TROVE: The 123-pager provides in-depth information of 20 participating nations and resumes, including a background of the game’s origin…

By Jacob Mawela

Amid the spills and thrills of the ongoing IRB World Cup 2023 hosted by France, a user-friendly official guide to the rugby tournament has been launched for followers of the age-old sport.

Bustling with a kaleidoscope of eye-catching action imagery complementing explanatory and informative text for even the undiscerning of novices, it is authored by British sports journalist

Simon Collings, and has been made available by the London-addressed Wellbeck Publishing Group and distributed across South Africa through local publishers, Jonathan Ball Publishers.

Offering in-depth analysis of the participating 20 teams and resumes of the respective countries’ star players (including the popular Gqebhera-raised Springboks’ skipper, Siya Kolisi), the 123-pager also contains a section giving a background of the game’s origins (harking to 1823 when a man named

William Webb Ellis – after whom the World Cup trophy at stake is named – picked up the ball whilst playing a game of football at Rugby School, and started running) as well as that of the sport’s heritage in relation to two-time hosts, France.

The book contains a layout of the nine modern stadia spread across the European country, which will play host to 48 matches between September 8 when the host team will open the event against perpetual favourites, New Zealand (referred to as the All Blacks, to the initiated), and October 28 when the finale would be contested at the 80, 023 capacity Stade de France (the site of the Springboks’ second World Cup triumph in 2007.)

Interesting tidbits, inter alia, regarding the whole tourney include a sustainability innovation whereby the medals for the winners, runners-up and third place team, will be composed of precious metals extracted from electronic products melted down. Crucially, the sporting revelry (with 2.6 million tickets available to fans) is projected create some 17, 000 jobs and bolster the host nation’s economy with a bonanza estimated at around $2 billion! South Africa’s rugby community has much at stake as “Die Manne” (the men – as the Springboks are referred to), three-time winners, are also considered favourites to lift the Webb Ellis trophy once again as they did at the 2019 edition of the tourney in Japan. Boosting the most racially transformative squad (with 22 of the current 33 selected players already World Cup winners) ever in the more than 100-year-old history of the country’s rugby – the men in gold and green served notice of their ambitions when just a fortnight from the commencement of the 2023 global showpiece, they handed their perennial nemesis, the All Blacks, their worst-ever defeat (35 – 7) in the Qatar Airways Cup at London’s Twickenham Stadium on August 25.

A caption in the guide accompanying an image of Kolisi (the first ever Black captain of the Springboks) hoisting aloft the trophy at the conclusion of the 2019 World Cup, describes the photograph as having become an iconic image that underlines the power of rugby!

South Africans of all hues will be hoping for an encore of the feat their team realized four years ago – come the evening of October 28, 2023 at the Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis, as was the case back in

October 20, 2007 at the same location! Rugby World Cup France 2023 The Official Guide retails for R390 and is available at leading book retailers nationwide.

LIBRARIAN REALISES LIFETIME DREAM WITH INAUGURAL BOOK FESTIVAL

LITERATURE:  Trevor Mokeyane wishes to encourage a culture of reading and writing in indigenous languages

By Victor Mecoamere

The inaugural Central Book Festival in Bloemfontein over three days from September 22 fulfils the lifetime dream of former teacher librarian Trevor Mokeyane to involve the people in the gainful joys reading.

Mokeyane, who started the Omo Ole Bookspublishing house about a decade ago, said attending literary events here and abroad sparked the idea of innovating a festival where authors, book club members and other young and mature readers could interact meaningfully to strengthen the culture of reading, writing and articulation in Free State.

“Several years after I started Omo Ole Books, which is named after my children Omolemo and Olerato, I attended several literary events – including the South African Book Fair in 2017 and 2018, German Book Fair in 2017 and the London Book Fair in 2018 – and I was inspired to start a similar event, but it had to be one that sought to be as inclusive as possible,” Mokeyane told Weekly SA Mirror this week.“For me, it would be most pleasing if I could contribute towards entrenching the culture of reading and writing among the people, especially involving the youth, focusing on emerging authors and publishers.

We also sought to make the event as inclusive as possible by focusing on all four dominant languages in the province, namely English, Afrikaans, Sesotho and Setswana – hence the theme Our Stories! Our Heritage.”

Mokeyane said the festival will be held in in multiple venues, including the National Museum, Halevy Hotel, Civic Theatre and at the two halls of the local Anglican Church buildings in the city centre.

“We are encouraging and promoting the culture of reading, voluntary habits of visiting community libraries and the buying of book,” Mokeyane said.

“There will be book launches, discussions, ‘Open Mic’ sessions for both established and aspirant poets, book exhibitions and book selling. Some of the authors invited and who have confirmed attendance include former Science and Technology Minister Mosibudi Mangena, who will discuss his book, We Can Fix Ourselves, Lesotho based author Morabo Morojele (Egg Dilemma), local author Anne Schlebusch (Bloomer) and Professor Mandla Radebe of UJ (The Lost Prince of the ANC) and Dr Charley Pietersen with his two new books, SA Men Arise and Growing Up Without A Father.”

Mokeyane said the Sol Plaatje University is bringing its Creative Writing students, who will be led by their lecturer Sabata-Mpho Mokae, who is the author, authority and literary custodian of legendary journalist, philos

CHASING THE GOOD STORY – WARTS  AND ALL

POWER: Chronicles of journalist’s grind exposing politicians and the filth that lies beneath their ensconced lives…

By Amanda Ngudle

This book is a phenomenon. It starts on a lazy and encouraging tune which can easily deceive you into thinking it will not change gears. Katrina Hunt’s gift of accurately analysing people’s characters is something to behold.

From a young age, she is able to read energies about people in close proximity to her, which shields her from disasters of repetitional sense. Once she graduates as a journalist and joins a community newspaper, this excellent sixth sense and her natural bravery comes into play and helps her break one of the biggest stories in Texas and many more later.

Most are about exposing politicians and the filth that lies beneath opulent rugs. Kudos go to the author for not sucking the stories out of his finger. The news stories are great, themselves. Her mission is to uproot morally corrupted individuals from positions of power for the benefit of society.

Parallel to Hunt’s journey is an Irish scientist known as Dr Hugh Martin who, driven by his insatiable appetite for wealth and fame, has invented a character-scanning machine. It is so infallible that companies have ditched psychometric tests for the fast and efficient scan. Inch by inch, Kat’s and Martin’s worlds are approaching a convergence as an introduction of the most fascinating character makes the fodder and makes for an unbearably interesting reading experience.  Kruger is marvellous in his character development and staying the course in his interesting storylines which make up for the delays in the last three chapters. Also, he does not deviate from the different themes of the two main characters’ drive for what they do and what the reward is for each. This is indeed one of those books you know will sell with or without great reviews.

• Character Scan-Douglas Kruger – Penguin Random House (R290)