Hey guys and girls, I’ve got some great news for those of you living in Pretoria or Jo’burg. 🙂 There’s a brand new book fair coming and it promises to be quite the kickass event!
Taken from the Book Ex website:
Gauteng is the economic powerhouse of the nation and Johannesburg its financial heart. Therefore it is only fitting that a sizeable book event should eventually find its home here. From November 2010 that home will be BookEx.
Initiated by Estoril Books, BookEx will be a book extravaganza where the public can find plenty of titles for sale under one roof and publishers can exhibit their ranges and parade their authors.
Here’s the full press release:
BookEx JHB 26-28 November
Powered by Estoril Books
‘It’s an initiative well worth supporting…see all you book lovers there!’ – Mandla Langa, 17 October 2010
Gauteng is the economic powerhouse of the nation and Johannesburg its financial heart. Therefore it is only fitting that a sizeable book event should eventually find its home here.
From November 2010 that home will be BookEx. Initiated by Estoril Books, BookEx will be a book extravaganza where the public can find plenty of titles for sale under one roof and publishers can exhibit their ranges and parade their authors.
Set to take place from 26 – 28 November at The Sandton Convention centre, BookEx will incorporate both a large sales to the public and exhibitions from large and small publishers. It will also feature special events such as the mini crime-writing festival, “CrimeWrite.”
BookEx is the brainchild of Mohan Kanjee of Estoril Books, who said that, “Our aim is to create a hub of book shopping ahead of the summer holidays and Christmas together with author participation. In addition we will be hosting a two day Crime Writer’s Fest “CrimeWrite” within BookEx that has been developed by Mike Nicol, Margie Orford and a number of other crime writers.”
Other specific platforms are also being developed to make this not just a glorified book sale but an all encompassing book event of epic proportions. There will be a large children’s section complete with child-minders and activities such as storytelling, face painting and colouring in etc.
There will also be a strong emphasis on local, independent authors and publishers to give them a huge opportunity to promote themselves alongside the big guns of the business.
While a central exhibition space will be open to the public (entrance is only R30.00 for adults), sales will take place in one place, upon exit. Special shopping trolleys will be available and qualified sales staff will be manning the sales points.
Mike Nicol – ‘BookEx Johannesburg is underway amid much excitement after a bad year for book sales. CrimeWrite – showcasing the best krimi writers we have on offer – will be part of the scene. See you there: November 26 – 28 at the Sandton Convention – 16 October 2010
This fair is looking to be one of the best events of its kind, with panels on practically all genres and subjects (see the full program here) – including Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror.
That panel will have Louis Greenberg, Sarah Lotz and Lauren Beukes talking about SF/F/Horror, and I’ve been asked to chair the panel. 🙂 It’s the first time I’ll be chairing a panel on SFF/H and I’m really looking forward to it!
There will also be a Crime Writing workshop, the first-ever at an event of this kind; here are the details:
CrimeWrite At BookEx 2010
A very different and exciting component of BookEx 2010, powered by Estoril Books, will be the two day CrimeWrite festival developed by Mike Nicol, Margie Orford and other South African crime writers.
In a full two day programme of events, South Africa’s top crime writers will take their audience through how they do what they do, why they do it and the difference between their fiction and reality. In a series of shorter presentations, writers will also discuss smaller aspects of the genre and their own work.
BookEx attendees who register with CrimeWrite are then eligible to enter the CrimeWrite short story competition. Details will be given at the sessions. The grand prize includes books, a feature on Mike Nicol’s Crime Beat and the BookEx Website.
CrimeWrite takes place on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 November and includes live Skype interviews with South African authors abroad Deon Meyer, Roger Smith and Richard Kunzmann.
CrimeWrite is part of the inaugural BookEx event taking place at the Sandton Convention centre from 26-28 November 2010. BookEx is a book extravaganza where the public can find plenty of titles for sale under one roof and publishers can exhibit their ranges and parade their authors. Check out all the details at the BookEx site!
So scrap whatever plans you’ve made for Sunday the 28th, or for that entire weekend; if you’re a book-lover and are looking to spend the some well-spent time in the company of publishers and writers, come join us at BookEx.
Remember to check out the BookEx website for all the info you need (GPS co-ords included), and I hope to see you there!
Be EPIC!
Dave de Burgh 