On the 1st of November 2021, the first Africa Book and Design Festival (ABDF) announced their headline sponsor partner, Showmax, for their exclusive “Bookies Under The Stars” event. Following the hybrid ABDF conference held both online and at the Future Africa Campus at the University of Pretoria over two days, Bookies Under The Stars, brought to you by Showmax, will be hosted at Summer Place in Sandton on Saturday the 13th November.
Author Dudu Busani-Dube will lead a panel of female storytellers discussing life the loves and life of modern African women as told through the narratives of their work, including the Hlomu series of novels, which has inspired the first Showmax Original telenovela, The Wife.
The books follow the lives of the eight Zulu brothers, a formidable crime family, through the eyes of the wives they marry. The aim of the Bookies Brunch is to give voice to female story tellers and create a platform where fans can meet and connect with authors that are shaping the narrative for the lifestyle of a 21st Century African woman.
“We’re delighted for Showmax to be part of an initiative that is entrenched in the empowerment of the creative sector not just in South Africa but Africa at large. This partnership also gives ABDF the opportunity to create space for current and future African story tellers to be inspired and see how literature can live from the pages of books to our screens”, says Nonhlanhla Matshazi, Director of ABDF.
“Showmax is an online streaming platform that serves the most poignant and powerful African stories to the viewers across the continent and beyond. Part of the magic of Hlomu the Wife and the books that follow is how relatable the characters are that Dudu Busani-Dube has conjured; they are a rich inspiration for The Wife series, which will be streaming on www.showmax.com from 11 November,” says Candice Fangueiro, head of content for Showmax.
Supported by the Department of Sports, Arts & Culture: Literacy department, ABDF is scheduled for 11-13 November 2021 in South Africa as a virtual and interactive showcase streamed from The Future Africa Campus at the University of Pretoria.
