Cape Town Book Fair
Cape Town is a thriving South African city with a major focus on supporting the arts and cultural heritage. The Cape Town Book fair takes place annually and brings together authors, publishers, students and readers to share their thoughts and experiences. It is also an educational opportunity where skills are discussed and mentored. The book fair specifically celebrates South African writers, though as with all fields, international awareness is essential. Most of the attendees at the fair are local residents, though many writers and literature enthusiasts from all over South Africa come in for the event. It is also a popular attraction for tourists who are lucky enough to be visiting the city during the fair days. Many people make new friends and working associates at this major networking opportunity. It’s common for an evening of Cape Town fine dining to conclude a busy day at the book fair. This year’s fair saw thousands of book lovers descend upon Cape Town. While the focus of the fair is to celebrate South African writers, one if its primary intent is to expose great new works of literature to the international market.
Megan Voysey-Braig received this year’s European Union Literary Award for her unpublished novel Till We Can Keep An Animal. The award is intended for first time novelists who have an unpublished book that will be attractive to international audiences. As part of the award Voysey-Braig will have her book published by Jacana Media. She will have her work included in next year’s Exclusive Books Homebru collection. Voysey-Braig stated in an interview that she considers writing to be a personal obsession, and even equates it to a type of madness. Along with that she expressed her love for writing and describes it as an opportunity for self-expression. This was Voysey-Braig’s first novel and with the success it’s received prior to publishing she is likely to have a strong career ahead of her.