City Celebrates Africa Day 2006 with Literature Week across the City

The City of Cape Town's Arts and Culture Department will host a Literature Festival from 24 to 27 May 2006. The festival programme includes a Book Fair and book/poetry reading sessions at various venues across the city.

The Book Fair will be held at the Claremont Civic Centre on 26 and 27 May 2006 from 10:00 to 15:00. It provides an opportunity for NGOs and local authors who have published works to sell their books.

Literature Week forms part of the City's Africa Day Celebrations. Africa Day was established by a resolution of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) on the day of the OAU's constitution on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This year, 2006, is the 43rd anniversary of Africa Day and has been declared as the year of African Languages.

An exhibition will be hosted in the Concourse of the Civic Centre, Cape Town, from 24 until 26 May 2006. Consulates of four African countries, namely Madagascar, Angola, Botswana and Mozambique will participate in the exhibition which can be viewed by the public from 10:00 until 15:00.

Other events include:

Creative Writing Workshops: 26 & 27 May 2006

This programme of workshops is intended to generate new poems and stories by young adults living in Cape Town as well as promoting a culture of writing.

• Centre For the Book, Cape Town, 13:00 - 16:00 and 10:00 - 14:00
• Monwabisi Centre, Langa, 13:00 - 16:00 and 10:00 - 14:00
• Bellville Public Library, 13:00 - 16:00 and 09:00 - 16:00

Storytelling Workshop: 24 & 25 May 2006

This will equip young minds with the tools to carry on with the art of story telling.

• Langa Sports Complex, 10:00 - 15:00

Storytelling Workshops: 26 & 27 May 2006

• Belhar Library, 12:30 - 13:30
• Mitchells Plain Town Centre Library, 12:30 - 13:30
• Gugulethu Library, 12:30 - 13:30

Poetry and Open Microphone Sessions

• Cape Town Central Library, 24 May 2006, 16:30 - 18:30
• UWC, Public Admin, Reading Room, Level 2, Economic & Management Finance Building, 25 May 2006, 15:00 - 17:00
• Zolani Centre, Nyanga, 27 May 2006, 12:00 - 14:00
• Distrix Café, Cape Town, 27 May 2006, 18:00 - 21:30

All media are invited to attend.

Issued by:
Lisle Brown
Media Liaison Officer
Tel: 021 400-3065
Directorate: Communication and Marketing
City of Cape Town
Email: media@capetown.gov.za
Tel: 021 400 2201
Fax: 021 957 0023

Media queries:
Gert Bam
Director: Social Services
City of Cape Town
Tel: 021 400 5090