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…
Unleashing the latent potential of the young
Mandla Langa is a South African poet, short-story writer and novelist. He is also the Executive Vice-President of PEN South Africa, an endorser of the Nal’ibali children’s literacy rights poster. Mandla spoke to us about the importance of literacy in allowing children to fulfill their potential:
The need to entrench the culture of reading among children was impressed on me recently. During the Easter weekend…
Imagining a literate South Africa
Koketso Ratsatsi is a collaborator in the Mohlakeng Youth Movement – a team of young people working in the Mohlakeng township south of Randfontein to grow a culture of reading in the community. Here’s her wise take on how we should all take ownership of literacy development:
Knowledge is powerful and, transmitted through reading, it is one thing that no one can ever take away…
Nal’ibali launches children’s literacy rights poster this World Book Day
This World Book Day, 23 April 2015, the Nal’ibali reading-for-enjoyment campaign is launching a special children’s literacy rights poster to assert and affirm for children what they need to become inspired and competent readers and writers. Endorsed by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY International), The South African Book Development Council / National Book Week, The Publishers…
Nal’ibali literacy supplement expands to new language and format
In response to the demand to publish its bilingual literacy supplement in even more South African languages, the Nal’ibali reading-for-enjoyment campaign is proud to announce the launch of an English-Sepedi version. Produced by the Project for the Study of Alternative Education in South Africa (PRAESA) in partnership with Times Media, the Nal’ibali newspaper supplements already appear in combinations of English-isiXhosa, English-Sesotho, English-Afrikaans and English-isiZulu…
BBC: South Africa reading project Praesa wins Lindgren Award
A reading project aimed at children and young people in South Africa has been named the winner of the 2015 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.
Praesa, or Project for the Study of Alternative Education in South Africa, was rewarded for having “the joy of reading as its compass point”.
The award is named after Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren, the creator of the Pippi Longstocking book series.
Praesa director…