Although any time is a good time for reading, the month of March is an extra special time for literature lovers. Here is what is happening in the world of reading:
The celebration of Dr. Seuss’ birthday
The birthday of the renowned children’s author, Dr. Seuss, is on the 2nd of March (he was born in 1904) and the whole month is dedicated to celebrating his works. He has brought the world numerous classics, such as How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham. Approximately 65 books were released during his lifetime and roughly 16 more publications were made from his works after his death in 1991. His books have been translated into over 20 languages.
If you would like to get better acquainted with the works of Dr. Seuss, but don’t know where to start, his official website, Seussville, will provide you with everything you need. Seussville is an interactive website that contains a wealth of activities for children and they are all based on the lovely Dr. Seuss stories and characters. It contains games and activities that children can engage in by themselves. Resources for parents and teachers in the form of activities, lesson plans and other printables can be downloaded in PDF-format. The website also contains interesting information on Dr. Seuss’ life as well as interesting tidbits such as character profiles, recipes and video clips.
Dr. Seuss’ stories create magical worlds with imaginative characters, but more importantly, teach useful lessons about life and appreciating oneself.
National Reading Month (USA)
As a tribute to the life and works of Dr. Seuss, March had been proclaimed as National Reading Month in the USA. The motivation behind this initiative is to encourage children to read for at least 15 minutes a day for one month. Although this movement was started in the USA, it is rapidly starting to catch on in other countries and online companies such as Amazon usually have special promotions on children’s literature during this month.
World Book Day (UK)
The 7th of March is celebrated by the UK as World Book Day, commemorating all books, but especially those by beloved British children’s authors, such as Roald Dahl and J.K. Rowling. The website dedicated to World Book Day also contains useful resources and activities for teachers, libraries and bookshops as well as news on reading events. Visit the site here.
World Poetry Day: 21 March
The 21st of March was declared World Poetry Day by UNESCO in 1999 and the aim of this day is to promote the creation and appreciation of poetry worldwide.
If you like to dabble in some poetry yourself from time to time, there is an inspiring book being released this month (March 19th) that you might find useful: Smash Poetry Journal: 125 Writing Ideas for Inspiration and Self Exploration. This book, written by Robert Lee Brewer, provides helpful prompts and guidelines to improve your poetry, not only in terms of quality, but also in quantity. It can be used by aspiring poets on all levels and does not require any special knowledge or experience.
The author, Jane Shlensky, said the following about how Brewer’s guidelines have helped her:
“Like a good question challenges my perceptions, Robert Lee Brewer’s prompts nudge me in new directions, help me apply a new angle of vision to an old idea, or dare me to discover possibilities. Those prompts are catalysts for growing as a writer because they keep me thinking and moving toward greater understanding of often misplaced experiences.”
On the other hand, if you would simply like to read more poetry, but does not know where to start, the website poetry.org will send you a poem every day by e-mail, including classics, works from lesser-known poets as well as up-and-coming poets. Sign up for this daily poem here.
Events in South Africa
March is also an exciting literary month in South Africa. Here are a few events that you can look forward to:
KKNK
The Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees (KKNK) is one of the biggest art festivals in South Africa, held annually in the Western Cape town of Oudtshoorn. This year, the KKNK is taking place from the 21st to the 27th of March. The ATKV, an organisation responsible for the promotion and preservation of Afrikaans and arts, has a yearly programme at this festival and features talks given by authors of recently released books. This year’s programme includes talks on new releases such as Armand Kook (by celebrity Armand Aucamp), Daar is ‘n Engel in my Koskas (by Willie Strauss), the moving autobiography of Pieter-Dirk Uys, Weerklink van ‘n Wanklank and many more.
They even have something lined up for the children: Koos Kombuis talks about his new book Eben die Ellendige Eenhoring, a delightful book with humourous illustrations about a miserable unicorn who learns to love himself.
For the full KKNK programme, visit their festival website here.
Woordfees
March seems to be a busy month for the ATKV. From the 1st to the 10th of March they will be hosting several programmes at Woordfees at the University of Stellenbosch in the Western Cape. As part of this diverse arts festival, Afrikaans writers are celebrated and talks will be given on dozens of new Afrikaans book releases. For the full programme, visit their website here.
Inkstories
On the 27th of March the ATKV is hosting a talk by South African director, André Velts, about the challenges and processes of transforming a book into a film. The event is held from 18:00-21:00 at Exclusive Books, Brooklyn mall – entrance is free but reserving a spot is necessary. For more information, visit the event page here.
Children’s month at Exclusive Books
Exclusive Books is celebrating children’s literature this month. They are hosting children’s events in their stores across the country, featuring popular books and characters such as The Gruffalo, Bennie Boekwurm, Liewe Heksie, Oscar the Hungry Unicorn, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and various Dr. Seuss characters. Story readings and photo opportunities will be giving at these events, which are free to attend but requires an RSVP. Visit their website here for more information about these events. Additionally, Exclusive Books Fanatics members will earn double points on all children’s literature purchased during the month of March.
One of the attractions that is especially creating excitement at the Exclusive Books children’s month celebrations is the appearance of a life-sized Wimpy Kid character with which kids can have their photographs taken. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid’s thirteenth book, The Meltdown has recently been released. On top of this, the author, Jeff Kinney, visited South Africa this month as part of his The Meltdown world tour. So, overall, the Wimpy Kid spirit seems to be high!
In celebration of all these children’s literature events taking place this month, Book Babbles is giving away a copy of Diary of a Wimpy Kid’s newest book, The Meltdown. Like and share the Book Babbles Facebook page by 31 March 2019 to be entered into the competition. Alternatively, send and e-mail to bookbabbles@bookbabbles.org with your name and contact details to enter. The competition ends on 31 March 2019 and is open to readers based in South Africa only.
