The African Book Festival 2022 - Representing Africa in all its Diversity

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I received an invitation from publisher and organiser of the African Book Festival Ms Stefanie Hirsbrunner to attend the festival held in Berlin from 26 to 28 August. I met Hirsbrunner in 2021 when she was visiting South Africa and we had a long chat about what UKZN is doing in the language space.

I shared with her our project of intellectualising African languages, with a focus on South Africa’s previously marginalised official languages, with literature development central to this project. We agreed that this is a mammoth task that calls for collaboration to develop African writers and accord them international recognition. The invitation to the festival was an opportunity to witness what African writers can do if they are properly supported. Here I share some of the lessons learnt from this extraordinary literary experience.

Firstly, I was in awe of the amount of talent South Africa has in the literary creative space. The theme of the festival was Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow. The musical entertainment included South Africa’s Bongeziwe Mabandla, known as the “enigmatic spirit of African Soul” and the festival included book reviews, readings, panel discussions, poetry and comedy.

The South African contingent of writers included Fred Khumalo, Niq Mhlongo, Lidudumalingani Mqombothi, Nozizwe Cynthia Jele, Athabile Masola, Bongani Kona, Buhle Ngaba, Dudu Busani-Dube, Goitseone Montsho, J J Bola, Lerato Bogoathle, Mane Mohalle, Mphuthumi Ntabeni, Nomonde Buthelezi, Saneliswa Nyaba, Sinenhlanhla Buthelezi and Xabiso Vili.

I was blown away by their contributions in the panel discussions. Their wealth of knowledge and the depth of African history in their repertoires is amazing. They traversed multiple themes including African spirituality, history, politics, romance, mental health, socio-cultural complexities and day-to-day South African lives.

Other prominent African writers present were Igoni Barrett, Ainehi Edoro, Alian Missala, Alexandedra Antwi-Boasiako, Allisa Hitzemann, Ann Ider-Konadu, Anna Samwell Manyanza, Aseman G Bahadori, Bahakti Shringarpure, Daniel Okine, Dzekashu Macviban, Emeka Okereke, Emmanuel Iduma, Fiston Kwanza Mujila, Hans Jurgen Balmes, Ifeatu Nnaobi, Ijoma Mangold, Jinnifer Nasubuga Makumbi, Jinner Neal, Joanne Hichens, Josephine Apraku, Keith Black, Lauri Kubuitsile, Marrie-Sopphie Adeoso, Max Lobe, Moses Marz, Thelma Buabeng, Tinashe Mushakavanhu, Musa Okwonga and many more.

Secondly, the festival was graced by His Excellency the Ambassador of South Africa to Germany, Phumelele Stone Sizani, who officiated at the opening. It was curated by our very own young writer, film-maker and photographer, Lidudumalingani Mqombothi.

The keynote addresses were delivered by Mqombothi and Ms Margaret Busby, a well-known cultural figure, writer, editor, broadcaster and literary critic. A long-time campaigner for diversity in publishing, she is the editor of the ground-breaking Daughters of Africa: An International Anthology of Words and Writings by Women of African Descent from the Ancient Egyptian to the Present (1992) and New Daughters of Africa: An International Anthology of Writing by Women of African Descent (2019), each of which showcases the writing of more than 200 Black women from different parts of the world. The main aim of the festival was to profile African writers with a focus on those from South Africa. In her opening address, Busby highlighted the importance of promoting the African voice and exploring a diversified publishing space.

Thirdly, coming to the lessons learnt… this is a bit of a sore point for me. South Africa has a wealth of literary talent, but we must make resources available to our writers so that they can thrive. This is not simply about money, but the tools of the trade, eg supporting reading and writing clubs with technology, creating conducive creative spaces where people can write, and sponsoring courses where they can share their expertise with aspiring writers. Universities should play their role by conferring doctoral degrees on deserving writers. Listening to these writers speak, it was clear that they yearn for support from all sectors, especially the ministries of Arts, Culture and Sports, the Department of Basic Education and the Department of Higher Education and Training.

It has become a cliché to say we have enabling policies, but 29 years on we still lag behind. We must learn to put our money where our mouths are. Looking at the overall festival attendance and the manner in which the German government supported the event, not only in words but in deeds, shows that there is a lot that we can learn from them. They take the arts seriously. It pained me to hear how other countries are supporting such initiatives for the benefit of their communities. It is a known fact that literature plays a significant role in developing countries. Besides enriching young readers’ vocabularies, it shapes their perspectives of the world around them, encourages critical thinking and opens a window to endless possibilities. These are some of the great benefits of having creative minds that are not worrying about resources, but focusing on doing what they do best. 

Fourthly, I was impressed by the writers, publishers and marketers’ open-mindedness in seeking ways and means to ensure that the African voice is heard globally. Access to information through translation was at the centre of their discussions. African literature written in English or an African language can be translated into German, French or Portuguese. Most writers write in English as it is regarded as the lingua-franca of the world. While there may be a large market for English writers, what about the other continental languages? Diversity of voices is critical if we are serious about the global village we often talk about. The culture of reading and writing cuts across linguistic communities; therefore, it is important that this plethora of creative ideas is accessible to everyone. This also paves the way for universities to strengthen language practice courses and make them more interlinguistic and multidisciplinary.

Lastly, given that the Higher Education sector is currently tackling the issue of intellectualising African languages, I cannot over-emphasise the importance of literature development. It is imperative that all 26 Higher Education Institutions finalise their language policies to take this particular strand seriously. The currency of these languages has always been an excuse for doomsayers, but if they can be promoted in schools, colleges and universities, much can be achieved in elevating their status.

UKZN has pioneered initiatives to further the intellectualisation of African languages since 2006 and has trained and published many young and upcoming writers in various strands - a project that is ongoing. This will help to boost the currency of these African languages. I wish I had more space to share the lessons learnt at the African Book Fair. The trip was indeed a worthwhile eye-opener.

Mr Khumbulani Mngadi is an independent analyst based at UKZN.

Photograph: Supplied

*The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.