Newcastle educators celebrate launch of collaborative student book
Khaselihle Primary School buzzed with excitement on Thursday, May 29, when Grade 3–7 pupils from across the Amajuba District unveiled their first-ever collaborative book, Write Down, Read Up.
The project brought together young writers from 17 local schools under the Amajuba District ELITS Young Writers banner. Their debut volume—featuring stories in both English and isiZulu—marks a milestone for the local school community.
The project is in collaboration with The Elits Directorate of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education, and Amajuba District.
With a foreword from Education MEC Sipho Hlomuka, the district expressed immense pride in the hard work of the young writers, highlighting the strength of education in the area.
The young authors addressed social issues affecting their lives, such as bullying, substance abuse, domestic violence, suicide, looting, and the impact of COVID-19.
The Khaselihle Primary School hall was filled with government officials, teachers, the principal, and various other stakeholders, all there to celebrate the young authors and congratulate them on their achievements.
Several learners had the opportunity to read their short stories and poems. Six-year-old Kuhlekonke Sithole captivated the audience with her riveting and engaging storytelling.
Speaking on behalf of the young authors, Siphokazi from St. Lewis School thanked the teachers and the Department of Education for their support and belief in them.
“Even though writing is not an easy endeavour and shouldn’t be taken lightly, we are fortunate to have embarked on a project that will live on forever,” she said.
Mrs. Makhubo, who spoke on behalf of the teachers involved, emphasized the importance of nurturing children from a young age. “People always focus on the Grade 12 results, forgetting that it all starts at the foundation, which is Grade 1,” she said.
The idea for the book originated in 2022 when the district hosted a writing competition, which sparked the concept. Thirty-three stories were selected to create the final book.
Dr. S. Kheswa, Acting Head of the UKZN Department of Information Studies, delivered the keynote address.
“We must support the excellent efforts of our young authors—you are doing an outstanding job. It is critical to motivate school librarians. We support the initiative of ‘one school, one library, and one teacher-librarian,’ and we need to provide proper training. We appreciate this endeavour. UKZN fully supports this approach. Let’s move from book to book—we expect even more contributions from you,” he said.
“You are still young and incredibly powerful, and we look forward to further exploration in writing,” he concluded.
With the success of Write Down, Read Up, the students are sure to take their talents even further as they continue their education. Many educators have already supported the initiative by purchasing copies of the book, with proceeds going directly to the young authors.
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