National Book Week’s #nbw2020 was a trending topic on Twitter when it opened. Reading for leisure, is the first step towards knowledge. It builds character, widens horizons, aids intellectual development and is regarded as foundational to success. Over the past decade, NBW has been creating opportunities for the book publishing industry to raise the profile of books and leisure reading.
In the provinces, NBW works on the premise that it takes a village to raise a reader. In collaboration with reading promotion partners and Provincial Departments of Library Services, NBW hopes to build a community of lifelong readers.
Like the first week in September each year, NBW 2020 in its new avatar, virtual, went live this morning. Challenged by the current public health crisis, our fundamental aim is to create an ‘online’ community to connect different reading and cultural activities. There will be two daily slots for live programming, 11:00am and 3:00pm while on demand content will be available for watching anytime.
The day’s programme included a mix of live and on demand content.
The day started with live storytelling by Lynn Joffe, who presented three stories, The Tale of Stingray Charles, The Boop Boop Song and the classic Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
At 3:00pm, we treated children to a puppet show by Spellbound Puppets. In the NBW world, Margaret Auerbach is a popular figure and has been presenting puppet shows on Books Beyond Words, another innovative way we found to keep children and parents safe and indoors since lockdown was enforced in March.
The on demand content included stories in IsiZulu and IsiNdebele by Bongani Godide and Nozi Ngomane Mosiea respectively. Both are well loved and prominent members of the Books Beyond Words fraternity. Bongani presented Ubongani othadana izitshalo (Bongani who likes flowers) and Impisi ne Ngulube (The Pig and the Hyena) while Nozi lend her voice to uNompompoloza (The Mosquito) and Ukumoyizela kuka Sponono (Sponono’s Smile).
For those who missed our CEO Elitha van der Sandt speaking on SABC’s Morning Live, here is the link https://youtu.be/PAwe42eLw84
NBW is hosted by the South African Book Development Council (SABDC) in partnership with the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. NBW has been going since 2009 and boasts an impressive roster of events that cater to children and adults alike. It remains a marquee event in SA’s leisure reading scene.
