News 121 of 193

IDRC Photos: Bill Carman

 

Under crystal-blue skies and against the regal backdrop of Table Mountain, publishers, booksellers, distributors, and librarians from around the world flocked to the Cape Town International Convention Centre to celebrate the book as South Africa hosted its first-ever international book fair, 17–20 June 2006.

 

“The fair has been a resounding success,” said Benita Snyman of the National Library of South Africa. Before the end of the second day, 15 000 visitors had passed through the turnstiles, exceeding the 10 000 that had been forecast by fair organizers as the total four-day attendance. Some 420 exhibitors from South Africa and elsewhere, including from Kenya, Nigeria, and Swaziland in Africa; India; and European countries such as France, Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom -- as well as from Canada -- displayed their goods and services. IDRC was there to promote its catalogue of books and to explore potential partnerships with other publishers. Some 600 registered delegates added to the “buzz” that resonated throughout the Convention Centre for the full four days.

 

Major trade publishers such as Macmillan, Random House, and Penguin joined development agencies, publishers of children’s literature, academic publishers, and many other branches of the industry to bring the four pillars of the Cape Town Book Fair to life: politics, culture, trade, and development. Announced by Vanessa Badroodien, the Cape Town Book Fair director, during the 2005 Frankfurt Book Fair, the four pillars guided both the fair’s organization and its program.

 

The political nature of the fair was evident from the opening gala dinner, where South Africa’s Minister of Finance, Trevor Manuel (a former IDRC research partner), provided the keynote address. Political themes resonated through the program, including a rousing session on ending poverty in South Africa, featuring presentations from Sampie Terreblanche, Adam Habib, and Alan Hirsch, author of Season of Hope, copublished by IDRC and the University of KwaZulu-Natal Press.

 

A highlight of the cultural program was the presentation of the 25th Noma Award for publishing in Africa. The climax of the ceremony was the heart-felt acceptance by Werewere-Liking, author of the award-winning book, La mémoire amputée (Abidjan: Nouvelles Éditions Ivoiriennes). Equally moving, but on a different level, were the sights and sounds associated with the steady stream of young Africans walking the aisles and participating in the fair’s children’s program. Observed Mohammed Umar from Zed Books in London, “This was less of a fair and more of a book festival.”

 

The strong attendance figures helped boost the fortunes of booksellers as well. The buzz on the floor did not let up until late on Tuesday, 20 June, the final day, a good indicator that business was brisk. And although the fair was not primarily designed as a rights event, the development pillar was in evidence in the participation by agencies such as IDRC, the World Bank, and CTA (Technical Centre for Agriculture and Rural Cooperation), and in program events such as the launch of the second edition of the World Bank’s Disease and Mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa.

 

The groundwork for the next fair, scheduled for June 2007, is underway with plans to enlarge the exhibition area and to increase the presence of francophone, lusophone, and Arabic African publishers, delegates, and nongovernmental organizations. The ultimate goal is to develop the Cape Town International Book Fair into a one-stop showcase for African publishing.

 

In the words of Glenn Cowley, the University of KwaZulu-Natal Press publisher, “We are here to reach out, to develop readers.” Judging by the results, the fair’s first steps toward this goal have been both firm and encouraging.

 

News 121 of 193