National Book Week

Next week, starting 6 September, is South Africa's first National Book Week.The best way to celebrate it is to help with the promotion of reading amongst our younger generation. There are absolutely excellent children's and youth fiction -- youngster just need to be introduced to the pleasure of reading and I'm confident they'll be hooked.

My own enjoyment of reading comes from my mother who encouraged me to read at a very early age by providing me with all sorts of interesting books. Although I did not regularly read as a child the seed was planted and by the time I reached adolescence I rediscovered reading and have been reading both fiction and non-fiction regularly ever since.

I suggest supporting programs like the Metz & Bob book donation (see the poster) or visit your local library and see how you can support the programs they will be running. If you're a parent or if you have nephews and nieces, why not by them an interesting book to celebrate National Book Week. And while you at it, get yourself a good book and instead of watching TV next week, switch of the noise and settle in rediscover the joys of reading. You could even challenge yourself to read at least one book during National Book Week!