Okay, one of my readers had a dig at me early this week; saying that though “Sir, you are doing a great job for reading and appreciating literature; but you generally paint a rosy picture…why don’t you just say it bluntly that in our society a lot still has to be done to boost literacy and literature?”
Well, there it is folks. There are many shades of the truth; but this particular reader has a point. Whilst we are pleased with the progress being made in the Free
State as regards creative writing and criticism, we are still far from being the real deal. Some might ask – what is the “real deal”?
Perhaps it can be better put by saying: what standards should we be striving for? International, or relative standards? Internationally, the ideal is that the average reader regularly (let’s say once a week) takes a trip to bookshops and takes in the new books on display and buys at least one or two. In our own context, the reader buys the latest South African book(s) just published.
Reviews play a very important role here; else, how do we know about the new books on display? Recently, the great African writer Chinua Achebe released his latest book at the age of 82; and many would want to purchase the book thanks to contemporary reviews. That’s part of the ideal.
As proud South Africans we can say: I must buy the latest books written by our renowned writers. Hence if we hear that the likes of Gomolemo Mokae, Zakes Mda, Nadine Gordimer, Vonani Bila, Aryan Kaganof, Siphiwo Mahala (reviewed here in this column a fortnight ago), Njabulo Ndebele, etc have released a new book, we might decide to buy copies. Or if a new author – buoyed by great reviews in the media – has a new book out; we’ll want to buy the same!
But that is the ideal. The reality might well be different. For example new books, by black authors we can relate to, come out once in a blue moon (many of our authors might not even come out for years) then there are economic considerations. Can we afford to buy new books EVERY week? Or even every month?... But as lovers of books, the least we can do is try to keep up with local and national trends!
* From "The Bookshelf" Column, by K.A Motheane published in Free State News, December 7 2012
IMAGES: Some books published this year (2012): There was a Country (by Chinua Achebe), Tebogo and the bacchae (by Omoseye Bolaji) and African Delights (by Siphiwo Mahala)
Perhaps it can be better put by saying: what standards should we be striving for? International, or relative standards? Internationally, the ideal is that the average reader regularly (let’s say once a week) takes a trip to bookshops and takes in the new books on display and buys at least one or two. In our own context, the reader buys the latest South African book(s) just published.
Reviews play a very important role here; else, how do we know about the new books on display? Recently, the great African writer Chinua Achebe released his latest book at the age of 82; and many would want to purchase the book thanks to contemporary reviews. That’s part of the ideal.
As proud South Africans we can say: I must buy the latest books written by our renowned writers. Hence if we hear that the likes of Gomolemo Mokae, Zakes Mda, Nadine Gordimer, Vonani Bila, Aryan Kaganof, Siphiwo Mahala (reviewed here in this column a fortnight ago), Njabulo Ndebele, etc have released a new book, we might decide to buy copies. Or if a new author – buoyed by great reviews in the media – has a new book out; we’ll want to buy the same!
But that is the ideal. The reality might well be different. For example new books, by black authors we can relate to, come out once in a blue moon (many of our authors might not even come out for years) then there are economic considerations. Can we afford to buy new books EVERY week? Or even every month?... But as lovers of books, the least we can do is try to keep up with local and national trends!
* From "The Bookshelf" Column, by K.A Motheane published in Free State News, December 7 2012
IMAGES: Some books published this year (2012): There was a Country (by Chinua Achebe), Tebogo and the bacchae (by Omoseye Bolaji) and African Delights (by Siphiwo Mahala)
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