Date: 28th May 2015 to 30th May 2015
Don’t Frack With Our Karoo™
Booktown Richmond’s 9th Anniversary
3rd ANNUAL JM COETZEE / ATHOL FUGARD FESTIVAL
May 28, 29, 30, 2015
A Richmond Community Development Foundation Project
JM Coetzee/ Athol Fugard Festival
Boy oh boy! What a festival it is turning out to be. In our last newsletter, we announced the participation of Athol Fugard. No sooner had we announced this and then Ronnie Govender, a legend of South African theatre also announced his participation. With two lifetime achievement awards behind his name, Ronnie Govender adds credence to Booktown Richmond’s reputation as the land of literary legends.
And because I know most people don’t read our newsletters beyond page 1, let me in paragraph 2 remind you of the launch of SA’s first Teddy Bear Museum in Richmond. We hope that all the arctophiles out there will diarize these dates.
Now if the prospects for a Teddy Bear’s Picnic doesn’t grab you then you definitely will have to get into top gear with the South African Self-Publishers Awards. The winners in two categories have been chosen. It’s been extremely hard work. The postal service has at times been frustrating. One of the judges could not be found because she lives in Rhodes Lane and someone painted Koejawel Straat over the street name so the couriers had a hard time. Only in SA I tell you, but what a joyous journey it has turned out to be. To our contestants, you will have to wait until the festival to find out if you have won. Good luck to one and all. And a really big thank you to our judges. Below a summary of entrants in our competition.
1)Biography/ Autobiography – Dennis Walters/Angie Butler/ Hans Schroeder/ Tuan Marais/ Edwin Jackson/ Nico Moolman/ Marc Wainer – Judges: Darryl David; Dr Betty Govinden; Prof. Rajendra Chetty
2) Fiction – Bernard Preston /Nico Moolman – Judges: Leslie Howard; Beverley Muller; Rita Gilfillan
3) Fine Art – John Meyer – A Retrospective 1972–2012 (2013) –Tracey Hawthorne John Meyer, Lost in the Dust (2014)- Amanda Botha Judges Dr Elza Miles; Darryl David
4) Photography/ Coffee Table Books – Di Smith/ Derryn Campbell/ Heinrich van den Bergh/ Chris Albertyn/ Rene Paul Gosselin Judges: Grant Leversha; Darryl David
5) Architecture – Philippe Menache & Darryl David – 101 Country Churches of SA/ Darryl David & Philippe Menache – A Platteland Pilgrimage
6) Short Stories
7) Children’s Literature – Julia Rees/ Nico Moolman/ Glenda de Jager/ Leslie Wainer : Judges: Loraine Prinsloo; Eugene Marais; Darryl David
8) Animals/Pets- Tod Collins/ Paddy Jackson/ Mike Lowry – Judges: Darryl David; Peter Baker; Sheritha Ramparsad
9) Cookbooks
10) Environment
11) Health/ Medicine – Maritza Breitenbach / Dawn Garisch: Judges: Tracy Ann Moodley; Darryl David, Elizabeth van den Berg
12) Humour/ Cartoon
13) History – Leslie Howard / Louise Heckl /Jan van der Merwe- Judges: Darryl David; Joanne Rushby; Rozena Maart
14) Home + Garden
15) Poetry - John Goodall/ Kevin Butler/ Roy Ronnie/ Merrick Hawethorne/ Paula Hartzenberg/ Leslie Howard
16) Travel – Peter Baker/ Chris Marais &Julienne du Toit/ Ashwin Desai/ Louise Heckl/ Derryn Campbell & Regina Graff/ David Robbins/ Jan van der Merwe: Judges: Denis Beckett; Darryl David
17) Best Independent Book/Author/Publisher Website – Karoo Keepsakes- Chris Marais & Julienne du Toit/ Bridging the Eastern Cape- Dennis Walters/ Living in SA- Derryn Campbell & Regina Graff/ Woemabooks/ The Cookie Book- Maritza Breitenbach – Judges: Peter Baker/ Darryl David
18) Award Winning Independent Bookstore – winner to be announced at festival
I am also sure everyone is eagerly awaiting the first draft of our programme. We have had 5 additions to our programme since our last e-mail. Pieter van Zyl will be bringing a Fugard production to Richmond; Ronnie Govender and Rajendra Chetty, President of the English Academy of SA will be coming to Richmond as will husband and wife writing duo Marc and Lesley Wainer. We don’t expect many changes to the programme, but Peter Baker is known to whisper in my ear just before I am about to introduce the next speaker, that he has changed the programme over the interval!!!!!!
But here it is!!!
We shall look forward to seeing you in the dorp. Bring your tappin’ shoes, your stoep sittin’ jacket and a warm sweater.
