National Book Week aims to get Mzansi reading
JOBURG - The South African Book Development Council is on a mission to get South Africa reading.
The South African Book Development Council is on a mission to get South Africans reading.
Special emphasis has been placed on previously disadvantaged communities such as Alexandra and others to get its community and schoolchildren reading and learning to buy books, not just for themselves but for those who cannot afford to buy them.
This was the message from South African Book Development Council CEO, Elitha van der Sandt, and Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture, Rejoice Mabudafhasi, who spoke at the launch of National Book Week and the Tour Bus. The Tour Bus is a one-week tour which began on 7 September and will run until the 13th.
National Book Week is the longest-running and most successful national reading campaign in the country and will be celebrated across the country and on social media with #GoingPlaces and #BuyaBook becoming trending hashtags.
“These campaigns will emphasise the importance of reading in order to achieve success in life and this is foundational for the individual and is essential for nation building and social cohesion,” Mabudafhasi.
The Department of Arts and Culture’s Mzansi Golden Economy strategy recognises the power of the sector to contribute to job creation, poverty reduction, skills development and, above all, economic growth.
“One of the striking realities is that only 14 percent of South Africans read books and half the country doesn’t have a single leisure book in their home, hence the campaign #BuyaBook was born to curb that,” Mabudafhasi said.
#GoingPlaces is another campaign that would be a physical catalyst for National Book Week by travelling throughout the country, not just to bring books to the public, but also to bring the world to those who read.
Director general of Basic Education, Mathanzima Mweli, spoke of the need to change the mindset of citizens to start reading,
“We need civil society to support what schools are doing. We have to go beyond to get the nation reading. That’s why every year the department delivers 1 000 libraries to schools because it realises that the future does not belong to us; it is borrowed from our children.”
Details: South African Book Development Council 021 914 8626 or admin@sabookcouncil.co.za or bookweek@sabookcouncil.co.za
