Words by Thato Rossouw, most images by Purilarb Tommy Cherngphatthana
“Books are incredible, but what is more incredible is access to books,” were writer Yewande Omotoso’s opening remarks as she sat down to do a reading on the Bridge Books balcony during the inaugural Bridge Book Festival.
The one-day festival, which was hosted in association with Sunday Times, took place on 29 of October throughout the Johannesburg CBD – at Bridge Books on 85 Commissioner Street; Corner House on 77 Commissioner Street; the Rand Club on the corner of Lovedale and Fox; and Ernest Oppenheimer Park on the corner of Albertina Sisulu and Joubert Street.
It featured book readings and discussions, and Omotoso said: “the event is brilliant for its location, in particular, how it uses the city.”
Bridge Books owner Griffin Shea said he wanted to use the festival to give people an invitation to visit the city centre and walk inside heritage buildings that can sometimes be closed off.
“Because so many buildings downtown are weighed with history, it’s also important to redefine our urban spaces,” he said. “One way to do that is by celebrating contemporary South African culture, like our outstanding writers.”
The festival featured a variety of writers including Omotoso, Nozizwe Cynthia Jele, Raphael d’Abdon, Sarah Godsell, Flow Wellington, Nomavenda Mathiane, Niq Mhlongo and Samantha Cowen, and, after reading from their latest work, the writers had the opportunity to answer questions from the audience.
Omotoso, the award-winning author of two novels, read from her latest book, The Woman Next Door, and discussed her work, inspiration and future plans with the audience. When asked about her main interests when writing her books, and whether or not she ever has “messages” in her work for her readers, Omotoso said her interest is in writing about “the myth of purity”, but she added, “I don’t try to teach people anything.”
Omotoso also spoke about the connection she has with the characters she develops in her stories, saying that she could never have written any of them if she didn’t have a connection with them.
Another author who had a reading at the festival was former journalist Nomavenda Mathiane who, after her reading in the foyer of the City Central building, spoke about the importance of having Africans tell their own stories and the journey that ended with her writing her new book, Eyes in the Night. Mathiane outlined the lessons she learned while writing the book and how valuable they were for her. “I have learned so much about myself, my family and the Zulu nation from writing this book. It has been the best experience I have ever gone through,” she said.
The audience was treated to a taste of upcoming work as well, as author of the famed novel turned movie Happiness is a Four-Letter Word, Nozizwa Cynthia Jele, read a chapter from an untitled work in progress, which she hopes to have published late next year. After reading from the new novel, which she described as totally different from Happiness is a Four-Letter Word, she spoke about the struggles of writing a second novel after the success of her first one.
I had a total groupie moment when I met @JeleCynthia at the Bridge Book Festival last week.
— Tshimo Leeuw (@TsHiMo_Leo) November 3, 2016
How exciting, @jelecynthia is reading from work in progress that not even her first readers have seen #bridgebookfestival @bridgebooksjozi pic.twitter.com/pAF4NogjLT
— Jennifer Malecówna (@projectjennifer) October 29, 2016
Present at the event were publishers, writers and readers. Some of the reading groups that were present include the Hector Peterson Museum Book Club, the Bookamoso Book Club and the BookWormers Book Club, among others.
The event ended on a successful note with an after party, where authors, readers and publishers came together to discuss their love of books and the work they do. Shea said the event was an indication of the goodwill that people have for downtown Johannesburg and the number of people who want the city to succeed. “It’s also a celebration of the joy that our city takes in reading,” he continued. “We have to keep looking for new ways to tap into that enthusiasm.”
Thato Rossouw and Jennifer Malec (and others) tweeted live from the event:
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Book details
- The Woman Next Door by Yewande Omotoso
EAN: 9781784740344
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- Eyes in the Night: An Untold Zulu Story by Nomavenda Mathiane
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EAN: 9781928257240
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- Affluenza by Niq Mhlongo
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EAN: 9780795706967
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- Happiness is a Four-Letter Word by Cynthia Jele
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EAN: 9780795707766
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- From Whiskey to Water by Sam Cowen
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EAN: 9781920601720
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