Annual Gaborone Book Festival goes virtual
This year’s instalment of the annual Gaborone Book Festival, that starts tomorrow 17th and ends on the 19th, will be virtual. This is in keeping with strict Covid19 social distancing regulations for events.
The organisers Keikantse and Kenanao Phele have said that the aim of the festival, now in its third year, is to inculcate a culture of reading in Botswana, and according African writers a platform to engage on their work with a diverse audience. “We want to help capacitate local writers to tap into and harness their literary talents, and give local writers a platform to engage and share their work. We achieve some of our objectives through various platforms including the school outreach programme, monthly book reviews and book night.”
Some of the confirmed guests for this year’s edition include Nigerian writer and creative writing lecturer at George Mason University in Virginia, USA Helon Habila; tourism entrepreneur, tour guide and award-winning photographer Kane Motswana; travel enthusiast and photographer Thalefang Charles; former journalist and mental health activist Dikatso Selemogwe; editor of Ultimate Beginnings, a collection of personal essays by some African widows, Nandi Manentsa; Outlwile Tsipane author of the book Black Tax; author, journalist ad communications specialist Gaongalelwe Tiro; author and artist Shubnum Khan; tech entrepreneur and founder of #BW Made Itumeleng Garebatshabe; Thabo Katlholo, author and publisher, as well as Lorraine Sithole: author and publisher, among others.