It rained books, bibliophiles and exquisite cuisine at the 5th annual Kingsmead Book Fair on Saturday.
The atmosphere was electric with families enjoying the entertainment, meeting other parents and getting copies of their books signed by highly acclaimed South African authors.The turnout was good and the day was considered a success by the school.
“We’re delighted with the success of our fifth annual Kingsmead Book Fair. The positive feedback from our sponsors, participants, publishers, parents and colleagues has been great,” said Hayley Schonborn Pienaar, director of the Kingsmead Book Fair.
Andrea Ntombela, a mom who attended the book fair with her two children, said the day had been delightful and she had thoroughly enjoyed the variety of the food offered. “We’ve been to the Korky show. My kids had fun and we loved it,” she said.
Khensani Mbelengwa, who has a Grade 8 sister in the school, said, the book fair was a great social event that had enabled her to catch up with old friends. “It has been lovely and informative. Even though I didn’t buy any books today, I’ve had a good day with my family,” said Mbelengwa.
Read to Rise, a non-profit organisation promoting youth literacy, had their books on display and were excited to have been part of the book fair.
Some of the highlights included a conversation with author Zakes Mda, who flew in from the USA for the festival; a session on South African universities with professors Jonathan Jansen and Adam Habib; and Yolande Korkie shared her story on her kidnapping by al-Qaeda, on losing her husband and the benefits of forgiveness.
“We’re looking forward to our next Kingsmead Book Fair which will be on Saturday 13 May next year,” said Pienaar.
