Local stories shared with thousands of children as Book Dash spreads wings

The Book Dash project, which creates and distributes free children’s books across South Africa, is set to go Pan-African.

At a Book Dash event, illustrators and writers team up and work against the clock – they have 12 hours – to create a new, original children’s book that is relevant, bright, engaging – and free. Since the project started in 2014, only South African artists have been involved, but the ninth Book Dash taking place in Joburg next Saturday, at the Goethe Institute, has attracted artists from Togo, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Ethiopia.

Book Dash editor Margot Bertelsmann says: “I believe in the value of giving children books – not just any books, but books written by Africans, who can tell them local stories.”

Book Dash’s Julia Norrish says more than 122 000 books have been distributed to children. Last year, they produced 30 original titles and they’re aiming to do the same this year.

• Download and print your own free children’s books here.

something for mahala So far Book Dash has distributed 122 000 free books to children across South AfricaPHOTOs: supplied