The Book Cafe, Harare

NEWSFLASH: 01 June 2015
Book Café Closes its doors at 139 Samora Machel Avenue

It is with deepest regret that we have to advise that as of the first of June 2015, the Book Café closed its doors at 139 Samora Machel Avenue. The iconic venue first opened at its original Fife Ave shopping centre venue back in 1997 and has since treated audiences to nearly two decades of memorable live music, performance poetry, stand-up comedy, film screenings, discussions and more.

The Book Café has had a significant positive impact on the Arts and on cultural entertainment in Zimbabwe’s capital, including bringing traditional mbira music into the mainstream, championing freedom of expression in the Arts, providing a platform for Zimbabwe’s first stand-up comedians and hosting a regular weekly Open Mic.

The closure comes after several months of valiant struggle to find support to continue running, including a crowd-funding initiative through Indiegogo which witnessed love and support from people in Zimbabwe and around the world, but was not sufficient to put the Book Café on steady ground.

The venue has faced many struggles through the years, and somehow has always managed to pull through, due in no small part to the support of its patrons and in particular to the large community of artists and performers who have passed through over the years, who shaped the very nature of what the 'Book Cafe' concept means, and affectionately refer to the venue as 'the home of the artists'.

Tomas Lutuli Brickhill who took over at the helm after the death of Book Café founder Paul Roger Brickhill says “I’ve decided to take a step back in order to re-strategise and restructure the business. It was a difficult decision to close the Samora Machel venue, but if Book Café is to have any place in the future of Zimbabwe’s Arts & Culture scene, I believe that our current course of action is unavoidable. At this stage it is too soon to speculate where or when we may reopen, but I am confident that in ‘Book Café’ we have one of the strongest and most respected brands in the country. I have no intention of letting this be the end of the story for Book Café; but in order for us to start writing the next chapter, we have to close the last one. Aluta Continua.”

Tomas Brickhill
Book Café
Newbookcafe.harare@gmail.com


RECENT HISTORY: BOOK CAFÉ AS A COMMUNITY ARTS CENTRE

Book Café is a community culture centre that meets the needs of the “the arts community”, comprising of artists, creative workers, arts service providers and arts consumers (audiences). These elements make a composite whole. It works primarily in performing arts, film, books, and latterly in craft (material culture).

a) The primary focus of Book Café towards local arts production and dissemination :

• Creative concept and skill development (performance platforms, workshops, exchanges, collaborations and dialogue)
• Arts production and delivery/dissemination to local arts audiences

This is in line with Zimbabwean culture policy articulated by National Arts Council of Zimbabwe and the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture. It also responds to central goals of Zim Asset in terms of economic opportunity and development.

b) The secondary focus is towards African and other cultural exchange:

• Arts collaborations, fusions, inward and outward exchanges, tours and residencies involving the cultural exchange between Zimbabwe and other (mainly African) countries. This is in line with UNESCO protocols on the protection and promotion of cultural diversity and exchange, to which Zimbabwe is also a full signatory.