A gala on Friday marks the official opening of a book fair hailed as Africa’s largest by organisers.
With the theme of ”More than Black on White”, the fair opens to the public on Saturday, starting four days of authors’ readings, book launches, panel discussions and seminars.
Those attending include African, German, Indian, Swiss and Dutch authors and publishers.
One of the highlights is likely to be a collection of literary works honouring Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s national hero.
About 200 authors and an estimated 30 000 visitors are expected to flock to the fair, which has the backing of the world’s largest book exhibition, the Frankfurt Book Fair.
Africa’s book fair, with 470 events, was first held in Cape Town last year. It seeks to boost the variety of literature in Africa and also highlight related sectors.
The continent, which is characterised by a high rate of illiteracy and a more pronounced storytelling tradition, aims to facilitate access for books in African languages to the market.
For more information, see: www.capetownbookfair.com. — Sapa-dpa