The Sunday Mail
Andrew Moyo
THE recently held 2019 Zimbabwe International Book Fair (ZIBF) was about celebrating the milestones achieved by the local literary industry over the years.
Running under the theme “Footprints of the Book: Milestones & Opportunities”, the book fair did not only seek to celebrate past achievements but also explored opportunities that should be exploited for the revival of the country’s literary culture.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail Society, ZIBF interim chair Memory Chirere said there is need to retrace the history of the industry so as to try and recapture the blueprint that made it a success in the past.
“We need to go back and see what caused the boom of the 1980s, which saw either the rise or the further strengthening of the likes of Dambudzo Marechera, Aaron Chiundura Moyo, the Mungoshi brothers, Barbara Nkala, Thompson Tsodzo, Cont Mhlanga, Tsitsi Dangarembga, Yvonne Vera, Virginia Phiri, Chenjerai Hove, Stanley Nyamfukudza and Shimmer Chinodya, among others,” said Chirere.
“There is a need to go back to the drawing board, to find what facilitated this boom and how it could be triggered again. We need to look at what we have done well, where we faltered and the reasons behind all that.”
An Indaba took centre stage on the first two days of the fair. Several local and international keynote speakers, including Stanley Nyamfukudza and Simphiwe Sesanti from the UNISA’s Institute for African Renaissance Studies, articulated various topics.
The exhibitions were a convergence of book publishers, authors, academics, scientists, engineers, headmasters, teachers, students, librarians and the general public.
However, there has been a decrease in the number of exhibitors, with only 23 turning up. In 2017, there were a total of 38 exhibitors. The decrease has been attributed to the current economic climate.
“Several major publishers have not been able to exhibit at this year’s show and we are working very hard to increase these numbers. The recovery will be a process, not an event,” said Chirere.
While the literary industry is taking a beating, Chirere said the ZIBF is a platform to show the world that Zimbabwean literature is still alive.
“As Zimbabwean writers, we have taken a stand that while our publishers are trying to recuperate, we will use the fair to show that the writers are alive regardless. ZIBF will continue to be our meeting place to exchange ideas as well as interact with readers and critics. ZIBF is our festival. If we do not do that, we will die.”
Despite the exhibitors’ low turnout, there were numerous exciting activities which included junior achievers’ competitions, a librarians’ workshop and a writers’ workshop, to name just a few.
