Inspired by the need to foster literacy and promote an independent reading culture in Botswana, Gaborone Book Festival (GBF) Trust will on Thursday (August 9) treat book lovers to its second GBF Trust quarterly book night session. The event for inspiration, which will also be used to announce the main book festival authors, venues and programme will feature celebrated authors, Zukiswa Wanner who is based in Kenya and Niq Mhlongo based in South Africa.
The two are currently on a tour across the continent to promote their 2018 book releases – Hardly Working-A travel memoir of sorts and Soweto Under The Apricot Tree. For more information about book click on vandareadingrooms. On the 11th August, Zukiswa and Niq will also conduct a free workshop for a limited number of writers.
From the local front, newly published authors, Bongani Malunga and Monirul Bhuiyan will also engage in a book chat. Bongani’s book titled ‘Why an African team may never win the world cup’ explores factors why African teams have struggled to perform well at the World Cup.
Malunga is a Sports Editor at Botswana Gazette and an experienced football analyst amongst other things while Monirul Bhuiyan is the founder of Botswana’s first news photo agency, PRESS PHOTO. He sees photography as a tool that can be used to contribute in the development of society.
His book titled “Khama through the lens”, chronicles the 10 years of Botswana’s immediate past and fourth president, Seretse Khama Ian Khama in pictures.
The co-founder of Gaborone Book Festival Trust, Kenanao Phele said, “We are excited to be hosting these authors. Three out of four of our platforms are free and accessible to all readers. To keep this status quo, we are still appealing to individuals, families, companies and different entities for sponsorships, support and partnerships to stage the quarterly book night and the upcoming and inaugural book festival in September, a platform which doesn’t exist at the moment in our city.”
The Gaborone Book Festival (GBF) Trust’s main mission is to foster a love for reading among Batswana and residents of Botswana. Phele said GBF achieves its objectives through various platforms being; the school outreach programme, monthly book reviews and book night.
Source: http://botswanaunplugged.com/10942/the-2nd-gaborone-book-festival-on-the-cards/
