The rise and rise of African writers

African writers are making an impact on the global literary scene

For immediate release

Johannesburg, South Africa (Monday, 28 May 2018) – Perhaps one of the greatest challenges
for a writer lies in finding a unique voice, for it is in the journey of finding and speaking in one’s
own words - of telling one’s own stories - that authentic literature is born.

African literature in general – and South African literature in particular – has been on just such a
voyage of discovery over the past 20 years. And as the celebration of Africa Month reaches its
climax, it is timely to consider contemporary African writers who, against the odds, have been
driving the development of the continent’s vibrant, multifaceted and unique literary tradition.
Who, then, are the men and women who have captured the imagination of 21st century readers,
both in their own countries and around the world?

South Africa is home to some of the richest voices in literature today, including novelists and
poets as diverse as Njabulo Ndebele, Gcina Mhlope, Lauren Beukes, Busisiwe Magona, Antje Krog,
Ivan Vlasdislavic, Damon Galgut and Zakes Mda. Beukes, for instance, set the international
literary scene alight in 2013 with the publication of her second novel, The Shining Girls, an edgy
story about a time-travelling serial killer. More recently, Mda’s latest novel, Little Suns, was
awarded the 2017 Barry Ronge Prize for fiction. Turning an eye on South Africa’s unspoken past,
it chronicles the true events surrounding the death of a colonial magistrate in the eastern Cape
at the end of the nineteenth century.

“Stories like these are the foundation on which great literary traditions are built,” says Elitha van
der Sandt, Chief Executive Officer of the South African Book Development Council, which hosts
the South African Book Fair in spring every year. “It is for this reason that we aim to showcase
both South African and African writing that sets out to describe the African experience in all of its
diversity.”

Across the continent, there is a rich tradition of storytelling, both written and oral, which has
always been fundamental to the transmission of history, knowledge and experience from one
generation to the next. This tradition enshrines the belief that the transfer of knowledge is a
communal responsibility, guided by the social and human values that give Africans a sense of
place and purpose.

Just one of the African storytellers taking up this baton is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who has
been nominated for and has received some of the world’s top literary prizes. Her character-
driven works, such as Purple Hibiscus (2003), weave together personal, social and political
themes drawn from her experience of growing up and living in Nigeria. Her most recent novel,
Americanah (2013), expands on this focus to deliver a searing and insightful portrayal of Nigerian
immigrant life and race relations in America and the rest of the western world.

The 2018 South African Book Fair, which will be held in Johannesburg’s Newtown Precinct from
7 to 9 September, will showcase both established and emerging writers like these, who are
working in a variety of different genres. They will also be participating in a number of discussion
sessions dealing with both topical issues and their latest books.

Some of the authors who have been invited to participate in the Book Fair’s range of interactive
discussion sessions include stalwarts like Mongane Wally Serote; well-established writers like
Lebo Mashile, Ferial Haffajee, Prince Mashele, Melinda Ferguson, Koleka Putuma, Mandy Weiner,
Loyiso Mkhizi and Anneliese Burgess; and voices new to book publishing (if not to journalism and
the broader cultural environment), such as Lindiwe Hani, Pieter-Louis Myburgh, Rosie Motene
and Clinton Chauke.

“The range represented by these writers is extraordinary,” says van der Sandt. “It includes
everything from novels, poetry and short stories to memoirs, political commentary and some of
the very best investigative work to be written in recent years.

“Many of the authors, like Serote, write in both English and one or more of the indigenous
languages, which is something we at the SABDC are working hard to promote. Centred around
the Book Fair’s theme of #OURSTORIES, we feel it is important for writers of all ages and working
in all genres to be able to tell their stories in the language of their choice.”

With more and more books being published in Africa, the continent is, according to van der
Sandt, witnessing a very important – and exciting – development on the global literary scene: the
rise and rise of African writers.
Keep an eye on the SA Book Fair’s web site for the final list of writers who will be attending this
year’s event: www.southafricanbookfair.co.za.

Released on behalf of the South African Book Fair by OnPoint PR (Johannesburg).

For further information about the South African Book Fair, please visit:
Web site: www.southafricanbookfair.co.za
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SouthAfricanBookFair
Twitter: @SABookFair
Instagram: @sabookfair

For media enquiries, please contact:

Ulwazi Mgwadleka
OnPoint PR
ulwazi@onpointpr.co.za
078 764 6630

About the South African Book Fair

The South African Book Fair (SABF) is held under the auspices of the South African Book
Development Council (SABDC) and is the culminating event of the annual National Book Week.
Comprising a dedicated children’s day, a book exhibition, a literary festival, a dedicated B2B
section and a demo library set up by Johannesburg Public Libraries, it provides a unique
opportunity for engagement with writers, publishers and thought leaders, as well as an excellent
platform for trade and promotion.

The SABF aims to:

 Engage children of all ages in the joy of reading;
 Present a lively and engaging literary festival;
 Provide a platform for untold stories to be told;
 Facilitate robust engagement on a range of topical issues;
 Showcase books, publishers, authors, booksellers and related industries;
 Forge and promote partnerships across the book publishing and bookselling industries,
both locally and throughout Africa;
 Provide a channel for SMME development; and
  Facilitate skills and enterprise development across the entire book industry value chain.

About the South African Book Development Council

The South African Book Development Council (SABDC), formerly known as the Print Industries
Cluster Council (PICC), is the representative body for the South African book publishing industry.
Its members include all key stakeholders in the book publishing and bookselling value chain.
Further information about the Council and its work is available at http://sabookcouncil.co.za.