Nal’ibali’s holiday Story Power
Nal’ibali’s Holiday Programme was in full force this year, spreading the message that reading is an enjoyable part of daily life. Our Literacy Mentors across the country set up holiday reading programmes that ran straight throughout the July school break. In keeping with the holiday spirit, each programme session was designed to get children involved with stories and storytelling in fun and unusual ways….
Nal’ibali, Media24 and Mandela Day: Video
Nal’ibali teamed up with Media24 and South African celebrities to inspire parents and caregivers across the nation to join our Mandela Day Read-A-Fun! The aim of the campaign is to help adults realise that they have the power to instill a love of reading in their children, by simply reading aloud to them everyday. Celebs who took part in the Read-a-Fun included ministers, judges, sports stars,…
Nal’ibali and Pan Macmillan celebrate the memory of Madiba with children across South Africa
The Nal’ibali national reading-for-enjoyment campaign has joined forces with publisher Pan Macmillan to inspire even more children with the picture book version of Nelson Mandela’s bestselling autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom. Abridged by the late award-winning author Chris van Wyk, the book brings Madiba to life for a younger generation – from his childhood days as a young village boy to his campaign for freedom across the…
Nal’ibali and Pan Macmillan Call for Applications: Book Giveaway
In celebration of Mandela Day, we have joined forces with publisher Pan Macmillan to inspire more children with the picture book version of Nelson Mandela’s bestselling autobiography, ‘Long Walk to Freedom’.
Abridged and revised for young children by late award-winning author Chris van Wyk, this version brings to life Madiba’s journey from his childhood days as a young village boy to his campaign for freedom across…
Reading to young children: The cognitive benefits
With US paediatricians now prescribing reading with children as part of their essential care, Malini Mohana speaks to local experts to see how they think the power of stories can shape children’s social, cognitive and emotional wellbeing.
Storytelling is the primal way in which human beings organise and compartmentalise their experiences. We’re not just narrators of things that happen around us; we’re also the narrators…
South African stories for South African youth
Youth Month is a good time to reflect on the past. Our past. It is when we take a moment of silence to remember those who died to liberate us. It is important to remember. And stories are an essential part of remembering.
Stories enable us to view past events as if we were part of it. As readers, we are able to step into…
Calling on dads to pass on a love of reading this Father’s Day
They’re just words on a page, but books can take you places and open up worlds of wonder, enlightenment, and imagination for your children. This June, Gus Silber reflects on the role his own father played in shaping his future through books and stories and the power of parents to pass on this important tradition.
I grew up in a house without walls, and a…
Why South African authors need to tackle taboo topics
Nakanjani Sibiya is an award-winning author of a number of isiZulu books across various genres. Contributing most significantly to the short story category, his works often reflect the people of his rural KwaZulu-Natal hometown, depicting their sense of humour, despair, triumph and determination to survive. In this piece, Sibiya tackles just how crucial it is for South African writers to take on uncomfortable and taboo…
Choosing books for children
Verushka Louw, a children’s bookseller who works at an independent bookshop in Cape Town (The Book Lounge), tells us how important it is to choose the right book at the right time for children:
I was a library child. We moved around a lot when I was younger and I did not have many of my own books, so in each new town I soon…
Telling stories from the heart
Acclaimed South African storyteller, poet, praise singer and actress, Andrea Dondolo speaks to us about the importance of storytelling mothers:
Imagine the scene: It’s that magical and haunting time of day – sunset! Can you hear them? Listen carefully… Stories are like a thumping heart, begging to be allowed to live. Providing a pulse to humanity, our senses come alive with storytelling and, like animals…
