Insight into 2017 book fair An exhibitor shows visitors some books at ZIBF 2016
An exhibitor shows visitors some books at ZIBF 2016

An exhibitor shows visitors some books at ZIBF 2016

When an interim executive was put in place to run the Zimbabwe International Book Fair (ZIBF) last year, one of the things that became apparent immediately was the determination to scale up and restore the import and stature of the event.

At its peak, ZIBF was a magnet for the global publishing, writing and book distribution and selling players.

The presence of international participants, visitors, marketing experts and the involvement of organisations such as UNESCO raised the profile of the book fair.

It is said success attracts success and with each well-organised book fair, the regional, continental and international literary, publishing and marketing sectors sought to be part of it, adding to the criticality of ZIBF as a market place to be.

ZIBF kept adding on awards that honoured books from the continent, an example of which was that the ZIBF twice hosted the prestigious Noma Award for publishing in Africa.

Then there were “Best 100 Books”, the Literary Evening and these and many other events led to the ZIBF being awarded the Prince Claus Award in 1997.

Several concurrent events accompanied the ZIBF, including a writer’s workshop and the annual Merit Awards for authors and publishers, as well as a live literature podium and a children’s reading tent, both very popular with the public.

ZIBF attracted the participation of the African Publishers Network (APNET), the organisation representing publishers across the continent.

The early days saw participation by all Zimbabwean authors and most well-known authors on the African continent who wrote in English, as well as some who wrote in French or Portuguese.

They all wanted to come to southern Africa, to visit the new nation of Zimbabwe, to meet colleagues and discuss writing and books.

Pupils view books at ZIBF 2016

Pupils view books at ZIBF 2016

History records that visiting authors over the years included, among many others, Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Cyprian Ekwensi, Kole Omotoso and Flora Nwapa from Nigeria, Kenyan authors Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Micere Mugo and Ngugi wa Mirii, Jack Mapanje from Malawi, Misheck Asare from Ghana, Lewis Bernardo Honwana from Mozambique, as well as Lewis Nkosi, Njabulo Ndebele, Nadine Gordimer and several other South African authors.

The thinking is that this year’s book fair is preparing the basis for the return to that pre-eminence.

During the recent commemoration for the late Sam Chimsoro, Zimbabwe Publishing House’s CEO, Blazio Tafireyi, who is also current Chair of the Zimbabwe International Book Fair (ZIBF) Association, said while in the past there used to be Publishers’ Book Awards, these have been rebranded and will be called National Book Awards.

The awards are expected to stimulate creativity and excellence among writers, publishers, distributors, sellers and the reading public.

If successfully co-ordinated, the awards could be a stimulus for sustainable book sector, egged on by competition and the consequent results of quality products.

“We expect the awards will be recognised by various people and the first awards will be in 2018 and this year we will discuss the specifics of what the awards will be,” he explained.

The Zimbabwe International Book Fair has been set for July 31 — August 5, 2017 while the two-day Indaba Conference will run from July 31 and August 1, 2017.

The theme for this year is — “Making the Book Pay!” The Theme was selected from recommendations by participants through the 2016 Indaba Evaluation Forms. The ZIBFA Executive leadership concurred with the suggested theme, “Making the Book Pay” because it is topical and adequately speaks to today’s national, regional and international development agendas.

Writers, Tafireyi explained, we were not certain because while some made money from writing books others had not made money. Writing books must pay, he stressed.

The issue was not just about writers and publishers only, Tafireyi added, even readers must get value for their money.

“As the Chair of the ZIBFA we recognise that writers are not making money, but even though it is not enough because of the economy, this does not mean writers should stop writing because even when things are not right writers should continue writing so that people will know what happened.

“Writers are aggrieved but they should not give up because the journey starts from afar. Success is not spontaneous. I believe there is a formula and it is important to know the formula. We see other writers who are writing well. The opposite of success is failure.”

ZIBF chairman Blazio Tafireyi

ZIBF chairman Blazio Tafireyi

Tafireyi suggested that since writing is a business, it is imperative for writers to assemble their resources, plan, follow up and then execute their projects, but critically, there is need to be ruthless. He said it was important that this point be appreciated.

He was concerned about writers who die without indicating where or what should happen to their unpublished work. At the Chimsoro commemoration, four unpublished works were unveiled. However, in the majority of cases the death of an author marks the disappearance of her/his unpublished material.

“There is something to see from our writers, but the lesson is that writers should write down what they want to happen when they die and what should happen to their children,” advised Tafireyi.

He suggested that writers should also make it a habit of approaching publishers with an interpreter who understands what publishers do, someone who understands the operations of publishers.

This point suggests opportunities for retired writers or former publishing executives to become advisers or literary agents.

Weeks ago, seemingly in pursuit of writing must pay, ZPH put out an advert calling for writers to submit their work. If the work does not pay now, it will pay later seems to be the thinking.

“The criteria is that we want your creativity. Creative writing does not respond to something,” Tafireyi explained saying they were not about to prescribe or set parameters within which authors could write.

This programming is saying write what you want.

“The Literature Bureau rejection rate was very high. We have a historical hangover, but what we want to demonstrate in the next three years is that whether it is going to make money or not, the point is that someone is going to make money at some point. What we don’t want is your ideas to die with you.

“We hope a third of the manuscripts will make money, if not its tough luck because the risk is on us.

“We are saying whether old or new, we want to publish your work anyway. In the future, hopefully, they will sell.”

The first ZIBF was held in 1983, initiated through the vision of David Martin, a founding director of Zimbabwe Publishing House, and Hans Zell of the African Book Publishing Record, with the support of Nathan Shamuyarira, then Minister of Information and Broadcasting, and UNESCO’s Book Week Africa which was imported for display as the centrepiece.

Together with others such as Toby Moyana of the Ministry of Education’s curriculum development unit and Zimbabwe’s trailblazing author Charles Mungoshi, they brought the concept of international book fairs to southern Africa.

David Martin was the first Director of ZIBF and organised five book fairs throughout the 1980s, handing over through the 1990s to Anne Knuth, then Hugh Lewin, and eventually Trish Mbanga, who continued to build both the book fair and its reputation as a commercial marketing event for the industry and public. — Panorama Magazine.

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