Zimbabwe: Book Café Campaign

Dear Friends,

Harare’s community home for artists and audiences, Book Cafe, has been threatened for years. It represents the power of culture and people. For 30 years it has celebrated the creativity of mind and art, and has become a national beacon of dignity, joy and freedom in Zimbabwe; the antithesis of an insidious militarized repression and looting of national resources.

In 2008, the government stole Book Cafe’s funds. The purpose was to punish Book Cafe and artists, destroy it, just one of a litany of threats and intimidation over many years. These artists funds were used (with other ransacked accounts), to bankroll a blood-stained election that killed hundreds, displaced thousands and traumatised millions. Read the Prime Minister’s statement.

Last December we were evicted from our 15-year premises to a national public outcry, the latest attempt to stop Book Cafe. We are not giving up. Within 10 weeks we moved location, re-opened and we are re-building, fast. It has taken every possible resource we have to do this. Our Artists Benefit Concert raised $5000 (almost every major musician in Zimbabwe performed free). Now we have reverted to “crowd funding”, small amounts from well-wishers and friends worldwide. We have started a campaign on IndieGoGo asking friends to spread this appeal. Together we can do this.

Please help us grow this campaign, send to your network and friends and send a message: people determined to reclaim their dignity through art and free expression cannot be stopped.

Simple facts: 1200 artists work from Book Cafe. 350 based their livelihood there. 950 events and concerts have been organised annually. 54,000 audience attended in 2011. Almost every major music and spoken word artist to emerge in the last 10-15 years started at Book Cafe. If you want to find out more search “Book Cafe Harare”, “Book Cafe Zimbabwe” or “Pamberi Trust”. You will find everything.

To donate.
OR
Search “Book Cafe”. It is under “Community”.

See also.