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Musaemura Zimunya

Stanley Mushava Arts Correspondent
ZIMBABWE International Book Fair organisers have affirmed their commitment to realign the book industry with technology ahead of this year’s edition which runs from September 30 to October 3.Chairperson Musaemura Zimunya told Herald Entertainment that events lined up for this year’s book fair have been fine-tuned to synchronise with technological changes so as to remain relevant to a digitalised audience.

The forthcoming edition, taglined “ZIBF@30: Enabling Creativity, Writing, Publishing and Reading for Africa’s Growth”, will feature a Digital Zone and a Live Literature Centre and among its programmes.

“The case for changing approaches is that we need to remain relevant to all stakeholders going into the future,” Zimunya said.
“The realignment of ZIBF to the digital revolution dates back to 2011 when we roped in technological buff Fungai Tichawangana to discuss new digital trends to fellow authors.

“The discussion was enlightening and we accordingly resolved to dedicate the next book fair to the relationship between literature and ICTs hence the theme “African Literature in the Global and Digital” for last year’s book fair.

“We are especially grateful to the Presidium for a generous donation of 20 computers which constituted our E-hub last year.
“We were subsequently given seven computers for permanent use in the administration of the fair,” Zimunya said.

Zimunya said that ZIBF aims to tag along children in its digital realignment drive and will continue to engage them as they were the most significant clientele of the fair.

“We gathered young students last year and encouraged them to create. They wrote their own stories and compiled them into an e-book that was then uploaded on the ZIBF website. That’s the joy of creating,” Zimunya said.

UK-based Zimbabwean author Tinashe Mushakavanhu urged stakeholders in the book industry to embrace ICTs in earnest to in order to streamline Zimbabwean literature to a global audience.

“A lukewarm attitude to technology will alienate the younger generation of readers who have migrated to the digital space,” Mushakavanhu said.

“Youth participation must be encouraged, with young readers and authors taking up active functions not just as spectators,” he said.
The forthcoming edition will also feature a new programme called the Literary Evening to enhance direct author participation.

The Literary Evening will be an interface between writers and audience, marking a shift from the previous book fairs where academics and select keynote presenters were the focus of the event.

“In both these book fairs we have introduced a new event called the Literary Evening where selected writers are invited to perform, read or discuss their works before fellow authors and interested members of the general public,” Zimunya said.

“The enthusiasm of these evenings provided us with an inspiring trial run for the main book fair in Harare and the Mutare Book Fair in October. The idea is to bring back the buzz and ambience or atmosphere for which the Book Fair was famous at its height,” he said.

Zimunya opted not to pre-empt the new highlights of the fair and said more information will be provided as the occasion draws nearer.
Founded in 1983, ZIBF has been the traditional launch pad for budding writers’ careers as it provides a tripartite interface for publishers, writers and the reading public.

Literary notables including Dambudzo Marechera, Chenjerai Hove, Yvonne Vera and Charles Mungoshi have headlined past book fairs while contemporaries such as John Eppel, Memory Chirere and Mushakavanhu have continued the tradition.

ZIBF was one of the biggest events on Africa’s literary calendar at its height in the early nineties.