New publishing initiative Revive boosts children’s literature by republishing classics

Revive has republished Lauretta Ngcobo’s Fiki learns to like other people and Dancing Duiker by Thokozile Chaane.

By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor

One of the pleasures of reading, particularly fiction is that it enables one to learn a lot about places, culture and people thousands of miles away, for especially adult readers. But for young readers, it is probably best to read books that are about the immediate environment, local places and cultures.

Luckily in South Africa, there is a growing list of literatures written by a growing crop of local writers, writing specifically for local young readers, such as the poet and social anthropologist Lebohang Masango, and other new young voices active in children’s literature. If you add what has in the past been published by veteran children’s literature writers such as Thokozile Chaane and Lauretta Ngcobo, young readers are spoilt for choice when it comes to the literature for them. These are literary voices that in their life’s journeys became loud and associated with promoting children’s literature. There are more others that are coming up with good books for this market segment for literature

Luckily for young readers, Ngcobo’s children literature’s gem, Fiki learns to like other people, with illustrations by Bushang Nkoanefirst published by Pan MacMillan in 1993, has been republished, and this time by a literary entity called Revive.

“Revive is a bold literary initiative dedicated to bringing South Africa’s lost gems back to life, recovering exceptional out-of-print books by local authors and returning them to their rightful place-readers’ hands. These are powerful stories from diverse voices across our nation, too good to be forgotten or ignored,” the publishers state.

The same publisher also republished Thokozane Chaane’s Dancing Duiker, first published in 1988 by Watoto Enterprises, and illustrations are by Busi Chaane. Both books are aimed at children aged between 9 and 12 years.

This initiative is clearly a boost to children’s literature on the South African contemporary literary scene. And these two books, Dancing Duiker by Thokozile Chaane and Fiki learns to like other people by Lauretta Ngcobo are classics that should benefit the young readers because of their rich stories amplified by the beautiful illustrations created by talented illustrators.