It's National Book Week in South Africa (sorry, there doesn't seem to be any link to any central site ...) and in The Times (South Africa) Siphiwo Mahala suggests We are what we write -- and that:
Book Week offers literary enthusiasts a glorious opportunity, without being prompted by controversy and sensationalism, to interrogate the trajectory of our literary architecture with a view to shaping its growth.Mahala notes that there is much that is very positive going on in South Africa -- but also that there is something of a disconnect:
The establishment of new literary journals, blogs, online discussion forums and other electronic media, the proliferation of book fairs and literary festivals, the emergence of new publishers and the publication of hordes of new authors bear testimony to a thriving literary landscape.Ah, yes ... consumption. Where are the readers ? (Note, of course, that this is a lament and complaint that is hardly unique to South Africa; see also the next item .....)
Sadly, our burgeoning literary output has not translated into a sizeable increase in consumption.