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Precursor of National Book Week heats up worthy national initiative

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Although National Book Week (NBW) will be officially launched on Monday, a reading competition between Bay High schools – that kicked off this morning at the Gelvandale Library – already proved to be a worthy precursor to this commendable annual event.

Bright young minds from Alexander Road High School, Lawson Brown, Loyiso High and Victoria Park High School set the tone by briskly answering questions about Unathi Magubeni’s novel Nwelezelanga The Star Child.

Facilitator Busi Mbiyo asked questions and the responses by the schools are adjudicated by a panel of judges. The participating learners were given a number of weeks to read and grasp the literary work.

Mr Joseph Lamani, Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality NBW Project Coordinator, said Magubeni’s book was discussed in English with deliberations in Afrikaans and Xhosa to follow.

“The discussions are essentially a test how well the youngsters comprehend the stories they’ve read. The winner will be announced on Friday, 8 September at the end of our National Book Week activities,” said Lamani.

Tomorrow (Thursday, 31 August) at the Walmer Library at 10am Willowdene, a novel by local author Lucas Malgas, will be discussed in Afrikaans by a number of participating schools. On Friday, 1 September, the last competing schools will have a chance to impress the adjudicators after reading Ubomi Nguqulukubhode by author Nosipho Gibe.

The official opening of the Nelson Mandela Bay rendition of National Book Week takes place on Monday, 4 September at the Despatch Town Hall.

Lamani said one of the highlights of this year’s National Book Week activities is undoubtedly book donations to primary schools that will take place on Thursday, 7 September at the Newton Park Library and the Colchester Modular Library respectively.

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NMB Communications

Media Communications at Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
The Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality Communications Department is responsible for communicating pertinent Municipal news from Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage and Despatch. Municipality Contact Details. See more articles by NMB Communication's.