Johannesburg: November 2021: Storytelling is an integral part of African culture; used to pass down knowledge, to pass down customs or traditions from generation to generation and to shape societal narratives. This year, the art of storytelling comes to life at the first Africa Book and Design Festival (ABDF). Supported by the Department of Sports, Arts & Culture.

Authors, Mandla Langa, Dudu Dube, and rising star in illustration Lethabo Huma are a reflection of the past, present and future theme of storytelling at the Africa Book & Design Festival. With a host of other respected authors and designers set to headline the tailored programme; expect engaging intercultural and intergenerational conversations which will be held from the 11th to the 13th of November in a Hybrid format for both digital and in person participation for a limited audience, at The Future Africa Campus at the University of Pretoria.

Fellow bookworms can look forward to various African authors, including:

• Sue Nyathi
• Richard Convingham
• Nomsa Mwamuka
• Shubnum Khan
• Jamil F Khan
• Lerato Mogoatle
• Zulaikha Patel
• Busisekile Khumalo
• Phindiwe Mabhena
• Tshego Monaisa
• Fred Khumalo
• Brent Meersman

And many more.

True to our key message that “If you don’t read, make sure your children do”, the love for storytelling was born from the love of books at a young age; a sentiment all the authors who are taking part in the event have shared. What is exciting about the time we are in is that women are leading the charge in changing the narrative of African story telling as young female authors emerge with stories that tell the life of modern African women from colourful ‘eKasi’ in Johannesburg to the hustle and bustle of Lagos.

The closing event of the Africa Book and Design Festival is hosting the Bookies Under the Stars brought to you by Showmax; an evening of books and bubbles at Summer Place, Sandton on Saturday, 13 November. The event will be led by Dudu Busani-Dube, author of the Hlomu Book Series which has inspired the first Showmax original telenovela, The Wife; and Damilare Kuku, author of the highly anticipated Nearly All the Men in Lagos are Mad

For those whose love affair with books and literature is a never-ending story, these cultural experiences are not to be missed! Join the Africa Book & Design Festival Community to get one of only 50 spots for this exclusive bookies event.

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For more information, visit www.africabookanddesign.com

ADDITIONAL info:

AFRICA BOOK & DESIGN FESTIVAL: SHOWMAX SPONSORS “BOOKIES UNDER THE STARS”

Following the hybrid ABDF conference held both online and at the Future Africa Campus at the University of Pretoria over two days, Bookies Under The Stars, brought to you by Showmax, will be hosted at Summer Place in Sandton on Saturday the 13th November. Author Dudu Busani-Dube will lead a panel of female storytellers discussing life the loves and life of modern African women as told through the narratives of their work, including the Hlomu series of novels, which has inspired the first Showmax Original telenovela, The Wife.

The books follow the lives of the eight Zulu brothers, a formidable crime family, through the eyes of the wives they marry. The aim of the Bookies Brunch is to give voice to female story tellers and create a platform where fans can meet and connect with authors that are shaping the narrative for the lifestyle of a 21st Century African woman.

“We’re delighted for Showmax to be part of an initiative that is entrenched in the empowerment of the creative sector not just in South Africa but Africa at large. This partnership also gives ABDF the opportunity to create space for current and future African story tellers to be inspired and see how literature can live from the pages of books to our screens”, says Nonhlanhla Matshazi, Director of ABDF.

“Showmax is an online streaming platform that serves the most poignant and powerful African stories to the viewers across the continent and beyond. Part of the magic of Hlomu the Wife and the books that follow is how relatable the characters are that Dudu Busani-Dube has conjured; they are a rich inspiration for The Wife series, which will be streaming on www.showmax.com from 11 November,” says Candice Fangueiro, head of content for Showmax.

Supported by the Department of Sports, Arts & Culture: Literacy department, ABDF is scheduled for 11-13 November 2021 in South Africa as a virtual and interactive showcase streamed from The Future Africa Campus at the University of Pretoria.