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Statement on South Africa's Participation
in the Ottawa International Writers Festival from 29
September to 6 October 2004
During this important Heritage Month and in recognition
of the Proudly South African Campaign, the Department
of Foreign Affairs is pleased to announce South Africa's
participation in this year's 8th Annual Ottawa International
Writers Festival with the appropriate theme "Imagine
the World". South Africa's participation in this
important event will be two-fold.
In addition to the presence of acclaimed South African
writer and playwright Damon Galgut, a special children's
book exhibition will be showcased as part of an outreach
program and exchange program with Canadian primary school
children, mostly underprivileged. The program will also
include the exposure of Canadian school children to
the oral tradition.
The 2004 Commonwealth Writers Prize Best Book Award
for the Africa region has been awarded to Damon Galgut's
Booker-Prize nominated novel "The Good Doctor".
He is also known in Canada for his novel, " The
Quarry", which was made into a feature film that
won the award for Best Film at the 1998 Montreal Film
Festival. Mr Galgut's presence at the Festival this
year follows last year's successful participation of
former Commonwealth Price Winner for Africa, Professor
Zakes Mda.
The children's book exhibition is brought to Canada
by the Children's Literature Research Unit (CLRU) of
the University of South Africa, which aims to create
greater awareness of South African children's literature
abroad and encourage international understanding.
The exhibition depicts the changes that have taken
place, and the openness of society since the first democratic
elections in 1994: The themes represented by the exhibition
are:
- the objective representation of history;
- the openness of relationships and friendships;
- new attention to previously disadvantaged cultural
groups;
- free and equal education for all;
- equal health services for all people and ;
- freedom fighters for the new South Africa
The CLRU is also involved in the cultural exchange
project, Global Twins, where primary schools in South
Africa are twinned with selected schools abroad. The
intended results are that the twinned schools develop
material that depicts the unique identity of their schools,
cultures, lifestyles, nature, cities, provinces and
countries. Children in the respective schools create
and develop drawings and short poems that depict their
particular lifestyle, culture and physical environment.
Once these artworks have been created they will be exchanged
and exhibited, both in South Africa and Canada.
It is envisaged that a number of South African schools
will, through this program, enter into twinning programs
with Canadian schools, including underprivileged schools
(Beacon schools) and First Nations'schools.
In addition to the above, one of the specific aims
of the partnership between the South African High Commission
in Ottawa and the Writers Festival is to expose Canadian
school children (ages 8-11) to the oral tradition of
story telling. The hereditary chief of the Mi'kmaq nation,
Mr Stephen Augustine, will be assisting with the project
and convey stories about the history of the First Nations.
South African poet, musician and storyteller Vusi Moloi,
resident in Ottawa, will be teaching the children more
about the African oral tradition.
Children's workshops will be conducted at the National
Library from Thursday 30 September 2004 to Tuesday 5
October 2004.
Parallel to the Democracy Exhibition, a representative
collection of children's books and readers will also
be displayed to present the wide range of books available
to South African children for leisure and educational
reading activities. This is an ideal way to strengthen
cultural and educational ties between South Africa and
Canada and also prepare the way for the CLRU to introduce
Canadian children's books, including those of the First
Nations, to South African children by hosting a similar
exhibition in Pretoria at a later stage.
The air tickets of Damon Galgut and the CLRU representative
are sponsored by the national carrier, South African
Airways.
For further information, please contact Pumla Nene
on 09 1 613 744-0330
Issued on behalf of the South African High Commission
in Canada by Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X 152
Pretoria
0001
28 September 2004
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