Open book cape town, a new festival for south africa. Despite the chilly winters evening, the launch of the 2014 caine prize anthology, the gonjon pin and other stories, was a decidedly festive affair at cape towns book lounge. Mervyn sloman deputy manager exclusive books linkedin. Johannesburg the book lounge, which was opened in 2007 in the eastern precinct of the cbd cape town, has become a top destination for top writers to launch their books. Mervyn sloman, owner of the book lounge in cape town city centre, said he would have been willing to host the event in his store if necessary. Mervyn sloman of the the book lounge in cape town says. Elizabeth van heyningen launched her new book, the concentration camps of the angloboer war. See the complete profile on linkedin and discover mervyn s connections and jobs at similar companies. Why smart readers and authors love this little corner. Mervyn sloman has run cape towns best bookshop the book lounge for decades.
Cape towns gangster state launch back on as new venue found. The author was joined by the owner of the bookshop, mervyn sloman, in a discussion that crossed the spectrum from hilarious banter this book is seriously good shit. Two new members of the executive committee welcomed. Owner mervyn sloman had been working in the book trade for about five years when he started fantasising about owning his own book store. I interviewed mervyn sloman owner and manager of the booklounge.
You inhabit the world that alastair has created and once youre in there, the rest of your life goes on hold until youve. This is a lovely interview with mervyn sloman, owner of the book lounge in cape town. Open book cape town, a festival set to take place from 21 to 25 september 2011 in cape towns east city precinct were working with a host of people and organisations to make open book the real. Book launch south africa 26 march 2020 mymachine global. Ive debuted all my novels there since moxyland and what i love about them is that theyre not only open to my weird ideas to do an unconventional launch, they take them and run i approached the book lounge in 2008 to launch moxyland and when i. The book lounge is unarguably cape towns bestknown independent bookshop. The book lounge in cape town is one of favourite places in the world and, not uncoincidentally, my homeground indie bookstore. The 2019 open book festival starts tomorrow in cape town. Broken monsters debut at the book lounge lauren beukes. Mervyn sloman deputy manager at exclusive books cape town area, south africa 1 connection. Eager fans crammed into every available space to hear the awardwinning author, who is variously a lawyer, farmer and police reservist.
Andrew browns solace sells out at cape town launch zebra. The book lounge is rated by many as the best bookshop in cape town and has won the sefika award for best independent bookshop in south africa for many years in a row. Posted in general trade by jessica faircliff on october 6th, 2017. View mervyn slomans profile on linkedin, the worlds largest professional community. The event was initiated by mervyn sloman of the book lounge a cape townbased bookshop and ben williams of books live a literary focused subsidiary of the south african newspaper times live. The turnout for her discussion with the head of the history department at the university of stellenbosch, albert grundlingh, was tremendous and many of the guests sat on bookcases to hear them speak. We spoke with book lounges mervyn sloman about the store. The book lounge has won a number of awards including best independent bookshop in sa in 2014 and 2015. A capetonian who grew up with a privileged middleclass background. Pan macmillan and the book lounge invite you to the cape town launch of selfhelpless. Open book festival announces first group of authors confirmed for cape town the first group of authors has been announced for the eighth open book festival. Open book is an extension of what we do at the book lounge events and platforms for discussion, exchange of ideas and debate, and access for authors to readers and vice versa. Mervyn sloman is the owner of the much loved indie bookshop, the book lounge, as well as the director of open book. While book stores around the world have struggled against tightening economies and the onslaught of digital books, a cape town phenomenon celebrates its 10 birthday today.
Citylife spoke to organisor and proprietor of the book lounge, mervyn sloman, about this years lineup. Caine prize writers okwiri oduor, efemia chela and diane. Fourteen women, mismatching teacups, meltinthemouth cheese cake and a lot of listening. See more of jewish literary festival cape town on facebook. Mervyn sloman is the owner of the much loved indie bookshop, the book lounge, as well as the director of open book photo courtesy steve kretzmann. Open book festival announces first group of authors. Joanne jowell goldstein and mervyn sloman of book lounge. Mervyn sloman worked in the book trade for five years before opening the book lounge in the heart of cape town at the end of 2007. When mervyn sloman and ben williams started talking about creating a festival, they had in mind around 60 literary events over 5 days featuring about 15 top international as well as some of the best south. Several literary critics have described it as the best bookshop in cape town and its no wonder that redi thlabi decided to host her muchanticipated launch of khwezi at the store. Book lounge has been named the best independent bookstore in south africa for three years running and has developed a cult following not only in cape town, but around south africa as well. A small business such as the book lounge simply cannot survive an extended period of being closed.
This years open book will take place from 5 to 9 september, at the book lounge, the district six homecoming centre, the a4 arts foundation and the fugard theatre in cape town. This year open book takes place on 5th to 9th september. Literary festival opens a new chapter for cape town west. The launch of andrew browns fourth novel, solace, was a book lounge humdinger. Open book festival mervyn sloman open book festival. Mervyn sloman, the founder and owner of the book lounge, started the annual literary festival seven years ago. Mervyn sloman, owner of the indie bookstore the book lounge says, cape town is an incredibly divided city.
Its one of those books that is going to create a buzz for months and years to come. Launch, cape town, jeremy maarman, mervyn sloman, the book lounge. Owner of the book lounge in roeland street, sloman is also. At the launch of his second open book festival in cape town, mervyn sloman of the book lounge said if you have a feeling to do something and you dont act on it, it cant have been very strong. Frankie murrey and mervyn sloman in the book lounge days before the opening of cape towns largest literary festival. He is the founder and festival director of open book. Flights to cape town cpt find and book flights to cape. My feeling to make a sharing space for women has been very strong, but very.
Mervyn sloman owner of the book lounge in the cape town city centre said he would have been willing to host the event in. Kwezi cowriter mohale mashigo is launching intruders, her collection of speculativefiction short stories, at the book lounge in cape town. It kicked off with mervyn sloman, the independent bookshops proprietor, receiving a communal grammar lesson from the editors in the front row of the audience, and ended, an hour later, with him collapsing. While we anxiously await news of possible changes to the lockdown restrictions, we need your help. The eruption of a volcano in iceland in april 2010 spewed a volcanic ash cloud over much of europe, grounding airlines and stranding passengers. Launched in 2010, the open book festival festival organiser and owner of the the book lounge, mervyn sloman spoke to pippa hudson on monday. In the short three and a half years since owner mervyn sloman opened the shops doors in 2007, the book lounge. Christmas gift picks for the avid reader in your life. We have salaries to pay, suppliers to pay for books purchased in previous months and various other fixed costs.
Mandy has always had a passion for the human condition and how. Podcasts, sports movies and the latest on tv 24 april 2020 16 minute listen. Feminism, gender and race lead conversations at next month. Tonight, your correspondent teamed up with the book lounge s mervyn sloman to announce a major new south african books and literature initiative. See others named mervyn sloman mervyn s public profile badge. We spoke with book lounge s mervyn sloman about the store. Mervyn sloman was in conversation with janjan joubert.
It isnt possible, or desirable for that matter, to try and represent literary cape. Joanne richards theres nothing quite like a double bill launch for making a person aware of their character flaws. The book lounge, at the corner of roeland and buitenkant streets in the east city, was opened by mervyn sloman 10 years ago today. Book lounge owner and founder of the open book festival, mervyn sloman suggests prefect christmas gift books for everyone in the family. Independent cape town bookshop, the book lounge was named the best bookshop in the country at the pasasaba sefika awards dinner held just outside durban on tuesday night. She will be in conversation with the book stores proprietor, mervyn sloman. I have said we will be more than happy to have the. A social history, at the book lounge in cape town last night. He supports cape towns open book festival, which aims to put on a truly international literary festival in cape town, to promote the best of south african writing to international audiences, to build a love of reading among the youth. Owner of the book lounge in roeland street, sloman is also behind the newest addition to the local literary calendar.
Two new members of the executive committee welcomed pen. Found in the heart of the city, this twofloor ode to all things literary contains some of the most fascinating, and often unknown, novels and nonfiction accounts in the country. Something for everyone at open book festival 2016 cape. The hubs will once again be the fugard theatre, the district 6 museum homecoming centre and muchloved indie bookshop, the book lounge.
The book lounge collected three awards best independent bookshop in the general trade category, a special award for the bookseller that went the extra mile worth. Thebook lounge has won a number of awards including that of best independent bookshop in sa in 2014 and 2015. During his student years, mervyn worked as a bookseller, and after graduating from the university of cape town with a political science degree, he started working as an it contractor. My feeling to make a sharing space for women has been very strong, but very buried for a very. Cape town was treated to two events celebrating the novel xenopoulos launched her book in conversation with comedian ruby wax at the book lounge and with wordsmith jennifer crocker at kalk bay books mervyn sloman welcomed xenopoulos, wax and an audience full of friends, family and fellow writers to the book lounge. Join rebecca davis at the launch of her new book selfhelpless at the book lounge. I spent last week in cape town launching the imagined child alongside my fellow pan macmillan writer steven boykey sidley and his book, stepping out, at two of my very favourite books stores, the book lounge, in roeland street and kalk bay books. View mervyn sloman s profile on linkedin, the worlds largest professional community.
Michele rowe discusses the challenges of the dreaded. The book lounge s founder mervyn sloman takes satisfaction in introducing customers to his favourite books. We are thrilled to announce that our book what is your dream. He opened the book lounge to create a homely space that appeals to all ages, to promote engagement between writers and readers through events, and to encourage a love of reading and books in kids.
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