A new book by South African marketing whiz Khaya Dlanga is being launched in Port Elizabeth on Friday October 26 as part of the city’s fourth annual Fruits of Democracy awards.
Dlanga will fly in early on Friday to launch These Things Really Do Happen To Me, at 9am at the City Hall and stay on for that night’s celebrations.
This is Dlanga’s third book, and one of his first titles, the memoir To Quote Myself, was shortlisted for a national literary prize.
In These Things Really Do Happen To Me he recounts the experiences which have shaped his life – amusing, moving, serious and light-hearted.
SGComms founder Sesethu Gqomo, one of the organisers of Fruits of Democracy, said Dlanga would also present the awards to its winners, with the ceremony starting at 6.30pm.
“The nominations have been pouring in – it’s been crazy,” she said, with several hundred nominations in the categories of excellence in education, sports, arts and culture, community and public service, and business.
Playwright and actor Xabiso Zweni and Ubuntu Pathways external relations manager Nozi Qamngana will be the MC that evening.
Gqomo said the presentation of awards would be followed by entertainment, with jazz singer Asanda Mqiki performing numbers from her new solo album Nobakithi, after which snacks and drinks would be served.
She said previous Fruits of Democracy programmes had included a dialogue focusing on broad topics of interest as well as the awards but in 2018 this year these two components were being held at different times (although still on the same day), the Dlanga launch replacing the dialogues.
Both of Friday’s cultural events are free.
“We expect about 150 people for the book launch and some students, who are very excited. Fogarty’s Bookshop is also sponsoring a few books,” Gqomo said.
Books will be on sale at the launch. For more information on both events, contact Sesethu Gqomo on 074-754-0960.