GBF brings bookworms out of the wood
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Friday September 21, 2018 14:43
According to the event coordinator Kenanao Phele, the event will continue tomorrow. GBF Opening Night starts at 6 pm and entrance fee is P60. The main book festival will start at 9.30 am and entrance fee is P200.
“The two-day event will feature various activities headlined by local and international authors, including book launches and sales, panels, talks, readings and discussions.
The opening night that will be hosted on Friday includes a conversation with Michael Dingake, focusing on his autobiography Better to Die on One’s Feet, as well as readings and interpretations of selected Bessie Head letters by Margaret Daymond, author of Everyday Matters: Selected Letters of Dora Taylor, Bessie Head and Lilian Ngoyi,” she said.
Phele told Arts & Culture that the main festival day would be divided into three sections. She said it begins with a writers’ seminar, which will cover various issues including marketing and publishing. Following the seminar, the festival continues with an exciting programme of panel discussions, readings, book sales and more.
Through the diversity and experiences of featured authors, the festival touches on numerous topics, such as culture, music, travel, history, politics, mental health and cuisine, she says. She explained that they day would be fun filled for the whole family.
She added that the student zone, sponsored by the Orange Foundation will see 90 students aged between 10-15 from different primary schools take part at the festival. The festival organisers have curated a special programme for them, which will start in the morning with a reading in silence session, followed by interactions and readings by some of the festival authors who have written children stories, quizzes and story telling sessions.
“Having a student zone is part of the school outreach programme that the Trust runs throughout the year. Parents bringing teenagers to the festival will be allowed to join in the session as well.
“Furthermore, there will also be a kiddie’s zone manned and activated by our volunteers to keep the little one engaged whilst their parents are enjoying the adult programme,” she said. Keikantse Phele, co-founder of the Gaborone Book Festival Trust said they were excited that the majority of the authors are local.
“This shows that Botswana has a great deal of literary talent to nurture and promote. We are appealing to the public to attend the Festival to appreciate our home-grown and African talent, as well as immerse themselves in the joy of literature and reading.”
Local Authors: Lauri Kubuitsile (The Scattering); Michael Dingake (Better to Die on One’s Feet); Andrew Sesinyi (Love on the Rocks); Ednah Rosen (Taste of Botswana); Modirwa Kekwaletswe (Ratsie Setlhako: the Definitive Biography); Donald Molosi (We Are All Blue); Brigitta Zwani (The Shrink); Tomeletso Sereetsi (the Solo Four String Guitar of Botswana); Thalefang Charles (Botswana’s Top 50 Experiences); Monirul Bhuiyan (Khama Through the Lens); Bongani Malunga (Why An African Team May Never Win the World Cup); Kgomotso Jongman (Legacy); and Nelson Letshwene.
International Authors: Lola Shoneyin (the Secrete Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives), Margaret Daymond (Everyday Matters: Selected Letters of Dora Taylor, Bessie Head and Lilian Ngoyi), Zukiswa Wanner (Hardly Working), Victor Kgomoeswana (Africa is Open for Business), Esinako Ndabeni and Sihle Mthembu (Born to Kwaito: Reflections on the Kwaito Generation), Niq Mhlongo (Soweto, Under the Apricot Tree), Sabata Mpho Mokae, as well as Thabiso Mahlape (Publisher).
Since the beginning of this year, the GBF Trust has hosted two book nights featuring eight authors, six Batswana and two from other African countries. They also hosted book club review meetings as well running a primary school all meant to encourage people of all ages to read and to promote the literary work of Batswana authors.