SABDC encourages culture of reading
SOUTH African Book Development Council (SABDC) CEO Elitha van der Sandt spoke to Carla Lever in this Question and Answer:
A new study for the SABDC shows that only 14% of South Africans are committed book readers, with just 5% reading to their children. Where to begin tackling these figures?
We’ve got to begin by making reading an important aspect of everyday life, through promoting storytelling and ensuring that books are a part of every home.
During National Book Week this year from August 21 to September 10, we invite everyone to buy a book for as little as R20 at participating retails stores and to drop it in our donation bins.
Our #BUYABOOK campaign inspires people to share in the joy of reading, so join in any way you can!
What kinds of books do South Africans buy? What is the market like?
According to our 2016 study, South Africans are mostly buying religious, historical, romance and business books. In terms of eBooks, biographies and business books are the leading genres. There are many other exciting things happening with local authors, though. For instance, we will have South Africa’s youngest authors, the seven-year-old Michelle Nkamankeng and ten-year-old Stacey Fru, speaking at the SA Book Festival this year!
The publishing industry and the market remains very white – only 2% of leisure titles appear in indigenous languages. What are some of the ways you’re tackling this?
During National Book Week we travel throughout South Africa to promote reading, especially in indigenous languages.
We also have the Indigenous Languages Publishing Programme, which supports the publication of South African books in local languages. The focus here isn’t translation, but the creation of original works. By encouraging people to read more books in their home language, not only are we securing the future of these languages, but we are also instilling a sense of pride and heritage in our people.
You should also watch out for our joint project with the Publishers’ Association of South Africa and the Fibre Processing and Manufacturing Seta – the Enterprise Development Programme – at this year’s South African Book Fair from September 8 to 10. We’ve identified 65 up-andcoming entrepreneurs in all facets of the book production industry and supported them in exhibiting and attending tailor-made training seminars during the Fair.
How can we encourage adults who haven’t had access to a culture of reading to encourage their kids?
Ideally, adults should read to and with children regularly, but oral story-telling is a part of our rich heritage, so parents can also engage with their children that way.
Reading and telling stories with children in their home languages provides them with a strong foundation for language learning and increases their chances of future academic success. For more information about the Nal’ibali campaign, for to access children’s stories in a range of SA languages, visit: www.nalibali.org.