotion.

Meeran pipped fellow first-time novelists Dinwoodie Irving, Keith Cornelis-Britz, Don Pinnock and Elan Gamaker to the post. See @BOOKSA for the livetweets of the announcement. I’m bringing this news to you live from the EU Literary Award function at the Old Town House, Greenmarket Square, Cape Town.

Following Meeran’s win, national poet laureate Keorapetse Kgositsile read a poem, which was prelude to the announcement of the new Sol Plaatjie Poetry Prize, an annual prize conjured up by Jacana (with the blessing of the Plaatjie family) that will run along lines similar to the EU Literary Award.

More pics and a video coming soon – for now, congratulations to Meeran!

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The 2009 award was judged by a panel of three: Craig MacKenzie, Sindiwe Magona, and Rehana Rossouw, all of whom spoke enthusiastically about the five shortlisted manuscripts. MacKenzie described the works as being “exceptionally strong this year”. Saracen at the Gates competed with Big Dan’s Sofie by Cornelis-Britz, African Cook Boy by Irving, Rainmaker by Pinnock, and Wayward Nature by Gamaker (only Gamaker was unable to make an appearance at the awards).

Mike Martin of Jacana presented the judges and the shortlistees with a gift of all the previous winners’ books before Ambassador from the Czech Republic, Martin Pohl, annouced the winner to be Meeran in a rather nail-biting moment.

Alert! The Cape Town Book Fair has released its final programme, which you can download as PDFs here:

• CTBF Saturday 2009
• CTBF Sunday 2009
• CTBF Monday 2009
• CTBF Tuesday 2009
• 2009 CTBF Children’s Programme

Entrance information

Public Opening Times

• Saturday to Monday: 13 – 15 June 10am till 6pm
• Tuesday 16 June: 10am till 4pm

Entry Fee

• Adults – R50 per day (Exclusive Books Fanatics members pay R25)
• Pensioners – R20 per day
• Students – Free
• Children for free! (All kids need to be accompanied by an adult)

Alert! The first draft of the 2009 Cape Town Book Fair programme – featuring over 300 events, not including those for children – was released this morning at a CTBF press conference in the city.

As Fair Director Vanessa Badroodien stressed, certain items may change (and certain typos will be cleaned up) before the final document is published, but this draft will give those eager to map out their four Fair days a good head start:
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