VIDEO: Storytelling group celebrates International Day of Literacy
The stellar programme featured three authors who launched their books at the event.
THE magic of an intriguing book is undeniable, it transcends you to places you’ve never been to meet people you’ve never seen and as pages are turned, you get to see the bigger picture clearer. In their quest to pass on the baton of this art form, Gcinamasiko Arts and Heritage Trust (GAHT) joined a global community to celebrate International Day of Literacy on Tuesday, 8 September.
The group re-opened the doors of the Storytelling Tree on the Bluff Showgrounds as part its first live events within lockdown regulations to celebrate the day. Now in its 19th year, the Nozincwadi: Mother of Books campaign was instrumental in launching books by three authors who took to the stage to do readings and talk about their journeys of writing their books.
Award winning publisher, author and UKZN lecturer who very passionate about isiZulu, Nakanjani Sibiya, launched his two books Ziconsisa Amathe and The Reluctant Storyteller. He has been doing extensive research into the work of iconic veteran authors of KZN and derives great joy in sharing knowledge about them.
Author and South board game developer, Khethiwe Zulu, launched South African History Retold which is published in both isiZulu and English. The book focuses on the history of the new street names in Durban, for which a lot of research time was dedicated in order to inform the public who these people that were often struggle heroes are or were.
Award-winning author, journalist and activist Zubeida Jaffer’s third book Beauty of The Heart was also launched with an excerpt and reading presented by Nomakhwezi Becker. Born and raised in the Western Cape, Zubeida has been a passionate freedom fighter all her life, and this shows in her work.
In addition to the book launches GAHT paid a special tribute to the African Writers Awards and Literacy Association of South Africa for their work towards knowledge and literacy, especially in light of them honouring the work that has been done in the past years through the Nozincwadi: Mother of Books campaign, run by Dr Gcina Mhlophe and the GAHT team. The campaign was recently awarded for its contribution to literacy in South Africa by the Literacy Association of South Africa (LitASA) and nation building in the continent.
“Nozincwadi was my great aunt, who couldn’t read or write but she collected anything with words on it and would put them in a suitcase. When I heard the details of who she was, I decided to dedicate the entire year of 2001 to touring the country with a suitcase to donate books and inspire young people to read because freedom without education is null and void.”
“Over the years we’ve visited so many schools and libraries in all nine provinces. I thought I knew South Africa until we got started with Nozincwadi, I don’t even know the number of books we donated ever since. And when we arrived at those places we did storytelling, poetry and read for the children and then we’d donate those books,” said Dr Gcina Mhlophe.
***This article was updated.
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