Bontekanye Botumile is a best selling children’s writer in Botswana. Her first book Tlou was a fantastic success, followed the next year by Patterns in the Sky. There are many unique things about Bonty. Firstly, the books are self-published and of a better quality than most traditionally published books in the country. She has a commitment to the stories from Setswana culture, but she jazzes them up in her own interesting way. The artwork in the books is stunning. I absolutely loved the paintings in Patterns in the Sky which were done by Zambian artist, Emmanuel Muntanga.
The other wonderful thing about Bonty is the way she launches her books. In her day job she works as a freelance hotel manager and game ranger up north in the Okavango Delta. There she has organised a group of unemployed youth who she puts together to perform her books through dance. I attended the Patterns in the Sky launch and I thought it was fabulous. Fun songs and fantastic costumes and such an interesting way to get book cautious Batswana interested in reading.
Now people in Botswana should clear their schedule this month end because Bonty is launching her third book, The Seed Children. I was lucky enough to have heard her read it in the early stages when she goes out into local primary schools to hear what her constituents have to say about those early drafts. I was at Westwood Primary School when she read to an enraptured group of young children. The book is about a place where children are turned into trees. It has a strong environmental message about how we abuse trees and cause deforestation.
She is holding her launch on the evenings of the 31st October and 1st November at Westwood School in Gaborone. Hoping this book goes on to great success! See you there!
The other wonderful thing about Bonty is the way she launches her books. In her day job she works as a freelance hotel manager and game ranger up north in the Okavango Delta. There she has organised a group of unemployed youth who she puts together to perform her books through dance. I attended the Patterns in the Sky launch and I thought it was fabulous. Fun songs and fantastic costumes and such an interesting way to get book cautious Batswana interested in reading.
Now people in Botswana should clear their schedule this month end because Bonty is launching her third book, The Seed Children. I was lucky enough to have heard her read it in the early stages when she goes out into local primary schools to hear what her constituents have to say about those early drafts. I was at Westwood Primary School when she read to an enraptured group of young children. The book is about a place where children are turned into trees. It has a strong environmental message about how we abuse trees and cause deforestation.
She is holding her launch on the evenings of the 31st October and 1st November at Westwood School in Gaborone. Hoping this book goes on to great success! See you there!
That truly sounds like something to go see!
ReplyDeleteHelen- I'll take pictures and blog on it so that people outside Botswana can see a bit of what Ms Botumile is all about. I hope her book is available online -when it is I'll let folks know that too.
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