As a celebration of books and the publishing industry, writers and illustrators will descend on Newtown, Johannesburg from 7-9 September.

Celebrated annually in the first week of September, the South African Book Fair is the culmination of National Book Week and offers a unique opportunity for interaction between publishers, authors and book lovers alike.

A number of David Philip Publishers and New Africa Books authors will be attending the event. Below is a complete guide to where they will be and when - be sure to say hello and maybe even get a copy of your book signed!

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Lebohang Masango – Mpumi’s Magic Beads

Friday 7 September

Keorapetse Kgositsile Poetry Café – Session Two

Venue: Ramolao Makhene Theatre

Time : 16:00-16:45

Price: R40

The South African Book Fair 2018, as it celebrates #OURSTORIES on the page, mic and stage, invites audiences to engage in a feast of intergenerational voices in our indigenous languages.

Sunday 9 September

She Speaks

Time: 10:00–11:00

Price: R40

Venue: Sarafina

The necessity and challenges of capturing generational stories.

Click here to buy your copy of Mpumi's Magic Beads.

 

Sindiwe Magona - Albertina Sisulu: Abridged Memoir

Saturday 8 September

Writers are our Conscience

Time: 14:30–17:00

Price: R40

Venue: Auditorium

Throughout the history of humankind, the written and the spoken word have shaped the course of events. In the space of this conference, we aim to explore how writers and readers influence society. Do writers steer the course of a country’s socio-political passage by pointing to and appraising the mores and values of its people and its leaders?

Sunday 9 September

She Speaks

Time: 10:00–11:00

Price: R40

Venue: Sarafina

The necessity and challenges of capturing generational stories.

Click here to buy your copy of Albertina Sisulu: Abridged Memoir

 

Elinor Sisulu – Walter & Albertina Sisulu: In our lifetime

Saturday 8 September

African Philosophy Cafe – A tale of two hegemons: SA and Nigeria in Africa

Time: 11:30–12:30

Price: R40

Venue: Sarafina

Nigeria and South Africa account for about a third of Africa’s economic might, and have led much of its conflict management initiative over the last two decades.

A Celebration Of Giants

Time: 13:00–14:00

Price: 40

Venue: Auditorium

We remember the timeless contribution of Albertina Sisulu and Nelson Mandela as the country celebrates their centenaries.

Sunday 9 September

She Speaks

Time: 10:00–11:00

Price: R40

Venue: Sarafina

The necessity and challenges of capturing generational stories.

Click here to buy your copy of Walter & Albertina Sisulu: In our lifetime

 

Loyiso Mkize - Kwezi Comics

Saturday 8 September

African Superheroes?

Time: 11:30–12:30

Price: 40

Venue: Alan Joseph Training Room

Disrupting through superheroes – our young authors take us into the world of graphic novels.

#OURSTORIES

Time: 13:00–14:00

Price: R40

Venue: Township Boy

There’s a revolution happening. New voices discuss how they are shaping the much-needed change in publishing.

Click here to buy your copy of Kwezi.

 

Clyde Beech – Kwezi

Saturday 8 September

African Superheroes?

Time: 11:30–12:30

Price: 40

Venue: Alan Joseph Training Room

Disrupting through superheroes – our young authors take us into the world of graphic novels.

Click here to buy your copy of Kwezi.

In this, the centenary year of Albertina Sisulu’s birth, we at David Philip Publishers are delighted to publish an abridged memoir that celebrates this extraordinary woman’s life.

Albertina Sisulu is revered by South Africans as the true mother of the nation. A survivor of the golden age of the African National Congress, her life with her husband Walter, the second most important figure in the ANC, exemplified the underpinning role of women in the struggle against apartheid. In 1944 she was the only woman at the inaugural meeting of the ANC Youth League, with Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Anton Lembede and her husband in the vanguard. Her final years were spent in an unpretentious house in the former white Johannesburg suburb of Linden. A friend said of her, "she treated everybody alike. But her main concern was the welfare of our women and children."

This abridged account of Sisulu’s overflowing life provides a fresh understanding of this iconic figure of South African history. The book is written in an easily understandable language, perfectly suited for young adult readers. Combined with images and illustrations of Sisulu’s life, this new memoir brings the history of one of South Africa’s most notable and important woman to a new generation of readers. This refreshing book is written by Sindiwe Magona, one of South Africa’s most prolific authors, and Elinor Sisulu, writer, activist and daughter-in-law of Albertina.

The book is available from all good bookstores across South Africa and online from Loot, Takealot and New Africa Books.

On Saturday 5 May local children's bookstore, Ethnikids, will celebrate their first birthday with a family fun day at NIROX Sculpture Park.

The day will consist of a number of fun literary events for children of all ages. Families will be able to enjoy a picnic in the park interspersed by children's book readings every hour, on the hour, with musical workshops in-between. Children will also be given the opportunity to meet the authors of their favourite books.

Ethnikids is an online bookstore specialising in children's books that feature characters of colour in various South African languages. Their mission is to provide diverse material that all children can relate to and identify with. David Philip author, Sindiwe Magona, will be there to discuss and read from her latest children's book Skin we are in. 

Be sure to join Ethnikids, Sindiwe Magona, and a number of other local authors for a fun day celebrating the joys of reading.

The line-up is as follows:

10am - Gates open

11am - Swaady Martin, author of Malaika & The Angel

12pm - Bianca Masina, author of I Love Me

1pm - Sing-along with with Moshoeu Ketlele to Mzansi's Nursery Rhymes

2pm - Lebohang Masango, author of Mpumi's Magic Beads

3pm - Refiloe Moahloli, author of How many ways to say hello and Tullula

4pm - Sindiwe Magona, author of Skin we are in

Get your tickets for the event here.

One of South Africa's literary stalwarts, Sindiwe Magona, has teamed up with well-renowned American anthropologist, Nina G. Jablonski, to create Skin we are in, a much-needed book about race and skin colour - for children.

Together with award-winning illustrator Lynn Fellman, the trio have researched, written and produced a lively and colourful book to educate children on the science behind skin colour.

The essence of the story lies in the knowledge that despite appearances, on the inside we are all the same. When asked why she embarked on the project Jablonski cites the need for "accessible, authoritative scientific education" in the country and says that Magona was the only person to help fulfill her vision. "More than anything I wanted the book to be believable for kids. It had to be written in their voices, for their experiences," says Jablonski. Skin we are in is a celebration of the glorious human rainbow, both in South Africa and beyond. 

Magona has written the story of five young friends as they explore and discuss the skin they are in. The scientific narrative, written by Jablonski, expands and supports the conversation topics generated by the children's adventure, as eye-catching illustrations and informative graphics, drawn by Fellman, keep young readers intrigued and entertained.

Sindiwe Magona has written over 120 children's books in her lifetime and was awarded the Order of Okhamanga in 2011. She is currently a Writer-in-Residence at the University of the Western Cape as she continues her work as a writer, editor, translator and mentor to many of South Africa's best emerging writers.

Nina G. Jablonski is an anthropologist, paleontologist, and science educator. She studies and writes about human and primate evolution, and is especially interested in how skin and skin colour have evolved and influenced human life and societies. She conducts research and lectures in many countries, including South Africa, where she is a Permanent Fellow of the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS).

Lynn Fellman is a multimedia artist and science communicator. She is an Artist-in-Residence at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and a Fulbright Senior Scholar who studies, draws, paints, and lectures about the wonder and beauty of biological science. Her work shows the many layers of connections between people alive today and their ancient ancestors.

"The book is a testament to the inspiration, vision, and conviction of dozens of people, who created, edited, reviewed, and promoted it because they knew that the children of South Africa and the world needed it," says Jablonski.

Skin we are in is published by David Philip Publishers, an imprint of New Africa Books. The book is available in all eleven languages. Skin we are in is available for purchase nationwide at all major bookstores and online at Takealot, Loot and New Africa Books.

Catherine Stock's children's book, Armien's Fishing Trip, is reissued by Meerkat Books.

The illustrated children's book is set in the sleepy village of Kalk Bay, a seaside community that conjures images of bright fishing boats, noisy seagulls and delicious fish and chips. Since the 1850s, Kalk Bay harbour has helped the local fishermen in providing for their families. Many of the traditional fishermen that leave the harbour and head out to see every morning come from families that have been doing so for generations.

Armien's Fishing Trip celebrates this shrinking local profession. The children's book tells the story of a young boy who stows away on his uncle's boat when visiting the village. With trouble afoot on the stormy seas, Armien's quick thinking proves that he's not a little boy anymore. Originally published in 1991, this is a beautifully illustrated children's tale of adventure, excitement, family and hope. The book is being reissued in 2017 with a message that is as relevant as it was 25 years ago.

Catherine Stock is an award-winning author and illustrator who has experienced many different cultures first hand. Born in Sweden, she has lived with her family in France, England, South Africa, Hong Kong and the United States. She has a Fine Arts degree from the University of Cape Town and an MA from the Pratt Institute in New York.

Armien's Fishing Trip is published by Meerkat Books, an imprint of New Africa Books that specializes in high quality, full-colour books featuring stories that the children of Africa will recognize themselves in.

The book is available for purchase at all major bookstores and online from New Africa Books, Loot and Takealot.