our new home is bigger, central and offers more scope for expansion. the book café bookshop, closed in 2008, re-opened late in the year. a film screening and workshop facility took shape, making possible weekly screenings of relevant local and african films. staging, technical and venue facilities were upgraded. the projects office (our ‘engine room’ of ideas) moved to larger dedicated space at the back. impressive progress was made in information dissemination. several epic arts and social discussions took place. historic concerts were held in the year, sulumani chimbetu breaking book café attendance records, oliver mtukudzi weaving his magic to full houses, while extraordinary arts collaborations took shape, notably victor kunonga with maestro bheki khoza (sa) and chiwoniso maraire with tumi and the volume (sa). the success of the october jazz and world music festival laid foundations for the future. and who could forget jamaican d’bi young's mind-blasting poetic performance at poetry africa, at which young zimbabwean poets including flowchyld and madzitatiguru also distinguished themselves. the year ended aptly, with the largest ‘16 days against gender-based violence’ series of events on record at book café.