World Book Day – 23 April 2013

Stakeholders within the book value chain play an important role in encouraging a culture of reading, providing access to books and creating an appreciation for the value of books by contributing towards a literate and educated nation.
In its effort to encourage the culture of reading, writing, publishing and easy access to books for all, the Centre for the Book in partnership with the Western Cape Department of Education, South African Booksellers Association, Publishers’ Association of South Africa, City of Cape Town Libraries, Wordsworth, Department of Arts and Culture, South African Book Development Council, Library and Information Association of South Africa and Edulis are organizing the 2013 World Book Day celebrations.

World Book Day is an internationally recognised event that celebrates books and a love for reading. The South African theme for 2013: In books I find …. identifies with the significant meaning and value a book holds and can be achieved with books and the power of reading. Empowerment, knowledge, choices, adventure, inspiration, imagination; are just some of the things one can find in books. What do you find?

The World Book Day planning committee is very excited about the anticipated programme for 2013 and is encouraging all stakeholders and communities to actively participate in inculcating a culture of reading and amplifying the importance of reading. Approximately 30 000 World Book Day posters will be designed, printed and distributed to schools and public libraries around the country.

To raise awareness about the official event, a Door-to-Door Reading Campaign is organized for the day before the official celebration. The host province – North West – will choose a village for campaigners to donate books to pre-schools, schools, public libraries and households. The idea behind the book donation is to provide access to books where there is little or no reading culture. The Door-to-Door Reading Campaign is a humbling experience and the appreciation from the community is very encouraging and inspiring.
The following day (23rd April 2013) is the formal celebration where speakers are invited to emphasize the importance of reading. This day will consist of reading activities, traditional dances and plays to celebrate the culture of reading books.

Here are some tips on how you get involved and promote the day:
• Donate books for the Door-to-Door campaign
• Be a World Book Day ambassador and promote reading in your community
• Participate in story readings at schools
• Initiate a book collection drive and donate the books to schools or libraries
• Accompany children to the library and make reading fun
• Adopt a library and restore it
• Organize an event and invite speakers to talk about the importance of reading

For further information please contact:
Sonwabile Kanzi at (021) 423 2669 or visit them on facebook at World Book Day SA or follow them on Twitter @WorldBookDaySA

Some interesting people in the Book industry were asked to complete the sentence “In books I find…”

Deon Meyer, Skrywer
IN boeke vind ek kennis, insig, stimulasie. Vreugde, ontvlugting. Nuwe werelde, nuwe ervarings. Boeiende mense en plekke. Inspirasie.

Ben Williams, General Manager, Times Media Group’s online retail platform – the digital home of Exclusive Books.
In books I find: a dimpled spider, fat and white, on a white heal-all, holding up a moth like a white piece of rigid satin cloth; a freshly-plowed sugarcane field; gossip amusing or largely pernicious; myself diffident about finding fault; the common ground.

Mervyn Sloman, Bookseller – Booklounge, Cape Town
In books I find other worlds, other lives and other possibilities. And I find myself, my world, my life. In books I find reality and fantasy; I find understanding and confusion. I find things to share with my loved ones and with my customers and I find things to ponder alone. And most importantly, I find the unexpected. When that stops exciting me, I will be dead.

Eloise Wessels, CEO, NB Group
In books I find endless pleasure – worlds of imagination and of facts.

Melt Myburgh, Digter en US Woordkuns projek bestuurder
In boeke vind ek horisonne wat aanhou skuif verby die niet.

Maureen Hargraves, Director Hargraves Library Services, The Large Print Book Corporation
In books I find inspiration, discovery, a wonderful resource for unwinding and a tonic to relax. I am fortunate to have had an opportunity to build a business that reflects my lifelong passion for books and people and to work with my son Richard who has the same feeling for our trade.