The 2013 Jozi Book Fair takes place at Museum Africa in Newtown, Johannesburg on the 25th and 26th of October. The theme of this year’s fair and its related programs is: “Reading the Word and the World: the Role of Libraries”.
One of the keys to develop a strong reading and writing culture on a consistent basis in South Africa rests with its libraries. Libraries collect, organizes, protects and preserves knowledge and information and makes it available to communities. This is essential when it comes to driving development and in the information driven century that we live in.
Because there is a lack of libraries in South Africa the 2013 edition of the Jozi Book Fair will reflect on the historical importance of libraries, focus on the state of libraries at South African schools and communities and highlight the challenges faced by librarians in South Africa. The fair will also look at ways how access to libraries could be improved and developed in an effort to build a culture of reading at a local level in our country.
The Jozi Book Fair is presented by Khanya College. This independent non-governmental organisation was established in 1986 and its primary aim is to assist various constituencies within working class and poor communities to respond to the challenges caused by the forces of economic and political globalization. They offer assistance by providing educational and training workshops, publications and research to organisations and individuals in these communities.
It’s the second annual edition of the Jozi Book Fair this year. Authors, self-publishers, small publishers, indigenous language publishers, libraries, literacy / literary organisations, children, youth, adults and the general public are invited to participate in the fair. The fair consists of seminars, workshops, round table discussions, debates, film screenings, storytelling sessions, poetry sessions and book launches. There will be specific programs for children, young adults and the general public. Registration is open for this year’s fair so if you want to participate please e-mail jozibookfair@khanyacollege.org.za or phone Sthembele on 011 3369190. For more info visit the Jozi Book Fair website, join the Jozi Book Fair Facebook page or follow @Jozibookfair on Twitter.
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