SOUTH AFRICAN CHILDREN'S BOOKS
Jay’s Thoughts this Month
From Manuscript to Book Launch
“I think that book publishing is about to
slide into the sea. We live in a literate time, and our children
are writing up a storm, often combining letters and numerals (U
R 2 1derful) … The future of publishing: 18 million authors in
America, each with an average of 14 readers, eight of whom are
blood relatives. Average annual earnings: $1.75.”
Garrison Keillor writing in the Chicago Tribune
The Latest News
Cape Town Book Fair 2010
The first day (July 30) will be solely dedicated to
publishers, institutional buyers and rights agents. July 31 to
August 2 will be open to the public as before, with extra space
available because it’s World Cup year. See you there!
A quiet reminder that 12 June was both the second day
of the World Cup 2010 and the day in 1964 when Nelson Mandela (and the
others in the Rivonia trial) were sentenced to life imprisonment. The
world has changed a lot since then.
A warming story from Jean Williams at Biblionef. “The
teachers at Balvenie Primary School in Elsies River started a program
called “Read and Score High”. Children were given small reading projects
and questions to research on football stars and won “prizes” if they
“scored”. With them all “dressed” and parading in front of their school
with vuvuzelas and football paraphernalia showing their support for the
World Cup, I was engulfed in the atmosphere and excitement of the
children. What a brilliant way to bring together the excitement of the
football together with reading.”
Micklefield School in Claremont, Cape Town, has announced another annual
Family Reading Challenge. Parents, brothers, sisters
(maximum team of 6) will be quizzed on a list of books ranging from
Martin Waddell’s Owl Babies to Gerald Durrell’s My Family
and Other Animals, with South Africa represented by books from
Lesley Beake, Piet Grobler and Niki Daly. Date: 12 August. Other primary
schools keen on promoting reading with a similar Family Reading
Challenge should contact Mary Lister at
mary@micklefield.co.za for
more information.
New Voices Publishing (a Publish-on-Demand service) has
been in action since at least 2007. They are keen to encourage books for
young readers written by young writers. Visit their website at
www.newvoices.co.za which
offers guidance for would-be authors and the route towards
Publish-on-Demand.
Judging by the messages received, many Bookchat readers are would-be
writers. So I have reproduced (with permission) a useful outline issued
by Random House Struik. See Thoughts
from Jay.