12August,2011 SABC1throwsitsweightbehindNationalBookWeek,Callingyoutoaction. WhatareyoudoingduringNationalBookWeek? Booksellers,businesses,parents,librarians,teachersareinvitedtoturna newpageforliteracyandthrowtheirweightbehindNationalBookWeek, takingplacenationwidefrom510September2011. WithitscalltoactionofBuyaBook,ReadaBook,ShareaBook,thisSouth AfricanBookDevelopmentCouncil(SABDC)initiative,inassociationwiththe DepartmentofArtsandCulture,aimstopromotethejoyofreadingamongSouth Africansofallages,butparticularlytheyouth. DuringNationalBookWeek(NBW),schools,librariesandothervenuesacross thecountrywillhostvariousoutreachandbookdonationprogrammesto highlightthefunofreadingandincreasethepublicsaccesstobooks,andan excitingprogrammeofactivitiesinNewtown. Whatwillyourcompanybedoing?

NATIONALBOOKWEEKACTIVITIESATMUSEUMAFRICA810SEPTEMBER 2011 Businesses,SMMEs,Libraries,CSIProgrammesandReadingPromotion initiativescanapplytoexhibittheirproductsand/orservicesattheannualBook WeekExhibition.Thisexhibitionwillbehostedfrom810September2011at MuseumAfricainNewtown,Johannesburg,whichwillbethecentralhubfor NBWactivitieswhichareallfreeandopentothepublic. TomeetsomeofthemostprolificSouthAfricanwritersandpoetsvisitthe AuthorsTent.Here,youwillgetanopportunitytomeetandsharethestage withsomeoftheleadingmindsinSouthAfrica.Aspiringpoetswillbegivena platformtorecitetheirspokenwordcompositionsandreceivefeedbackfrom someoftheseasonedpoets.Theauthorswillalsobeavailabletosignanddiscuss theirbookswiththeaudience. TherewillbepresentationsontheestablishmentandrunningofBookClubs, whichwillbefacilitatedbyPanSALB. ThevenuewillhostaMagicTentareadingtentandanactivitytentwhere childrencanlettheirimaginationsrunfreeastheyexperiencethepowerthat liesbetweenthepages.Therewillalsobespecialreadingactivitiesavailablefor thevisuallyimpaired,suchasaBraillegameandtactilebooks.

 AnotherReadingTentwillprovideaquietenvironmentwheretheyouthand adultscanexplorethebeautyofreading,aswellasgroupreadingactivities.Look outforthelivePoetrySessions,duringwhichyoungandaspiringpoetswillalso begivenaplatformtorecitetheirspokenwordcompositionsandreceive feedbackfromsomeofthenationsleadingcreativeminds. ADemoLibrary,runinassociationwiththeCityofJoburgLibraryServices,will besetuptoteachvisitorshoweasyandfunitistouseapubliclibrary.The SABDCwillalsobehostingfreeseminarsandworkshops,focusingon developingskillsamongbookindustrypractitioners. HOWYOUCANGETINVOLVEDINNBW TheprivatesectorandordinarySouthAfricansareurgedtohelpfosteraloveof readingamongallSouthAfricans,contributingtoahigherlevelofliteracywhile openingupnewworldsandpossibilitieswiththepowerofthewrittenword. NBWistheidealopportunityforcompaniestocontributebookdonationstothe BookBankaspartoftheirCSIprogrammes.Thesebookswillthenbe redistributedtolibrariesandschools.Businessesrangingfromlargeindustryto SMMEscanarealsoencouragedtosupportBooksforBikes,ayouth empowermentproject. TeacherscancomeonboardwithspecialNBWprojectsortasks,andforthe thousandsofSouthAfricanswhoaremembersofbookclubswhynotshare yourreadingenjoymentwithothersbydonatingoldbookstoyourlocallibrary? SchoolscanalsoapplytoarrangeschoolgroupvisitsatMuseumAfrica. ParentsareencouragedtosetasideanhoureachdayduringNationalBook Weektoreadtotheirchildren,ortoaskfamilymemberstoswitchofftheir gadgetsandspendaquietandrelaxinghourreadingtothemselvesoreachother. Fortheirpart,bookmerchantsfromlargefranchisestothecosycorner bookshopareaskedtodotheirbitandcomeupwithdiscounts,promotions andotherinventivewaysofboostingtheimageofreadingasafun,entertaining andinformativepastime. ThethemeofNationalBookWeek2011isTheBookThatChangedMyLife,and theorganiserscallonallSouthAfricanstoexperiencehowcoolitistobea bookworm,andhelpotherstodiscoverthatpleasureaswell. Formoreinformation,pleasevisitwww.nationalbookweek.co.za. Email:admin@sabookcouncil.co.za,Tel:0219148626