Editor’s Note

We missed having the book-related content that dominates this week’s edition synchronise with International Literacy Day (September 8), but it does coincide with the announcement of the winners of the Sunday Times Literary Awards, in partnership with Exclusive Books.

Last year I had a great interview with Exclusive Books CEO Grattan Kirk. We bemoaned the state of South African literacy, which is worsening each year. According to a February article in GroundUp, fewer primary schoolchildren can read now than before the pandemic. Apparently we’re in a crisis, but there don’t seem to be any official (government) plans to address it. Grattan and I have selfish reasons for feeling distraught. He sells books, I work in newspapers. Both of us are out of jobs if the reading population drops below “critical mass”.

I’ve heard it said by many that reading is going out of fashion, a casualty of busy, modern life. My children and their friends definitely read less than I did when I was their age, preferring video content to text (which is why I can write anything I like about them here).

Many adults I know feel the same. But watching Wes Anderson’s admittedly excellent interpretation of some of Roald Dahl’s stories, particularly The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, I realised I preferred the version I’d conjured in my imagination.

If we rely too much on video, we relinquish the magical contract writers and readers have unspokenly signed, described so well in Stephen King’s book, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. I went to look for it on my shelves to remind myself exactly what he’d said. Instead, I was reminded of some of my favourite reads, which I’ve always preferred to the movies.

For comment, criticism or praise, please write to nagela@sundaytimes.co.za