Open Letter to Koos Bekker, CEO, Naspers; Esmare Weideman, CEO Media24 Corporate; Eloise Wessels, CEO Media24 Books
Dear Mr Bekker, Ms Weideman and Ms Wessels
As writers, publishers, readers, and buyers of books, we are deeply distressed that Media24 is considering shutting down the Boekehuis in Auckland Park. While we understand Media24’s financial considerations, we cannot emphasise enough the importance of the unique space it has created for cultural and intellectual activity in Johannesburg.
Firstly, the Boekehuis public readings and discussions have become among the most important gatherings in the Johannesburg literary calendar. As such, they have done much to promote not only literary talent and ideas, but the profile of both the bookshop itself and Media24.
There are no comparable forums in Johannesburg, and the loss of Boekehuis is a blow against the culture of reading and debate, which is so crucial to the well-being of our democracy, particularly given the steady erosion of book culture in South Africa.
Secondly, in the era of on-line commerce, the Boekehuis staff have set the bar for selecting publications of quality and worth for South African readers. Bookshops, where people of all ages who care about reading can gather and browse – and buy books too, of course – are at the core of the kind of civil, deliberative culture that we believe South Africa so urgently needs. And when they are as beautiful and welcoming as the Boekehuis, all the more so.
For these reasons, we would urge you to reconsider your decision.
1. André Brink
2. Antjie Krog
3. Marlene van Niekerk
4. Njabulo S. Ndebele
5. Nuruddin Farah
6. Ivan Vladislavić
7. Zakes Mda
8. Deon Meyer
9. Albie Sachs
10. Arthur Chaskalson
11. David Goldblatt
12. William Kentridge
13. Pieter-Dirk Uys
14. Lauren Beukes
15. Ingrid Winterbach
16. Jonny Steinberg
17. Mark Gevisser
18. Andries Walter Oliphant
19. Tim Couzens
20. Antony Altbeker
21. Denis Hirson
22. Anthony Akerman
23. Jo-Anne Richards
24. Gerald Kraak
25. Allan Kolski Horwitz
26. Leon van Nierop
27. Khosi Xaba
28. Willie Burger
29. Leon de Kock
30. Shaun de Waal
31. John Comaroff
32. Achille Mbembe
33. Anton Harber
34. Andries Bezuidenhout
35. Fiona Forde
36. Paul Holden
37. Annari van der Merwe
38. Ilse van Hemert
39. William Bird
40. Mary Edwards
41. Maureen Isaacson
42. Bronwyn Law-Viljoen
43. Veronica Klipp
44. Andrea Nattrass
45. Alison Lowry
46. Jeremy Boraine
47. Robin Malan
48. Kerneels Breytenbach
49. Philip Miller
50. Robert Whitehead
51. Vanessa Cooke
52. Jodi Bieber
53. Dawid Minnaar
54. Mikhael Subotzky
55. Anthony Fridjhon
56. Malcolm Purkey
57. Fred de Vries
58. Carel van der Merwe
59. Grethe Fox
60. Johan Engels
61. Marcel van Heerden
62. Marianne Fassler
63. Rina Minervini
64. Eugene Marais
65. Henrietta Gryffenberg
66. Jennifer Steyn
67. Justin Fox
68. WJ du Plessis
69. Michael Gardiner
70. Ena Jansen
71. Merle Lipton
72. Suzette Grace
73. Stephen Ellis
74. Theuns Opperman
75. Michael Titlestad
76. Frank Meintjies
77. Barbara Adair
78. Alexandra Dodd
79. Carolyn Raphaely
80. Johann de Lange
81. Karina Brink
82. Leon de Kock
83. Phakama Mbonani
84. Michele Magwood
85. Sean O’Toole
86. Randolph Vigne
87. Steven Sack
88. Kim Sacks
89. Charlotte Bauer
90. Phillippa Yaa de Villiers
91. James Whyle
92. Verna Vels
93. Ilisna Nel
94. Justine Williams
95. Ingrid Chinn
96. Effie Seftel
97. Wilhelm Jordaan
98. Heather Mason
99. Kathryn White
100. Francois Bloemhof
101. Fanie de Villiers (Kleinboer)
102. Hans du Plessis
103. Nelle Dreyer
104. Harry Kalmer
105. Rene Bohnen
106. Heinrich Troost
107. Cecile Cilliers
108. Estelle Neethling
109. Charl-Pierre Naude
110. Dorette Nel
111. Anne Stanwix
112. Anne McIlleron
113. Natalie Dembo
114. Lisa Cloete
115. Annelize van der Ryst-Hattingh
116. Nicky Rebelo
117. Anne-Marie Mischke
118. Liesl Louw-Vaudran
119. Anna Hamlin
120. Celesté Fritze
121. Desné Masie
122. Bettie Kemp
123. Bart Luirink
124. Fanie Olivier
125. Pieter Cilliers
126. Alida van der Westhuizen
127. Hettie Scholtz
128. Jackie Bischof
129. Margaret Renn
130. Gillian Anstey
131. Gabrielle Ozynski
132. Franz Krüger
133. Basil van Rooyen
134. Godfrey de Meyer
135. Tania Levy
136. Jean Fryer
137. Dineke Volschenk
138. Norman Blight
139. Jo Warner
140. Phakama Mbonani
141. Judi Nwokedi
142. Cynthia Gatter
143. Maggie Davey
144. Janet Bartlet
145. Russell Clarke
146. Simon Sephton
147. Amanda Tremeer
148. Daniel Magaziner
149. Delia Layton
150. Catrin ver Loren van Themaat
151. Shireen Hassim
152. Elna Rossouw
153. Christian Ungruhe
154. David Scott-Macnab
155. Sophie Didier
156. Suzette Grace
157. Trudi Blomsma
158. Johan Blaauw
159. Hormuz Camay
160. Phiroshaw Camay
161. Gerald Groenewald
162. Daryl Glaser
163. Lizè Groenewald
164. Jennifer Glennie
165. Irma du Plessis
166. Annie Leatt
167. Natasha Erlank
168. Ali Khangela Hlongwane
169. Alexander Opper
170. Ralf Hermann
171. Andries Visagie
172. Henning Pieterse
173. Deirdre Pretorius
174. Ulrike Kistner
175. Ineke van Kessel
176. Sheila Meintjes
177. Hans du Plessis
178. Francis Faller
179. Colin Richards
180. Lorraine Chaskalson
181. Alida Poeti
182. Pamela Scully
183. Pamela Nichols
184. John Linnegar
185. Carlos Marques
186. Katharina Fink
187. Ali Khangela Hlongwane
188. Marie Didierlauren
189. Georges Lory
190. Jan Bosman
191. Helmut Bertelsmann
192. Indra Wussow
193. Ben Bergner
194. Michael Augustin
195. Lien Heidenreich-Seleme
196. Ulla Wester
197. Dorothy Wheeler
198. Mark Straw
199. Gerard Bester
200. Moira De Swardt
201. Nora Tucci
202. Diane Helen Willis
203. Neil Johnson
204. Bridget Van Oerle
205. Herby Opland
206. Margriet Leemhuis
207. Tania Levy
208. TJ de Klerk
209. Annali Dempsey
210. Rob Mills
211. Moira De Swardt
212. Mark Straw
213. Faarooq Mangyd Wk Mangera
214. Heather Mason
215. Lyn Collocott
216. Gavin McInnes
217. Rene Bohnen.
218. Brett McDougall
219. Melody Emmett
220. Michele Dean
221. Mari-Louise Van Der Walt
222. Mandy De Waal
223. Lorette Theron
224. Antoinette Cawood
225. Nanette Nel
226. John Kane-Berman
227. Linda Chernis
228. Katharina von Ruckteschell
229. Lara Buxbaum
230. Stuart Buxbaum
231. Deon Maree
232. Joyce Ozynski
233. Trevor Lubbe
234. Thérèse de Frey
235. Mirjam Wolf
236. Johnny Mahala
237. Christine Olivier
238. Jan Olivier
239. Nicholas P. Hauser
240. Jane Alan
241. Beata Lipman
242. Carole Newman
243. Dennis Newman
244. Anna Hamlin
245. Jan Swart
246. Eben Keun
247. Jenny Gillies
248. Alastair Findlay
249. Madelet du Plessis
250. Estelle Brodie
251. Hilde Prinsloo
252. Annica Marincowitz
253. Ina Mouton
254. Johan Liebenberg
255. Anton van Dalsen
256. Odette Geldenhuys
257. Ilse Fischer
258. Tim Wilson
259. Ilze Le Roux
260. Eric Gebhardt
261. Andre van Blerk
262. Ruth Fischer
263. Dawie Jacobs
264. Ted Lodewijks
265. Judith Korin
266. Penny Hochfeld
267. Tjaart Erasmus
268. Herbert Seevinck
269. Lesley Frescura
270. Wilfred Jonckheere
271. Brent Ru-olie
272. Salim Vally
273. Emanuela Carleschi
274. Linda Chisholm
275. John Nelson-Berg
276. Terence Barker
277. Govin Reddy
278. Gerard Rudolf
279. Estelle Cooper
280. Liz Delmont
281. Revel Fox
282. Anthony Prangley
283. Tilla van Vuuren
284. JF ter Wolbeek
285. Brahm du Plessis
286. Bryan Doyle
287. Michael and Denise
288. Flo Bird
289. Ricky Burnett
290. Gail Behrmann
291. Gael Beckett
292. Miriam Jorna
293. Reinier en Grieta Boshoff
294. Arthur Goldstuck
295. Edward French
296. Anton Kirsten
297. Jutta van Dalsen
298. Gillian Godsell
299. Monica Seeber
300. Una Seery
301. Kundayi Masanzu
302. Athol Williams
303. Emma Chen
304. Michael Prytz
305. Maureen Dubery
306. Pat Tucker
307. Barbara Ludman
308. Colin Smuts
309. Stephanie Kemp
310. T H Wolff
311. Terry Friend
312. Maja Marx
313. Gawie du Toit
314. Ronel Smit
315. Cedric Hunter
316. Eva Hunter
317. Gretha Aalbers
318. Marie-Lais Emond
319. Lisa Skinner
320. Ruth Nicola
321. Colleen Naudé
322. Rosamund Kendal
323. Paul Hendler
324. Herselman Hattingh
325. Katharina von Ruchteschell-Katte