Around 20 PEG members attended the networking meeting of the Cape Town branch, which was held as usual at the Book Lounge on 9 May 2009. It was a surprisingly high turnout given the number of other attractions on offer in Cape Town that weekend, not to mention President Zuma’s inauguration.
The following topics were discussed:
PEG’s participation at the London Book Fair in April 2010.
PEG mentoring programme for new members.
Cape Town Book Fair 2009.
London Book Fair
The London Book Fair is the global publishing community’s leading annual forum for booksellers, publishers, librarians and book production services worldwide. It is a trade-only event. In 2008, 25302 publishing professionals from over 110 countries attended the Fair. The London Book Fair’s Market Focus programme aims to strengthen cultural relations between the focus country and the international publishing industry, to educate the rest of the world about the focus country’s literature and authors, and allow publishers from the focus country to promote their books and literature. In the past, Czech Republic/Hungary/Poland/Slovakia/Slovenia, Australia/New Zealand, Mexico, the Arab World, and India have been showcased. In 2010 it’s the turn of South Africa.
Through PASA, PEG has been invited to participate in the South African pavilion that will be in a central location of the Fair. It is an exciting opportunity to promote South African language practitioners to publishers throughout the world. PEG Cape Town members discussed ideas for the PEG stand at the London Book Fair. Some of the suggestions were:
•·Focus on multi-lingual aspect of editors working in South Africa.
•·Emphasise that South African editors offer value for money.
•·Have examples of books that have been translated and edited by PEG members, especially if high-profile authors or organisations.
•·Offer a talk as part of the seminar programme, perhaps on what a South African editor can offer.
•·Give away PEG erasable pens or calendars.
PEG mentoring programme
PEG members were excited to hear about the planned mentoring programme that will shortly be instituted for new members wanting support and guidance from more experienced members. All present agreed on the importance of such an initiative. Barbara Elion shared with the group that she is currently experimenting with a telecast programme (through Skype) for up to six people who ask her for advice.
Cape Town Book Fair 2009
PEG will be organising two author/editor panel discussions at the Book Fair, one of which will be chaired by Ann Donald of Kalk Bay Books. Members were reminded to email Kristina if they wanted to staff shifts on the PEG stand at the Book Fair, which is taking place from 13 to 16 June. All volunteers receive free admission tickets for the day of their shift. If PEG members would like their brochures/business cards included in the bags that will be handed out at the Book Fair, please send them to either Kristina or Ken by 10 June. There was some discussion about other events that PEG could organise perhaps the Cape Town Book Fair in 2010. These included holding a hands-on workshop for the public so that they can experience what an editor does and a children’s workshop which would be linked to a certificate.
The meeting ended with a general discussion about useful information for editors, including InDesign training courses and Yousendit, which is a practical application for sending large files (www.yousendit.com)
