2019 ZIBF STARTS NEXT WEEK

By Beaven Tapureta

ZIBF interim Board Chairperson Memory Chirere addressing stakeholders at a recent press conference in Harare

Zimbabwe International Book Fair Association interim board chairperson Memory Chirere has said this year’s main book fair begins from July 29 to August 3 under a retrospective theme that will try to identify, celebrate milestones achieved so far and look at opportunities to restore glory in the book sector.

Addressing journalists, writers and publishers at a press conference held at the ZIBF head office in Harare on July 23, Chirere said the 2019 theme, Footprints of the Book: Milestones & Opportunities, is a break from the previous ‘gloomy’ book fair themes.

“It is our observation that the many previous themes of ZIBF looked at the character and the future of the book in its various forms and looked too at the important issues that affect the writing, publishing and sale of books like piracy, reading culture, pricing and digital character of the book of today, etc.

“These, however, tended largely to bemoan the goings on in the book sector in Zimbabwe and Africa since 1980. We tended to be gloomy, conscious or unconsciously.

“It is the Association’s submission that a theme such as Footprints of The Book: Milestones and Opportunities would give ZIBF an opportunity to look back and identify what stakeholders think are the milestones achieved so far, celebrate them as well as point out clearly how and where each milestone was achieved and what opportunities should be exploited to bring back the renaissance as we go into the future,” said Chirere.

He added that at the Indaba Conference which takes place from July 29 to 30 at the Monomotapa Hotel, the theme is ‘anticipated to cause participants to exercise their minds and engage in lively discussions and sharing of ideas that will beneficiate the book value chain’.

According to the Indaba programme, world-renowned, veteran Zimbabwean author, editor, publisher Stanley Nyamfukudza and well-known social scientist Professor Simphiwe Sesanti from the UNISA’s Institute for African Renaissance Studies will be the keynote speakers.

As usual, the Indaba comes with various sub-themes or topics and this year sessions will roll under selected sub-themes such as ‘Mutation and the Evolution of the Book’, ‘Forwards and Backwards: Reminiscing the Book’, ‘Motivating Content Generation in the Digital Age’, ‘Creating Synergies in the Book Industry’, and ‘The Political Economy of the Book in Africa’.

While Wednesday is reserved as a traders-only day, the book fair opens the gates to the public on the next day Thursday, August 1, until Saturday with exciting activities such as book exhibitions, meet-the-various-set-book-authors sessions, the by-invitation librarians’ and writers’ workshops, live literature and children’s reading tent.

The librarians’ workshop is scheduled for Friday, August 2, under the theme The Library: An Information Hub Driving National Development.

The main book fair theme Footprints of the Book: Milestones & Opportunities will go through another grindstone at the Writers’ Workshop on Saturday, as writers examine the question “Where Are The Milestones and Opportunities For The Writer This Far?” which happens to be the workshop theme.

WIN NEWSLETTER, VOL 2, ISSUE NO 6 COMING 

SOON AFTER THE BOOK FAIR.