Pan Macmillan

Nelson Mandela 20 years of freedom 1990 – 2010

20 yrs later – We commemorate the Long Walk – for kids!
20 jaar later – ons onthou die Lang Pad na Vryheid – vir kinders!

Please join us for the Boekehuis Storie-Uur / Story Hour with Chris van Wyk, who will read from his adaptation of Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom. Delightfully illustrated by Paddy Bouma, this book brings an inspirational man to life for a younger generation and is published in South Africa’s eleven official languages. (All languages are available OR can be ordered from Boekehuis.)

We look forward to seeing you there!

Event details

• Date: Saturday 20 February 2010
• Time: 10:00 AM for 10:30 AM
• Venue: Boekehuis
  cnr Lothbury & Fawley
  Auckland Park
  Johannesburg | Map
• RSVP: Boekehuis, 011 482 3609, boekehuis@boekehuis.co.za

About the author

Chris van Wyk is the author of many books, amongst them poetry collections, children’s books, especially non-fiction for children. His delightful memoir Shirley, Goodness and Mercy about growing up in the Coloured township of Riverlea, Jhb, “is like eating dark chocolate – rich and bittersweet, and best when you savour it slowly, experiencing the richness as it melts in your mouth. His powerful writing is simple and clear, and the bright, bold characters in his book burst out of the pages” (the Write Co.).

Book details

• Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela, adapted by Chris van Wyk, illustrated by Paddy Bouma
  EAN: 9781405091886
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

Back in the 1980s, Nelson Mandela was front and center on the world stage. Now, Macmillan aims to see history repeat itself, thanks to a global, 13-language launch of the picture-book adaptation of his autobiography.

The company’s unprecedented release of Long Walk to Freedom “was intended to reflect Nelson Mandela’s importance to South Africa and the world,” says Emma Hopkin, managing director of Macmillan Children’s Books in the U.K. This ambitious effort involved intense collaboration between Macmillan U.K., Pan Macmillan South Africa, and Roaring Brook in the U.S., also part of the worldwide Macmillan family, which adapted the text and cover art for an American audience.

• Complete article at Publishers Weekly

Book details

• Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela, abridged by Chris van Wyk, illustrated by Paddy Bouma
  EAN: 9781405091886
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

Photo courtesy Publishers Weekly

Pan Macmillan’s new childrens edition of Nelson Mandela’s epic biography, Long Walk to Freedom caught the eye of the Christian Science Monitor’s Chapter and Verse blog:

He’s sold nearly six million copies of his adult autobiography and now Nelson Mandela is targeting the youth market with a child-friendly version of his “Long Walk to Freedom.” Fifteen years after the release of the original, the former South African president was presented with the new children’s version by his great grandson Ziyanda ahead of the official launch in Johannesburg.

The 64-page illustrated book with a sketch of Mandela on the front has been released in all 11 of South Africa’s official languages plus American English and Portuguese. Like the 600-page adult version, the children’s book chronicles Mandela’s childhood, the fight against apartheid, his 27 years in prison, and the road to the presidency in 1994. The English version is the only one in hardback, said Lara Cohen from publisher Pan Macmillan.

Mandela, who is more commonly known in South Africa by his clan name Madiba, was said to be happy with the children’s book. Verne Harris, acting chief executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, said: “The book is aimed at six to 10-year-olds. Madiba withdrew from making public comments several years ago but he did give a short message at the launch to say he was pleased with the book and that children could have fun reading it.”

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Paddy Bouma illustrated the new, Chris van Wyk-abridged Long Walk to Freedom – a task that took almost a year to complete. She calls the work the crowning piece of her career in this interview with Bianca Capazorio:

With Nelson Mandela's strong focus on children and literacy, it is no surprise that his life story, Long Walk to Freedom has been rewritten as a children's book.

Abridged by Chris van Wyk, who worked on the original, and illustrated by Paddy Bouma, the book was launched in Cape Town to coincide with literacy month.

It will be available in all 11 official languages.

'Our children are our greatest treasure'

Mandela's great-grandson, Ziyanda Manaway, 8, was at the Joburg launch and read out a message from his great-grandfather.

“Our granddad believes that education and reading are two of the most important things for children. He has asked me to read you this message: 'Our children are our greatest treasure. They are our future. The system of apartheid robbed many children of their right to a decent education and of the joy of reading. This joy is one that I have treasured all my life, and it is one I wish for all South Africans'.”

Cape Town-born illustrator Bouma said that illustrating the book was “the crowning piece of one’s career”.

Bouma, who now lives in Stellenbosch, was originally approached by Pan MacMillan books and after being vetted by the Mandela Foundation, was given the go-ahead in December 2007.

The drawings took her nearly a year to complete and Bouma said the book was challenging in several ways.

“It’s a very big book, it’s twice the size of a normal picture book,” she said of the hardcover book which has more than 50 pages.

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The children’s edition of Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela, abridged by Chris van Wyk, has just been released, and will be the focus of Kalk Bay Books’ children’s storytime on 19 September, with Sindiwe Magona as the guest reader.

Nelson Mandela is a true hero of our times, loved and admired across the globe for his dedication to the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, and for justice and peace throughout the world. This book tells the story of his life, from his carefree days as an ordinary village boy, to his unflinching leadership of the ANC, the long years in prison and his eventual freedom and extraordinary elevation to President of South Africa. Abridged by acclaimed author Chris van Wyk and beautifully illustrated by Paddy Bouma, this is an important book bringing an inspirational man to life for a younger generation.

Poet and writer Sindiwe Magona is a wonderful reader and will bring the story to life for our younger customers. A lucky draw for a Kalk Bay Books book voucher will be held. We look forward to seeing you all here.

Event Details

• Date: Saturday, 19 September 2009
• Time: 11:30 AM for 12:00 AM
• Venue: Kalk Bay Books, 124 Main Road
  Kalk Bay | Map
• Guest Speaker: Sindiwe Magona
• RSVP: Kalk Bay Books, ann@kalkbaybooks.co.za, 021 788 2266
  http://www.kalkbaybooks.co.za/author-events-detail.php?id=75

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It was a celebratory day at the READ Educational Trust in Ormonde, Johannesburg, this week, with guests – including Nelson Mandela’s great grandson, Ziyanda Manaway – gathered for the launch of the children’s version of Nelson Mandela’s A Long Walk to Freedom, abridged by Chris van Wyk. The audience members included 100 invited learners and their teachers from 10 schools in Gauteng.

Nina Gabriels, publicist for Pan Macmillan, started proceedings with a video clip of Madiba, in which the great leader spoke of writing his epic biography, “… despite a moat of icy water they could not stop my words”. Recognising that this was also global literacy week, Gabriels said how thrilled and excited the Macmillan team was to be launching the book.

Dušanka Stojaković, group managing director of Macmillan Southern Africa talked of what an important day it was, with the book being released internationally – and, in South Africa, in all eleven official languages. She called the gathered learners representative of “the children of the world”. “It’s extremely exciting for us as South Africans to have our story told this way, to the rest of the world”. She spoke of how Macmillan as a publishing group is committed to partnering with others: “We need to find ways to improve education and increase literacy levels.”

Ziyanda Manaway then delivered a special message from Madiba, citing Madiba’s own joy of reading: “This joy is one that I have treasured all my life, and it is one I wish for all South Africans. We are happy that all children are now able to read in the language of their choice the story of the long road we travelled for freedom in South Africa. The children of South Africa need to know this history, everyone should try to read for at least an hour every day. Parents can read to their children if the children cannot read for themselves”.

Chief executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Achmat Dangor, said how happy the NMF was to have Chris van Wyk as the writer of the abridged version of A Long Walk to Freedom. The book, he said, would be “an entry point into the mind of a very unique person” for learners.

Nina Gabriels then introduced van Wyk, lauding him as “fantastic” and a “brilliant author to work with”. Van Wyk spoke with enthusiasm and energy and immediately had the learners’ attention with his humour. He invited themto have some fun celebrating the book. He deftly brought home one of the first issues highlighted in the text – how non-white South Africans were forced to take British names under Apartheid – by asking for the learners’ favourite European names. They voted “Richard” and “Victoria”. He told the story of how Madiba became known as “Nelson” instead of “Rolihlahla”. Van Wyk beautifully brought the book to life for everyone in the room.

He acknowledged that Mandela was the real author of the book and that he, van Wyk, had just made it simpler. He praised the team effort behind its production, including illustrator Paddy Bouma. He said the team had always lacked one element, though: readers! Now, with the launch, the Long Walk to Freedom team was complete.

Cynthia Hugo, one of the co-founders and national director of READ, said how privileged everyone was to have the representatives of the Nelson Mandela Foundation at the launch. She thanked Macmillan for the “great thing” it has done in publishing the book for children. She also announced an intensive writing project around the Long Walk to Freedom.

She recalled with fondness, how “the great man” as a previous patron of READ, had once kept a cabinet meeting waiting when he invited children to read with him. She spoke of how he insisted that the children should learn each other’s languages because when one speaks in another’s language one speaks to his soul. Madiba’s passion, she said, had inspired many at READ to keep going.

Hugo finished by delighting each learner with the news that they would get a copy of the book. One hundred learners lined up to have their books signed by Chris van Wyk.

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Please join us at the launch of the children’s picture book of the year, Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom, and listen to the story of one of our nation’s greatest heroes.

This important book brings an inspirational man to life for a younger generation and will be published in South Africa’s eleven official languages. The event aims to encourage young boys and girls to read and write.

Well-known author Chris van Wyk, who abridged Mandela’s biography for this work, will read from the book at the launch, and Macmillan will be give 100 copies of Long Walk To Freedom to the young boys and girls, selected from 10 schools in Gauteng, who will attend this event.

We’ll see you there!

Event Details

• Date: Wednesday, 09 September 2009
• Time: 2:00 PM for 2:30 PM
• Venue: READ Educational Trust, 4 Handel Road
  Ormonde
  Johannesburg | Map
• RSVP: nina@panmacmillan.co.za, 011 731 3440

About the book

Nelson Mandela is a true hero of our times, loved and admired across the globe for his dedication to the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, and for justice and peace throughout the world. This book tells the story of his life, from his carefree days as a village boy, to his unflinching leadership of the ANC and through the long years in prison to his eventual freedom and extraordinary elevation to President of South Africa.

An important book bringing an inspirational man to life for a younger generation. This title will publish in South Africa’s eleven official languages.

About Chris van Wyk

Chris van Wyk was born in Soweto in 1957. He lives in Johannesburg and is a writer of poetry, books for children and teenagers, short stories and novels. He has won prestigious literary prizes for his work and his poetry has been published around the world. His 2004 childhood memoir Shirley, Goodness and Mercy became a bestseller and was turned into a successful play.

About the illustrator

Paddy Bouma was born in Cape Town. She taught Lithography and Illustration at the University of Stellenbosch until 2006, and has exhibited her work on numerous occasions. She has written and illustrated a number of picture books that have been published internationally. Paddy lives with her husband on a small farm in the Jonkershoek Valley, Stellenbosch.

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Please join us at the 2009 Cape Town Book Fair for a series of exciting and stimulating events.

Our marquee events are listed below, followed by the full Pan Macmillan/Picador Africa programme. We look forward to seeing you there!

WAYS OF STAYING

• Date: Saturday 13 June
• Event: Ways of Staying: a country that will not be forsaken. A discussion with Kevin Bloom, André Brink and Max du Preez, chaired by Leon de Kock
• Time: 12h00 – 12h45
• Venue: DALRO Forum, Cape Town Book Fair

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• Date: Sunday 14 June
• Event: Ways of Staying: Join Kevin Bloom as he discusses his thought-provoking book with Leon de Kock
• Time: 14h00 – 14h45
• Venue: Room 1.61, Cape Town Book Fair

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“A magical kiddies’ affair” is probably the most fitting phrase to describe the launch of Lindiwe Mabuza’s South African Animals in Johannesburg over the weekend.

“Magical” because the book’s main character herself, Thandi, appeared and gave a reading alongside the author!

The event kicked off with a lively singing of that national anthem for children, Old MacDonald Had a Farm.

After such formalities were over and done with, the children got down into the business of the day: “Read to us! Read to us!”

South African Animals explores southern Africa’s wild fauna, from the now extict Kwagga to the hedgehog.
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Pan Macmillan is delighted to invite you to the launch of High Commissioner Lindiwe Mabuza’s new book for children, South African Animals.
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