IN CELEBRATION OF BOOKS : BOOKJOL 4 – 7 MARCH 2008
Marguerite Nel

As part of the centenary celebrations of the university, the Library Services presented a book festival from 5 to 8 March 2008. The festival, with a slogan Leading Minds Read, provided four days of reading pleasure: exploring new developments - especially in the field of eBooks, strolling between the stands in the exhibition hall and just chatting with friends, writers, publishers and other role players in the wonderful world of books and literature!

A one day symposium, The eBook Phenomenon: a New Chapter, took place on Friday, 7 March. Experts in the eBook domain discussed issues such as:

  • - The e-Book phenomenon and the way it will change learning, scholarship and our understanding and use of knowledge (Mark Carden)
  • - What’s in a book – an evolutionary journey from paper to electronic (Wouter van der Velde)
  • - e-Books - Productivity booster or resource drain (Christopher James)
  • - Socially produced content and the Wisdom of the Crowds (Jenny Walker)
  • - Electronic dictionaries: where language meets (Wanda Smith-Muller)

    • Shimmer Chinodya, winner of the 2007/08 Noma Award for Publishing in Africa and who is featured in the online African Writer Series (ProQuest), talked about his work and the impact of being online. He also entertained the audience by reading from his work.

    Different views and opinions were investigated during a very interesting and informative panel discussion on “The future of academic books”.

    A kaleidoscope of writers participated in the festivities. Sindiwe Magona, Darryl Accone, Helen Brain, Anzil Kulsen, Sarah Britten, Jaco Jacobs, Carina Diedericks-Hugo, Fanie Viljoen , Fred Khumalo and PG du Plessis were only some of the writers who took part in the events.

    Approximately 1000 books whose authors have had some kind of association with the University, were on display in the Villa Museum as part of the BookJol. These works represented a century of academic endeavour, printing styles and layouts, cover designs, publishing trends and fluctuations in tertiary education. A list of faculty publications appears elsewhere in this issue.

    Erica van der Westhuizen, Marguerite Nel, Johannes Moropotli, Antoinette Lourens, Barbara Kellermann, Tertia Coetsee.

    Informal talks by present and past UP staff members were held during the lunch hours. Onderstepoort was represented by Prof Malie Smuts. She shared her memories of her involvement in a unique project - compiling the first anatomical atlas of the camel. The title of her lecture was “Daardie wonderlike skip van die woestyn”

    Pretoria’s first bookfest was indeed an enjoyable celebration of books, reading, music and art – and hopefully the first of many!