Now in its sixth year, the country's most successful annual national reading campaign has mobilised some of the best storytellers, musicians, and ambassadors such as Lupi Ngcayisa, Stoan Seate, Refiloe Mpakanyane, Jena Dover, Pearl Thusi and Aaron Moloisi to get Mzansi travelling again through books. Along with the mascot, Funda Bala, the ambassadors will bring the world to those who dare pick up a book.
All events will promote a key message to encourage reading as a fun activity with each province or location tailoring the programme to meet local demands with a strong focus on promoting indigenous languages, local authors as well as library awareness and access.
#GOINGPLACES is the apt theme of the NBW Bus Tour and speaks to both the movement of the National Book Week Tour Bus, as it goes from town to town, and the 'travelling' to faraway places through the allure of books. In trying to get the country travelling through pages of books, this campaign is being celebrated in seven provinces in the hope of amplifying its message in imagining a better life and a better South Africa and building it through books.
Accompanied by its mascot, Funda Bala, the NBW bus will visit venues in Gauteng, Limpopo, KwaZulu Natal and the Eastern Cape, trumpeting the magic and life-changing power of books. Satellite programmes will also take place in the Free State and Western Cape.
Only 14% of South Africans read books and half the country do not own a single leisure book in their homes. The campaign #BUYABOOK was born to curb that.
South African Book Development Council CEO, Elitha Van Der Sandt said, "We are excited about this. We have collaborated with Exclusive Books and Bargain Books so that from 7-20 September, selected books will be sold for R20. Please buy a book, not for yourself but for someone who does not own one."
First in line to heed this call has been publishers Pan Macmillan SA, Penguin Random House SA and NB Publishers that have offered a selection of discounted books that will be sold in Bargain Books and Exclusive Books stores nationwide.
The public is encouraged to purchase the books for R20 and donate them into the NBW book bins in the stores. These books will then be donated to selected communities. Another option is for people to donate books to those they know do not own one.
McDonald's SA has also hopped on the campaign to help spread the word. The fast food chain has launch Reading Corners in select restaurants across the East Rand, and the Metro FM host, Refiloe Mpakanyane will be the "lovable aunt" reciting stories to the kids.
For more information, go to www.facebook.com/NationalBookWeekSA.
