ZIMBABWE International Book Fair Association executive chairperson Memory Chirere last week said this year’s edition of the annual book extravaganza set for July 27 to August 1 will focus on relations among stakeholders in the book industry.
BY PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI
Chirere said the Zimbabwe International Book Fair editions between 2011 and 2016 focused on developmental and philosophical issues. This year’s edition will run under the teme: Book Industry: The Dynamics Within.
Chirere said it was now time to assess how players in the publishing industry in Africa — and Zimbabwe in particular — were managing their welfare.
”We want to dwell on the work relations between our writers and publishers, printers, booksellers, librarians and readers for example,” he said.
”We are convinced that a very introspective gaze at both the open and behind the scenes of the book sector may be exciting and enriching.”
Chirere highlighted that evaluation of stakeholder perspectives was critical to establish cohesion.
”We have noticed that the book production chain in its various formats seems not to be united to address the opportunities and challenges that we have in our daily relations as creators and businesspeople,” he said, adding that a candid indaba would help lay all the cards on the table.
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”A positively open and candid forum discussion may possibly allow all stakeholders to get a 360 degree view of the situation, understand and empathise with other groups’ positions, ultimately leading to viable solutions in taking the industry into the future.”
Areas of discussion would include impoverishment among writers, piracy, publishers’ efforts, using technology for publishers and booksellers accountability, royalties, impact of low literary output on libraries and booksellers and reading materials on demand.
”We, therefore, urge and encourage contributors to the 2020 indaba to come up with ideas that will benefit all participants in the book value chain,” Chirere said.
”Abstracts of not more than 500 words and word-processed in Times New Roman script with 1.15 line spacing should be submitted by 17 April 2020 by email to [email protected] with a copy to [email protected].
The abstracts will be reviewed by experts and authors of selected abstracts will be notified by 30 April 2020.” Chirere said all the presenters should submit their full papers and powerpoint presentations by May 29.
