Calling all birds of a feather to bookmark together at this year's Kingsmead Book Fair

Mail & Guardian

19-05-2025

Kingsmead College will host the 13th annual Book Fair on Saturday, 24 May 2025 in association with Standard Bank – Wealth and Investment, Exclusive Books and Media Partner Hot 102.7. The event takes place at the Kingsmead College campus in Melrose, Johannesburg from 09h00 – 18h00.
The Kingsmead Book Fair is more than just a marketplace for books – it's a space where people flock together to share stories, build community, explore new ideas, and celebrate creativity. A place where people unite, captivated by the magic of books, immersed in the joy of reading and the beauty of literature.
As a school we are passionate about reading and it is so important that our students are exposed to books, authors – in particular African authors – and good reading habits. 'We are excited about the authors on our programme and being able to expose the community to rich and varied topics and sessions. We hope that this year's programme provides an opportunity to engage with new authors and genres or merely come together to spend time soaking up the literary atmosphere.' says Alex Bouche, the Director of the Kingsmead Book Fair.
The diverse programme includes more than 140 authors participating in over 80 sessions throughout the day on the adult, young adult, and children's programmes.
In addition, we have run our Young Writers' Competition for the fourth year. We received a staggering number of entries. Encouraging a culture of reading and writing, the competition is open to all school children aged 6 – 18. Launched in 2022, the writing competition aims to provide a platform for young writers' skills and a space to explore different genres and styles with feedback from professional writers and publishers. With more than 80% of children in Grade 4 not being able to read for meaning, there is an urgent need for reading and writing to be given more attention.
This year's theme calls on young writers to submit an original creative short story inspired by one of these linked words: Seeds, Roots, Bloom, Grow. Prizes for the winning entry in each age group include a cash prize, book voucher and feedback from the judges. Winners will be announced on 21 May 2025.
Kingsmead Book Fair has a strong social responsibility ethos. As such, one of the aims of the Kingsmead Book Fair's outreach programme is to offer entrance and session tickets to various organisations and reading groups that otherwise might not have the means to attend. In addition, the school holds a book drive in the weeks leading up to the event where gently loved books are donated and then distributed to our various community partners.
All proceeds from the event go towards the Kingsmead Trust. There are currently 60 bright young women benefiting from an excellent education in the Senior School. The bursaries constitute 100% of their school fees, uniforms, daily lunch and tour subsidies. We hope that this year's programme gives a place for readers to unite, wonder to bloom and stories to flourish. We invite all birds of a feather to bookmark together with us on 24 May and enjoy in-depth discussion and heated debate mixed with some exceptional company, good food and drink, not to mention buying your next book at the Exclusive Books pop-up.
Situated in the hub of Johannesburg's business centre with convenient transport links, Kingsmead College is ideally positioned to draw people from nearby towns and suburbs. The school has fantastic venues in which to hold the sessions, all close to each other. All in all, it is a day on South Africa's literary calendar that is not to be missed. Tickets on sale via Webtickets.co.za and more information via our website –