It may not be based in Durbs, but the Afro-Freedom Book Club is such an inspirational idea that we’d thought we would share it in the hope that something similar might start up in eThekwini!
Meeting once a month at the Afrikan Freedom Station in Westdene, Johannesburg, this group is different to your standard book club in that it’s open to the public. While most contemporary book clubs involve a group of friends who get together to drink wine and chat loosely about the books that they’ve read, the Afro-Freedom Book Club is much more focused on the literature, with a specific interest in African authors. People attending the monthly meetings are passionate about African literature and meetings involve lively discussions and sometimes heated debates! With a lot of local literature not being readily available in bookshops and libraries, organisers spend time tracking down books and trying to ensure that everyone has a chance to read that month’s book, with copies sometimes being passed between members mid-month so that they can contribute to the discussion when they get together on the last Wednesday of every month.
Take a look at the Afro-Freedom Facebook page for an insight into this fantastic and novel approach to encouraging the reading of our fantastic African authors. Who knows, maybe one of our Ulwazi readers will be inspired to start a Durban branch!