Without further ado, here it is – feast your eyes!
One Nation Many Voices South Africa Market Focus at the 2010 London Book Fair: Programme
25 March 7.00pm
Newcastle University, Percy Building Readings from Sindiwe Magona and Kachi A. Ozumba
15 – 17 April
International PEN, Free the Word Festival
17 – 19 April
Pinter Studio, London Performance of Nadia Davids’ ‘At Her Feet’
17 April 2.30 – 4pm
The British Library ‘South Africa: Country of Contrasts’
BBC news presenter George Alagiah chairs a discussion with South African writers Thando Mqgolozana and Niq Mhlongo, Jonny Steinberg, Marlene van Niekerk.
19 – 21 April
Seminars at The London Book Fair, Earls Court (click here)
19 April 6.30pm – 8.00pm
The British Library ‘The Legacy of Struggle ‘
Sixteen after the abolition of Apartheid, we ask four distinguished South African authors how politics has affected their writing, and what they think is the legacy of apartheid for literature in South Africa today. Panellists: Ivan Vladislavic, Chris van Wyk, Zakes Mda and Njabulo Ndebele.
19 April 6.00pm – 8.00pm
Foyles Bookshop, Charing Cross ‘Negotiating the past’
Antjie Krog, Achmat Dangor, Mandla Langa and Zoe Wicomb discuss the importance of remembering or forgetting in relation to a troubled history. Chaired by Claire Fox.
19 April 7.30pm – 9.00pm
The Southbank Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hall
An evening of comedy, performance, poetry and spoken word from South Africa with Keorapetse Kgositsile, Pieter Dirk Uys, Malika Ndlovu, Ndumiso Ngcobo, Sihle Khumalo, Nadia Davids and Isobel Dixon.
21 April 6.30 – 8.00pm
SOAS ‘The power of Spoken Word’
Join Lesego Rampolokeng, Masaja Msiza and Malika Ndlovu for an evening discussion on the power of poetry and spoken word in Apartheid and contemporary South Africa where we will explore the power of the genre and its use as both an instrument for activism and social engagement. In partnership with the Royal African Society.
21 April 6.30 – 8.00pm
The British Library ‘South Africa: A United Country?’
How does a country forge a national or common story – and is it necessary to do so? A discussion with Etienne van Heerden, Damon Galgut, Zoe Wicomb, Kopano Matlwa. Chaired by Sue MacGregor.
21 April 6.30 – 8.00pm
Foyles Charing Cross Andre Brink in conversation with Isobel Dixon
21 April 7.45 – 9.00pm
Southbank Centre, Purcell Room
Goal! Match! Victory! Freedom! What the 2010 World Cup means to the home team
In South Africa, football – as everywhere – is not just about winning or losing: it’s about masculinity, femininity, sexuality, power, inequality and blessed release. In a curtainraiser to the 2010 World Cup kickoff in Johannesburg, eight of South Africa’s most exciting young authors get off the bench and chuck the ball around. Imran Coovadia, Siphiwo Mahala, Angela Makholwa, Thando Mqgolozana, Pumla Gqola, Zukiswa Wanner and Kevin Bloom are refereed by Mark Gevisser.
22 April 6.30pm – 8pm
Foyles Charing Cross Bookshop Barnie with Kevin Bloom
22 April 6.30pm – 8pm
The Drum, Birmingham ‘Personal or Political?‘
Achmat Dangor and Gillian Slovo join Zimbabwean writer Brian Chikwava to discuss the importance of personal resonance vs. political relevance in their writing. Hosted by Leeto Thale.
22 April 5.15pm – 7pm
Leeds University, South African Literature and Theatre: a conversation with Zakes Mda. Chaired by Sam Durrant and Jane Platsow.
22 April 6.30pm – 8.00pm
Newcastle University In Conversation with Andre Brink
23 April 6.00pm – 9.00pm
Learning through Literature: A South African Story
A celebration of 25 years since the publication of Journey to Jo’burg by Beverley Naidoo with a discussion on the wider theme of children’s writing in South Africa chaired by former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen with South African authors Beverley Naidoo, Gillian Slovo, Njabulo Ndebele, Chris van Wyk and Retsepile Makamane.
Alert! Your Correspondent spent an engaging hour in the basement of the Book Lounge yesterday, chatting with the six finalists in the 2010 UK Young Publishing Entrepreneur Award competition, sponsored by the British Council and the London Book Fair. The finalists are visiting SA as part of the wider London Book Fair South Africa market focus programme of activities.
BOOK SA scored a copy of Where Egos Dare from Mark Searle’s Elliott and Thompson, some youth magazines (which would fit right in in SA) from Gavin Weale’s Live Magazine outfit and the 2010 catalogues of Rachael Ogden’s Inpress and Daniel Crewe’s Profile Books. Anna Lewis of Completely Novel – think Crink, except snazzier – represented print on demand (and, soon, digital); here’s a nifty video review of hers:
All in all, then, an invigorating time sussing the publishing talent in the UK – which looks to be coursing along very nicely – and divulging SA publishing’s deepest, darkest secrets (OK, only a few of them).
The UKYPE winner will be announced at the London Book Fair and will receive, erm, a bowl. Well, a bowl plus lots of prestige and recognition. Good luck to all!
The London Book Fair Rights Workshop: An introduction to Rights Selling
12:30-18:30, Sunday 18th April 2010
Are you interested in rights selling or do you have colleagues interested in learning more about the processes involved?
Why not register for the popular LBF Rights Workshop Seminar, taking place the Sunday before The London Book Fair.
Covering topics from Why sell rights? to Priorities for rights sellers, the workshop offers the unique opportunity to learn the essential skills needed to ensure you make the most out of your physical and digital rights sales.
Speakers
Hugh Jones, Copyright Counsel to the UK Publishers Association Veronique Kirchhoff, VeroK Agency, Rights Agent Oliver Munson, Literary Agent, Blake Friedmann Lynette Owen, Copyright Director, Pearson Education Ltd Diane Spivey, Rights & Contracts Director, Little, Brown Book Group
Topics Covered
Why sell rights? You can’t sell what you don’t own. It’s all in the Head Contract Priorities for selling rights Tackling the Tasks: The Practicalities of Rights Selling Guidelines for a rights deal and contract checklist There will be a coffee break during the afternoon and the day will end with a drinks reception offering you the chance to network with attendees and discuss the day with the speakers.
Exhibitors and Table Holders save 10%
The price for The Rights Workshop is £90 (including VAT) for exhibitors and table holders – a 10% discount on the standard rate.
Maureen Isaacson, books editor of the Sunday Independent, talks to a few prominent local publishers and authors about the promise of the LBF.
What IS the value of the book fair? The organisers of the London Book Fair, which takes place from April 19 to 21 would argue that this is in fact the global marketplace for rights negotiation.
Direct access to customers, content and emerging markets is what is on offer. Those of us who have worn our soles down reporting on smaller local events know the excruciation of trying to keep ahead of the markets-in-the-making but even as armchair enthusiasts, we cannot afford to miss out on the new and the beautiful, the great and the good.
And it is this bunch, who are among the country’s cream who will show their wares at this year’s fair which promises South Africa a higher profile than it has yet enjoyed as 47 writers hit the stalls – as part of its South Africa Market Focus Cultural Programme: One Nation, Many Voices. South Africa’s invitation comes on the back of the Fifa World Cup – which Alistair Burtenshaw, Group Exhibition Director of the London Book Fair, says provides an opportunity to celebrate South Africa’s literary and publishing achievements, bringing our local authors under the international book trade spotlight. Marketspeak or reality?
Alert! Following yesterday’s notice of the London Book Fair’s focus on digital, the LBF has released further details on the Digital Conference that will take place the Sunday before the fair (18 April).
The conference’s strapline is “Strategies for Transformation” – which, if set in South Africa, would have an entirely different ring to it, but we can assure our readers that it’s everything to do with moving publishing operations into the digital age, and nothing to do with the political-organisational dilemmas and struggles that face South African companies in this, our second decade of democracy.
Notes from the press release:
The 3rd London Book Fair Digital Conference, Strategies for Transformation, is building up to be the best yet. Covering key issues under the overarching themes: Readers of Today and Tomorrow; Bringing the Book to Life and Transforming the Core of your Business the day will offer transferable experience and innovation from a range of international media industries which delegates can take away and put into practise.
Here are conference programme and other details, including a link for registration:
Conference Programme
Panellists to be announced shortly
10.30 Welcome Introduction from Conference Chair Richard Charkin
Readers of today and tomorrow Chair: David Roth-Ey, HarperCollins
Creative energy and technology – Finding new ways to innovate with content Chair: Genevieve Shore, Pearson
Networking lunch
Pecha Kucha: New thinking; New models Six innovative presentations.
Maximising digital opportunities across the industry Chair: Fionnuala Duggan, Random House
Transforming the core of your business Chair: George Walkley, Hachette
Discussion and Conference Round-up by Conference Chairman
17.45 Post Conference Drinks
Book before 28th February to take advantage of the early bird rate
Taking place the Sunday before the fair, The Digital Conference will open debate which will continue through The London Book Fair’s free seminar programme. The digital seminar stream will be complemented by the Digital Zone and Digital Theatre where innovative digital production companies will showcase their digital solutions.
One notices immediately that, tucked away in the list of writers associated with the programme (see below), is the name “JM Coetzee” – who won’t actually be at the fair, it turns out, but will be involved in one or two follow-up “legacy” events later this year.
Mamphela Ramphele, meanwhile, has been announced as the keynote speaker at the LBF’s Chairman’s Breakfast; André Brink has been confirmed as the LBF’s Author of the Day on Tuesday 20th April; and “contributing to the diverse programme are South African Poet Laureate Professor Keorapetse Kgositsile; acclaimed author Damon Galgut (short-listed for the Man Booker Prize in 2003); political activist and writer, Achmat Dangor; prestigious novelist Gillian Slovo; multi-award-winning poet, writer and academic Antjie Krog; children’s writer Beverley Naidoo; as well as John van de Ruit, Jonny Steinberg, Zakes Mda, Zoe Wicomb and Professor Njabulo Ndebele.”
These writers, along with a slew of others representing SA Lit in all its demesnes (see below!), will address a range of topics at the LBF. It’s going to be quite the jol, folks. Read the complete press release via Scribd:
More big news for African writers, African books and African publishing in 2010!
In line with the 2010 London Book Fair’s South Africa market focus initiative, this year’s Gothenburg Book Fair has adopted “Africa” as its own focus for the annual Swedish event:
Africa is in focus at Göteborg Book Fair 2010!
The 26th Book Fair takes place from the 23-26 September at the Swedish Exhibition Centre in Göteborg.
Together with writers, publishers, media, organisations and companies from Scandinavia and Africa, we look forward to presenting the richness of African literature to the public in Scandinavia.
Africa will be present in the exhibition and seminar pro- gramme at Göteborg Book Fair, as well as at art, dance, theatre and music events throughout the whole city.
Programme
We have already started preparing the seminar pro- gramme and exhibition programme. After the summer, we plan to start inviting authors, journalists, debators and publishers. By February next year we expect to have a good overview of who will be able to attend Göteborg Book Fair 2010.
The full programme will be presented in May 2010.
Contact
For more information about Africa in focus at Göteborg Book Fair, or if you are interested in participating as an individual or an organisation, contact Clara Déry, Project Manager, +46(0) 709 64 16 55, clara.dery@nai.uu.se
BOOK SA will naturally follow all the Gothenburg news very closely – keep checking back for updates.
Natasha Kruger is the winner of the 2010 SA Reading Race, held earlier this year in Johannesburg. The young lady managed to work her way through 158 books in 10 months, learning English along the way. The Reading Race, now in its 15th year is designed to draw children to libraries and to foster a reading culture.
Read this special report from the London Book Fair’s Lucy Holland-Smith:
This year’s winner of the Johannesburg “Reading Race” managed to get through 158 books in just ten months, it has been revealed
The annual event, which takes place at the Rhodes Park Library in the eastern part of the South African city and is now in its 15th year, is designed to encourage children to read more, according to Johannesburg’s official website.
While the eventual winner notched up an impressive 158 books, a total of 16 children were acknowledged for their efforts.
Edith Khuzwayo, a librarian at the Rhodes Park facility, said that while the library undoubtedly benefitted from the publicity brought by the race, the primary aim of the event was indisputably to highlight the joys of reading.
The Petrona books blog alerts us to the fact that TheBookseller.com’s Catherine Neilan profiled crime writer Deon Meyer – and his Benny Griesel thriller, Thirteen Hours – ahead of Meyer’s appearance at the London Book Fair this April:
Perfect platform
“It’s extremely difficult for South African authors to break through here, so I will do as much as I can for the country,” Meyer says. “It’s absolutely a great time to be at LBF, because there has been an explosion of South African literature in the past few years, and there are some great new authors—a lot of black authors I think—not getting the recognition they deserve.”
On a personal level, Meyer is keen to use the platform to promote his own work, but recognises he has to “keep plugging away” to grow sales book by book. Thirteen Hours is his ninth novel, although only his sixth to be published in the UK.
In November 2009, Penguin UK MD Helen Fraser was in the final month of a distinguished 12-year career at the publishing house. In this special London Book Fair podcast, Liz Thompson interviewed Fraser on her publishing milestones – and the industry’s future:
Alert! The day-to-day programme for the London Book Fair South Africa Market Focus cultural programme – called “One Nation Many Voices” and produced in association with the British Council – has been posted online.
Fresh notice from the London Book Fair
Keep up to date with the Digital Conference programme and book your place online
More big news for African writers, African books and African publishing in 2010!
