THE annual literary exhibition, the Bulawayo Book Fair, got off to a good start at the National Art Gallery in Bulawayo with hundreds of people attending the event.
Report by Khulani Nkabinde
The gallery was packed to capacity with members of the public and schoolchildren mingling to have a look at the latest books on display.
There were 33 exhibitors.
Most of the exhibitors expressed optimism that they would have made good sales by the end of the day on Thursday (reserved for trade) as well as yesterday when the fair was expected to close.
“We have had a number of people asking about our books and most of them placed orders,” said one exhibitor who refused to disclose his name, indicating his company had not cleared him to speak to the Press.
Speaking at the opening of the exhibition, Zimbabwe International Book Fair (ZIBF) executive director Musaemura Zimunya said the exhibition was targeted at uplifting the book industry in Bulawayo.
“Writers of Bulawayo, this is your event, your forum. It is an occasion to mix, mingle, interact, share mutually enriching ideas, gain creative skills, envy those who do well, copy or emulate and make their success part of your success as well,” Zimunya said. “It is an occasion for celebration.”
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
A workshop for writers, publishers and booksellers ran concurrently with the exhibition.
It focused on copyright, censorship, the impact of the social media on children’s reading culture, as well as piracy.
The exhibition is being held under the theme “ZIBF@30: Enabling Creativity, Writing, Publishing and Reading for Africa’s Growth”.
“Last year, when we re-launched the Bulawayo Book Fair, we were driven more by instinct regarding the potential impact and success of this event. But once begun, the event far exceeded all expectation and confounded our lingering doubts and any skepticism regarding its importance and value to the region of Matabeleland,” Zimunya added.
