Grocott's Mail
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Saturday, May 24
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Grocott's Mail
    • NEWS
      • Courts & Crime
      • Features
      • Politics
      • People
      • Health & Well-being
    • SPORT
      • News
      • Results
      • Sports Diary
      • Club Contacts
      • Columns
      • Sport Galleries
      • Sport Videos
    • OPINION
      • Election Connection
      • Makana Voices
      • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
      • Newtown… Old Eyes
      • Incisive View
      • Your Say
    • ARTSLIFE
      • Cue
        • Cue Archives
      • Makana Sharp!
      • Visual Art
      • Literature
      • Food
      • Festivals
      • Community Arts
      • Going Places
    • OUR TOWN
      • What’s on
      • Spiritual
      • Emergency & Well-being
      • Covid-19
      • Safety
      • Civic
      • Municipality
      • Weather
      • Properties
        • Grahamstown Properties
      • Your Town, Our Town
    • OUTSIDE
      • Enviro News
      • Gardening
      • Farming
      • Science
      • Conservation
      • Motoring
      • Pets/Animals
    • ECONOMIX
      • Business News
      • Entrepreneurship
      • Personal Finance
    • EDUCATION
      • Education NEWS
      • Education OUR TOWN
      • Education INFO
    • EDITORIAL
    Grocott's Mail
    You are at:Home»ARTS & LIFE»Reading for the Tortoise: The Mandela Bay Book Fair
    ARTS & LIFE

    Reading for the Tortoise: The Mandela Bay Book Fair

    Grocott's Mail ContributorsBy Grocott's Mail ContributorsMarch 22, 2018Updated:March 22, 2018No Comments2 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Lesego Rampolokeng. Photo: Sidewalk Productions

    “Reading for the Tortoise” is the ear-catching theme of the sixth annual
    Mandela Bay Book Fair (MBFF). Billed as a “writers’ and public book and
    exhibition event”, the MBFF gathers together a diverse line-up of award-
    winning authors, poets, academics and school teachers alongside university
    students, scholars, speakers, librarians, book publishers at the Port Elizabeth
    Opera House on Friday March 23 and Saturday March 24.

    New Brighton-based poet and lecturer in the MA Creative Writing department
    at Rhodes University, Mxolisi Nyezwa is the co-curator of the book fair. In an
    interview with The Herald earlier this week he explained that the aim of the
    MBBF this year is “to create the necessary infrastructure to support young
    South African writers practising in local languages, especially isiXhosa in the
    Eastern Cape”.

    Friday kicks off with Dr Zoliswa Matshoba (Nelson Mandela University),
    Zongezile Matshoba (the National English Literary Museum) and Dr Hleze
    Kunju (Rhodes Creative Writing department) tackling the topic of “Creative
    Writing as an Industry”. Thereafter the main focus is on a children’s programme
    of storytelling, performances, games and popular fairytales and African
    iintsomis (folktales). These sessions will be supplemented by roundtable
    discussions, writing workshops hosted by the likes of poet Vincent Oliphant, a
    book launch by Mother City filmmaker, photographer, writer and comic
    producer Ziyaad Rahman, and an open mic session.

    Saturday’s line-up extends the festival’s infrastructural focus with workshops on
    creative writing and independent publishing by Deep South veteran Robert
    Berold, and scriptwriting and radio drama by Monde Ngonyama and Toffe
    Zitshu. Additional highlights promise to be legendary poet Lesego
    Rampolokeng’s session on the legacy of Drum Generation scribes such as Nat
    Nakasa in relation to today’s poets and MCs, as well as the launch of outspoken
    young Khayamnandi-based ‘literary thug’, Unathi Slasha’s debut novella, Jah
    Hills.

    9am to 6pm. Admission is free. For full programme information visit the
    Port Elizabeth Opera House Facebook page, or contact 041 585 1300.

    Previous ArticleSaving for retirement
    Next Article Tower: psychiatrist body alleges human rights violations
    Grocott's Mail Contributors

      Grocott's Mail Contributors includes content submitted by members of the public, and public and private institutions and organisations - regular and occasional, expert and citizen, opinion and analysis.

      Comments are closed.

      Code of Ethics and Conduct
      GROCOTT’S SUBSCRIPTION
      RMR
      Listen to RMR


      Humans of Makhanda

      Humans of Makhanda

      Weather    |     About     |     Advertise     |     Subscribe     |     Contact     |     Support Grocott’s Mail

      © 2025 Maintained by School of Journalism & Media Studies.

      Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.