Newspapers need to encourage reading culture

I HAVE written several letters lamenting the exorbitant price of books burdened by government surcharges and valueadded tax.

As a result, one of my most-frequented bookstores in Westwood Mall had to shut down, because in the case of books versus food and survival, it’s not difficult to guess who loses.

I get the sense that newspapers are losing out, specially weekend papers which sell at R15, and in areas where a loaf of bread and a litre of milk sell at about that same price.

Solution? We boast an illiteracy rate of 43 percent and in poorer suburbs like Newlands West,where I reside, this is a major problem. Here is an opportunity to perform an empowerment project by selling your papers at 50 percent of the usual cover price and engaging the business sector as well. By increasing advertising costs, newspapers can increase their profits.

I lament that there was a time when the local library was a hive of activity throughout the year. It has now become seasonal and come end of school year, it becomes a graveyard for forgotten books.

I see your BookShelf section, but it means nothing to those who can’t afford to buy your newspapers. And even if they can, they can’t rush off to the book shop and spend an average of R180, which in turn translates to a week’s worth of food for a family.

Perhaps newspapers could serialise books and publish them every day, chapter by chapter, and in this way they can also boost circulation. SABER AHMED

JAZBHAY Newlands West