Hundreds of community members turned out on the first day of the Cape Flats Book Festival at West End Primary School in Mitchell’s Plain on Saturday, marking a successful start to the two-day celebration of reading, storytelling, and literature.
The event brought together children, parents, young adults, and seniors, who were all drawn by a shared love of books and a desire to inspire young readers, in a community where access to reading support and resources remains a challenge.
Research shows that reading for understanding and literature levels among South African children are low, particularly in working-class communities where schools often lack the structures that nurture a culture of reading.
The festival featured writer workshops open to all attendees, giving participants the chance to engage with authors and explore the wide range of books on offer.
Roscoe Williams, programme director of Read2Rise and one of the festival organisers, described the atmosphere as “awesome” and said the event was an important platform for both local and national literary talent.
“The event brought together 120 local and national authors, and a number of poets to share their work and their craft with the people of this community, which is an important event,” Williams said.
This year’s festival is the fifth Cape Flats Book Festival since its inception in 2019. Williams explained that Read2Rise works directly in schools across the community and has seen firsthand the gaps in literacy support.
“We know that there is a literacy issue that not only affects our community but also affects the whole country. This is what encouraged us to put together this festival,” he said.
Williams added that events like this are key to showing children that reading can be fun.
“I saw many children holding books and being excited to read them. We also think it is especially important for children to develop this love through reading books in their mother tongues. A lot of the time, children are not exposed to stories that they can identify with. Seeing themselves in the books is powerful and inspires them.”
Among the authors present was Andile Cele, author of Braids and Migraines, who spoke about the importance of showcasing local stories that resonate with people living in townships.
Cele said her fiction follows Nomandla, a neurodivergent girl growing up in a township and navigating the education system in the 2000s – a time when awareness of mental health was often lacking.
“Although it was a long time ago, we still see elements of this in many young people’s lived realities. Those living in townships and rural areas are not always understood by the wider community,” she said.
Poets and self-published authors Zizipho Bam and Thandiwe Nqanda also praised the festival, performing excerpts from their works to an enthusiastic audience.
Bam, author of the 2022 anthology Sunflowers for My Lovers, described the joy of seeing her book in readers’ hands.
“While being here, the eagerness and passion for reading was visible in the children. They are here to add to their collection of books, and it’s beautiful to see,” she said.
Nqanda reflected on the festival’s role in celebrating literature and community, noting that the event also honoured the legacy of the late Dr Diana Ferrus, a revered South African writer and performance poet whose work helped shape the nation’s literary landscape.
Dr Ferrus passed away on Friday at the age of 72, leaving behind a legacy of storytelling that amplified silenced voices and inspired readers across generations.
“I’m currently exploring ways to collaborate with other authors and organisations to sustain my love and practice of poetry beyond festival attendance,” Nqanda said.
