Litnet

Open Book Festival logo and picture of Refilwe Nsibande: https://openbookfestival.co.za/

The Open Book Youth Festival takes place from 13 to 20 March 2024.

Refilwe Nsibande talks to Naomi Meyer about her event at this year’s Open Book Youth Festival.

Refilwe, you are a creative technical expert. Please would you tell our readers about your journey?

I’m originally from Tshwane, from a township known as Soshanguve, and I now reside in Cape Town with my family. I studied information technology at the Tshwane University of Technology for both my national diploma and my BTech degree, but I am a passionate artist at heart. Even as a nine-to-five solutions architect in the ICT industry at Corporate SA, I’m intentional about making space for the artist in me, to exist creatively and express my art. I write, paint, sketch and enjoy consuming and producing my own poetry. The term creative technical expert, or simply creative techie, is the merger of these two versions of myself.

...........

The term creative technical expert, or simply creative techie, is the merger of these two versions of myself.

...............

What books did you read when you were young, and which ones made an impression?

Growing up, I did not have books. People around me didn’t buy books, and libraries were far from where I lived in Soshanguve. One would think that something like that would have deterred the young me from reading, but I read old magazines and newspapers and sometimes created my own; I just knew, without anyone telling me, that books were special. My love and yearning for them never ceased, so I eventually went from not having books to writing them.

...........

Growing up, I did not have books. People around me didn’t buy books, and libraries were far from where I lived in Soshanguve. One would think that something like that would have deterred the young me from reading, but I read old magazines and newspapers and sometimes created my own; I just knew, without anyone telling me, that books were special. My love and yearning for them never ceased, so I eventually went from not having books to writing them.

.................

Do you think it is important for a child to read a book in his/her own language? What if there is no money to buy these books, or what if they don’t see other children also reading books in their own languages?

.............

For identity and language preservation, I think it is important for children to read in their own languages.

................

For identity and language preservation, I think it is important for children to read in their own languages. I believe there’s a richness in our native languages that should be kept and protected at any cost. The economics of getting books into the hands of those who need them the most is a real issue, especially in our unequal society. That is why when NPOs such as Book Dash invite creatives to create books that will be freely gifted to the African child, I always raise my hand, get involved and use my creative gift to better the world through free books.

Why write books for youngsters?

I write for youngsters because I want them to know that they are important and that they matter, along with their ideas and dreams. I believe that when youngsters are consciously aware that a book was written and designed just for them, that knowledge will create and strengthen the bond between them and books in general, making literature a best friend.

What is the importance of a book festival like Open Book for an author like you?

The Open Book Festival will always have a special place in my heart. The first time I learned about the festival was back in 2019, when I had just relocated from Gauteng to Cape Town. The festival was running a writing competition for the Writing my city anthology; I submitted my prose titled “Becoming a Capetonian”, and the prose was selected and published. The Open Book Festival is also where I learned about Book Dash, with whom I have written two children’s books thus far. The existence of the Open Book Festival is vital as a bridge that connects authors to opportunities, and avid readers and ordinary folk to the world of literature.

Information on Refilwe’s event: