UK LAUNCH OF AFRICA'S 100 BEST BOOKS
The Southern African Book Development Education Trust, SABDET, has announced that it is partnering the British Council in the UK launch of Africa's 100 Best Books on 30 January 2003. Reading Africa, a briefing and networking event on the 100 Best Books initiative for reading promotion organisations, educationists, booktrade, press and media will be held at the British Council's London headquarters at Spring Gardens.
UK LAUNCH OF AFRICA'S 100 BEST BOOKS, 30 JANUARY 2003
The Southern African Book Development Education Trust, SABDET, is
delighted to announce that it is partnering the British Council in
the UK launch of Africa's 100 Best Books on 30 January 2003. Reading
Africa, a briefing and networking event on the 100 Best Books
initiative for reading promotion organisations, educationists,
booktrade, press and media will be held at the British Council's
London headquarters at Spring Gardens. Contributors include 100 Best
Books award-winning writer Veronique Tadjo and a number of members of
the international jury. The event will be followed by a reception
hosted by British Council Board Member Gerard Lemos, with readings by
poet Patience Agbabi and 100 Best Books award-winning writer Buchi
Emecheta.
The Reading Africa initiative is supported by the Arts Council of
England and forms part of an international campaign to promote the
Africa's 100 Best Books list, following their announcement in Ghana
in February 2002 and a gala awards ceremony in Cape Town in August
attended by Nelson Mandela - whose own book No Easy Walk to Freedom
appears in the list - and Bishop Desmond Tutu. The titles listed
were selected by an international jury from more than 1,500
nominations, covering children's writing, non-fiction/scholarship and
creative writing, written in Afrikaans, Arabic, English, French,
Gikuyu, Portuguese, Sesotho, Shona, Swahili, IsiXhosa, Yoruba and
IsiZulu.
The Africa's 100 Best Books list is an initiative of the Zimbabwe
International Book Fair, inspired by Professor Ali Mazrui and
organised in association with the African publishing industry and
book development organisations. It aims to celebrate the achievements
of African writers, stimulate debate and analysis of African writing,
promote publishing and the book trade and increase awareness and
knowledge of African writing around the world.
More information about the initiative can be found on the British
Council website:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/100bestafricanbooks/index.htm
For more information on Reading Africa, contact the coordinator:
Melanie Abrahams
Renaissance One
Email : [email protected]
Tel/fax + 44 (0) 207 326 0048
Address: PO Box 22004 London SW2 5ZS England
___________________________
SABDET seeks to communicate, inform and educate about publishing in
Africa
Southern African Book Development Education Trust
Registered Charity No: 1037977
www.homepages.poptel.org.uk/sabdet
Administrator/Treasurer: Paul Westlake 26b Bewdley Street London N1
1HB Tel/fax +44 (0)20 7607 1993 [email protected]
Secretary: Margaret Ling 25 Endymion Road London N4 1EE Tel +44
(0)20 8348 8463 Fax +44 (0)20 8348 4403
[email protected]
Chair of Trustees: Alastair Niven
Trustees: Sulaiman Adebowale Adotey Bing Kadija George Mary Jay
Mpalive-Hangson Msiska Anthony Olden Terence Ranger Kelvin
Smith Veronique Tadjo