Book Week gets pupils digging in
NATIONAL Book Week launches today and already the Bay has opened it with a multi-lingual reading competition between high schools, starting last week.
The competition kicked off at the Gelvandale Library last Wednesday when bright young minds from Alexander Road, Lawson Brown, Loyiso and Victoria Park high schools set the tone in a quiz.
The pupils briskly answered questions about Unathi Magubeni’s novel Nwelezelanga The Star Child.
Pupils who took part were given a number of weeks to read and grasp the literary work, and then facilitator Busi Mbiyo asked questions.
The responses by the schools are adjudicated by a panel of judges.
Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality NBW project coordinator Joseph Lamani said Magubeni’s book was discussed in English, with deliberations in Afrikaans and Xhosa afterwards.
“The discussions are essentially a test to see how well the youngsters comprehend the stories they’ve read.
“The winner will be announced on Friday at the end of our National Book Week activities,” Lamani said.
Another novel by a Port Elizabeth author, Willowdene, by Lucas Malgas, was discussed at the Walmer Library on Thursday last week in an Afrikaans session with a number of participating schools.
The third book, in isiXhosa, which was due to be read on Friday, was Ubomi Nguqulukubhode, by Nosipho Gibe.
The official opening of National Book Week takes place today at the Despatch Town Hall.
Lamani said one of this year’s NBW highlights was a book donation drive for primary schools, which will take place on Thursday at both the Newton Park Library and the Colchester Modular Library.