Issued free to SABA members December 2009 - February 2010 A book of journeys – moral, historical, philosophical and geographical – by one of South Africa’s most celebrated authors and poets AVAILABLE NOW bookmark_DEC_cover_ad.indd 1 11/1/09 3:03:36 PM Vol 20 Bookmark Nov 2009 headlines.indd 1 2009/11/24 3:02 PM Bookmark Nov 2009 headlines.indd 2 2009/11/24 3:02 PM CONTENTS FEATURES REPORTS REGULARS 8 Riding out the storm 10 Sharing the wonder of books 4 From the President’s Desk Doing business in a recession Harry Gwala becomes a ‘reading school’ 6 SABA National Executive 11 New chapter for books Committee Kindle hits SA 13 Challenging times ahead Latest from the Library sector 12 ‘Little Dorrit four ways’ 17 By the Book column Which reading format wins? 16 London calling 23 Industry Update 15 The growling of the bear News from the London Book Book industry f igures in focus Fair 24 Worldwide News 21 Bookseller Focus 18 Cape Town Book Fair MG Rhedi 26 Africa Update Q&A with Claudia Kaiser 22 Publisher Focus 27 2009 Buyers’ Guide Jonathan Ball 20 ‘Best-loved’ bookstore CNA scoops award 29 28 Postcards from the Ed Member Listing Poetry and ocean crossings this book will change it. Whatever your idea is about ideas, BY JOHN HUNT grants permission to trust your instincts, endure initial ridicule, and practise thinking as a team sport. Many houses one home Available at bookstores nationwide 3 bookmark_ad_DEC_half.indd 1 11/1/09 3:15:40 PM Bookmark Nov 2009 headlines.indd 3 2009/11/24 3:02 PM REGULARS BOOKMARK I Regulars From the President’s desk From the President’s desk Dear Members, The premier book event of the South African calendar must certainly be the Cape Town Inter- Dearnational Members, Book Fair, and as you read this the 2009The show impact is fast of approaching.the digitization SABA of bookshas this is being year requested the organizers to arrange some timeconsidered for the trade in mostto have countries sole access and to we the have Fair decided Ourand meeting it is likely with that the Ministerthe Fair ofwill Basic open Education earlier for booksellersto bring together than for a the group general of members public. This to discuss Angiewill Motshekga enable you in to August schedule and meetings the indication or arrange that tothe buy ways books in from which the booksellers exhibitors undisturbedshould participate sheby would the many have passersa follow by. up We meeting do encourage encouraged members in whotheir have delivery never inattended South toAfrica. give them There- are us selvesto believe a treat that by going.we could You embarkwill not regreton fruitful it. SABA copyright will again and have other a stand issues at theto beFair considered and we and discussionslook forward about to how helping we couldmembers help and the perhapsminister recruitingthis will some require new ones!sophisticated delivery systems Your executive met for two days late last year to look for ways to make SABA more effective achieve her objectives through playing our role in or a local arrangement. At present publishers and assist you and we are already seeing some results. The new much improved website is book distribution. We continue to try to arrange are pricing the digital books at the same price developing fast. It already lists all booksellers whose membership is in good standing, has to meet her, and are encouraged by signs that as the lowest price edition in the market but it theregularly minister updatedhas quickly Trade recognised News, links some to usefulof the sites, job opportunities and membership infor- mation. will be interesting to see what happens when important needs of the department and is taking We have resolved to communicate more with our membersGoogle begins via e-mails selling. and The we agreement trust you have governing steps to improve the situation. Lists of the books found some of the news flashes and informativethe e-mails American interesting. market isDo likely send to information be finalised soon to whichbe introduced you think for may grades be of R interest and one to areyour now colleagues and Europeanin the trade publishers to the National will have Manager to consider – Frikkie Nel – at [email protected] and we understand that the lists for whether to approach matters in the same way. Trading conditions for retailers generallythe following have been two difficult years forare almostlikely toa beyear decided now. The Thestatistics International collected byLibrary Nielsen Association Bookdata re-is also flected weakening conditions for booksellerssoon. The from wide the introduction first quarter of ofthese 2008 books which across grew weakerlooking as morethe year actively progressed. at participating The collapse inof the the Fascinations chain was a shock andthe sadness country to otherin 2011 booksellers, will make and an we enormous were pleased digital that many revolution of the employeesand is asking retained publishers their for jobs as other owners took over the shops.difference. It was thereforeMoves to a teach great in relief the tomother most whentongue the lastthe minuteright toChristmas archive salesdigital turned copies, out lend to be digital stronger than the previous year’s and inpushed the early the month’s years will figures also reduceup to better the demandslevels. Book salesbooks, in andUnited use Kingdom the information declined in in Decem ways- that ber despite strong discounting, so we shouldmade onprobably children be gratefulwho are that learning we are soto farread, escaping have the not worst been of possible the world in therecession. past. They also wish School book sales have also been reasonably buoyant. Many expected that the sales would fall because new syllabi were being intro- write, count and sit still in class in the first years to be able to use digital versions in classrooms duced to fewer grades but schools have found it necessary to spend the money on newly prescribed readers and replacements of old of school. This should enable them to build a without unfairly prejudicing copyright holders. stock. We are nevertheless still concerned that so many books are being purchased through warehouse distributors around the country sounder foundation for better achievements in In the South African environment such use rather than through booksellers who offerthe higher a wider grades. service to the community. All the stakeholders in education attended a meeting with the Education Department’s LTSM Forum in January and the difficult situation of the Educationalwould be difficultBookseller to wascontrol put toand the wedepart hope- that the international publishers will come to an ment. Decisions on purchasing methodsThese need developments to be taken with should the long be termseen effectsalongside in mind. We do hope that our share of the market arrangement which does not affect them or the will not continue to be eroded. the Qids-up programmes, which we hope will retailers adversely. Libraries around the country operatebe independently extended from so the the situations Western inCape different to other areas vary. The Free State library has happily re- sumed purchasing, so readers there will have some new books to enjoy. In some other areas spending has stopped temporarily as the areas. These provide sets of readers and year end approaches as the budget has been exhausted and we are optimistic that we will soonReports be supplying of book salesagain. in In the KZN UK a newand purUSA- make reading materials to the higher grades and will chasing system is being used. While the library is not enjoying the benefits of the old submissiongloomy system reading. and Clearlyis therefore the economicnot getting hardships all the new books as they appear, it is achievingensure its that objective the learners of spending continue money to with progress small emerging in those traders. countries In some have cases reduced the established book purchases, booksellers are giving help to enable themwith tosufficient find or materials.purchase the The books. KwaZulu-Natal This is however andputting the theretail specialist trade libraryis also beingsuppliers squeezed and by library departments within larger shopsEducation under strain Department as they have arranged lost sales. for The displays libraries havethe increased been discussing proportion ways of of salestransforming going through in many areas and have written a Transformationof readers, postersCharter whichand other is reaching equipment its final with stages. internet-based SABA has participated shops. Kindle in the readersdrafting areand being it now contains elements recommendingthe thatintention purchasing of implementing should be done the through programmes booksellers. introduced by Amazon.com in the UK and some The rand weakened materially over thebut past has year shelved so the the prices project of overseas for this books year havedue torisen readersconsiderably will change over the from period reading and academic books on paper booksellers were alarmed when the randfinancial fell to constraints. R13.00 to the We dollar do hope over it will the be important revived Decemberto their electronic ordering counterparts. period. An improvement Happily the South in January and February has helped them to limit the price increases, and students have been buying their textbooks as eagerly as soon. To support the Western Cape Education African trade statistics are more encouraging. ever. There were problems with the Centralised Admissions Office which caused inconvenience for both students and the academic in- Department’s efforts to build libraries and to show Unit sales are not increasing significantly as they stitutions, but enrollments have now been completed and more students than ever before are at tertiary institutions. The failure of the their recognition of their importance, Western have in previous years, but they are not declining Education department to give some 80,000Cape booksellers students their and matricu publisherslation embarked results on on time the also caused some problems.