A conversation to expand mother-tongue thought horizons
Phiwayinkosi Mbuyazi is igniting the minds of teenagers and contributing to the advancement of South African indigenous languages through his translation of scientific books. In this process he has invented almost 500 new isiZulu words. Mbuyazi spoke to us about the importance of nurturing mother-tongue languages in the educational and academic world:
Of all the creatures in the animal kingdom we, the humans, are the only…
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…
The art of the spoken word
Sally Mills, Networks and Communications Co-ordinator at Nal’ibali, explores how the work of literacy activist Mpho Khosi inspires literacy:
The streets are alive and so are the minds of the young people who walk them. Brisk with triumph, pounding with frustration, clumsy with desperation or tripping with excitement, the streets feel the beat and the urgency of the youth and give rise to a voice…
Globalisation and the importance of multi-ethnic stories
Kgebetli Moele, a South African writer best known for his novels, Room 206, UNTITLED, and The Book of the Dead, writes about the effects of globalisation and the importance of engaging with our stories in this multi-faceted country:
There was a man who once wrote a book and titled it Cry the Beloved Country, and then another man, amazed by our fake selves, said: “Oh! But…
What PRAESA’s award means for literacy in South Africa
Jonathan Jansen, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State, speaks to us about what PRAESA’s Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award means for the literacy landscape of South Africa:
Growing up amidst the poverty and hardship of the Cape Flats, I remember one thing from my childhood—it was how the presence of books would come to change my life forever. My mother was a nurse…
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…
Nal’ibali and Jungle Theatre Company find out how stories began
Jungle Theatre Company in partnership with the Nal’ibali reading-for-enjoyment campaign has developed a new production called How Stories Began based on the retelling of this traditional Zulu folktale by local author Wendy Hartmann.
How Stories Began will premiere at the Masque Theatre from 29 June to 3 July 2015 between 10h00 and 12h00 daily with a performance and workshop for children 4 years and older.
How Stories Began is set in…
Dads matter too: Nal’ibali partners with SAVF-FAMNET for Fathers’ Story Week
This June, the Nal’ibali reading-for-enjoyment campaign is putting the spotlight on the power that fathers have to help nurture their children’s emotional and academic development, simply by reading and sharing stories with them on a regular basis. In collaboration with SAVF-FAMNET, the campaign is encouraging dads across South Africa to become active in their children’s literacy development through the annual Fathers’ Story Week drive (14-21 June).
“We’ve…
Nal’ibali spreading the power of stories with pop-up bookstand at the Franschhoek Literary Festival
The Nal’ibali reading-for-enjoyment campaign will be running a special pop-up bookstand at the Franschhoek Literary Festival on Saturday 16 May as part of its current ‘Story Power. Bring it home’ awareness drive. In partnership with Times Media, the stand is aimed at providing books and other literacy materials to members of the broader Franschhoek community in a bid to promote and support a culture of reading…
Nal’ibali’s book day parties bring literacy poster to life
World Book Day is a date set aside by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to inspire people, particularly young people, to enjoy books and reading. Celebrated on 23 April each year, the day presented Nal’ibali with the perfect opportunity to launch our new children’s literacy rights poster – a collection of 8 messages to help grow a love of reading in children…