Writers, illustrators and editors who are passionate about children’s literacy are once again invited to take part in the second Book Sprint, scheduled for 5 October 2024.
On Book Sprint day, volunteer creative teams create beautiful African children’s books in just 12 hours… books that anyone can freely translate, print and distribute.
The first Book Sprint Namibia event took place in 2022, and was sponsored by the German Embassy in Windhoek and the Goethe-Institut Namibia. These books were officially unveiled last May.
After the success of the first edition, the two organisations are planning the second edition of Book Sprint Namibia.
Interested parties can fill out the Google form with their details and experiences in the relevant area until 31 August 2024: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1sqnpi7O7vu5XQDbnGDoFoLiRATAumdN_y1-Fhq1I8Uc/edit
Authors are required to include a writing sample, and illustrators should include their Instagram profile.
All submissions should be in English, and the length of the stories should be between 250 and 300 words maximum.
The books will later be translated into other Namibian languages.
The Namibian Book Sprint is modelled on the Book Dash South Africa project that was developed to ensure every child should own a hundred books by the age of five, before they enter school.
For more information on the books created at the last event, please visit the website: https://www.goethe.de/ins/na/en/bib/bsn.html, or send an email to booksprintnamibia@gmail.com
The four children’s books created during Book Sprint 2022 are about children and animals experiencing little adventures.
These are:‘Open your Eyes, Minda!’ by Nicole Abdinghoff, Romeo Sinkala and Silas Shiimbi; ‘Myra’s Friends’ by Charmaine //Gamxamûs, Belia Liebenberg and Benisa Nghiivali; ‘I want to be’ by Lucia Shali-Paulus, Mitchell Gatsi and Rauha Shagandjua, and ‘Who tickles Tula?’ by Laura-Jo Scriba, Silke van der Merwe and Tutaleni Ilonga. The stories convey messages about the importance of friendship and family; that it is okay to wear glasses; and that boys and girls are free to decide who they want to be when they grow up.
“The books are there to encourage children to read more,” said Clarissa Judmann, the cultural officer at the German Embassy and supporter of the project during the launch.
“I hope the books will teach them that reading is not just for school, but can be fun, and take them to fantastic worlds,” she said at the time.