It is not a coincidence that three of South Africa’s writers will be spending February 14 doing what they love.
Sunday World spoke to authors Elinor Sisulu, Niq Mhlongo and Keletso Mopai on what they will be doing on International Book Giving Day. The day is observed today, which interestingly coincides with Valentine’s Day.
Their answers were not surprising.
Mhlongo is the author of novels including After Tears and Long Back Home. He planned to spend the day reading The Vegetarian, a novel by South Korean writer by Han Kang.
Writing workshops overseas
The Soweto-born Mhlongo has been based Germany’s capital Berlin since 2020. He conducts writing workshops there and in Zurich, Switzerland.
He remembers the first book he was given as a gift as if it were yesterday. “Hill of Fools by RL Pateni was the first book I got as a gift. I was still in high school in the late 1980s,” he said.
Asked which of his books he would leave in a school library and what message he would write on it, he said it would be his 2004 novel, Dog Eat Dog. And his message would simple: “Read, read, read and read,” said the editor of the bestselling collection of essays called Black Tax: Burden or Ubuntu.
Power of reading
International Book Giving Day is celebrated in 44 countries, including South Africa, since 2012. It aims to raise awareness about the importance and power of reading.
It aims to make books accessible to as many children as possible especially children from impoverished communities. People are encouraged to buy or donate books, especially children or organisations that help make books accessible to kids.
Sisulu will be taking part in the annual meeting of the 2030 Reading Panel from February 12.
Buying, giving and reviewing books is best support
The executive director of Puku Children’s Literature Foundation is also panelist of the Reading Panel. She wrote a biography about her in-laws, titled Walter and Albetina Sisulu: In Our Lifetime. It won her the Noma Prize for the Best African Book in 2003.
The Reading Panel was established by South Africa’s former deputy president and former executive director of United Nations Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. It was established to help increase the number of children who are able to read for meaning by age 10 by 2030.
Sisulu’s first set of books was from her grandfather. “It was an anthology of stories from around the world,” she said.
The author children’s book The Day Gogo Went to Vote, encouraged people to visit Puku’s website www.puku.co.za.
“Buying, giving and reviewing books in all our languages is the best support that you can give us,” she said.
Mopai is the author of If You Keep Digging, a collection of short stories. She received her first book gift, Killing Karoline by Sara-Jayne Makwala King, from a friend for her birthday.
Mopai, a qualified geologist who is in writing fellowship, will be spending her day writing – or reading.
