An Open Letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa
The buying, selling and reading of books is an essential service
An open letter from 328 South African published authors, academics, and readers, asking that all books be available for trade at Level 4 of Lockdown. The letter has been submitted to the National Coronavirus Command Council through the correct portal, and letters will be written, individually, to the key ministers on Tuesday, 28 April 2020.
The letter was sent out by authors Nadia Davids, Mark Gevisser, Professor Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, Ronnie Kasrils, Sisonke Msimang, Professor Njabulo S Ndebele, Yewande Omotoso and Zukiswa Wanner.
Among the signatories are the novelists JM Coetzee, Zakes Mda, Mandla Langa, Ivan Vladislavic, Lauren Beukes, Damon Galgut, Margie Orford, Marguerite Poland, Achmat Dangor, Siphiwo Mahala and Angela Makholwa; the non-fiction writers Albie Sachs, Jonny Steinberg, Pumla Dineo Gqola, Elinor Sisulu, Andrew Feinstein, and Hennie van Vuuren; the poets and storytellers Gcina Mhlope, Lebo Mashile, Lindiwe Mabuza, Antjie Krog and Ingrid de Kok; the artist William Kentridge; the cartoonist Zapiro; the journalists Jacques Pauw, Ferial Haffajee, Anton Harber, Justice Malala, Adriaan Basson, and Pieter-Louis Myburgh; the broadcaster-writers Redi Tlhabi, Eusebius McKaiser, John Maytham, and Bruce Whitfield; the political and economic analysts Moeletsi Mbeki, Tony Leon, Judith February, Greg Mills, and Songezo Zibi; the academics Tshepo Madlingozi, Mcebisi Ndletyana, Jaclyn Cock, Shireen Hassim, Bill Nasson, Nicoli Nattrass and Eddie Webster.
An Open Letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa, Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, and the South African National Coronavirus Command Council.
As published South African authors, and readers and writers, we are proud of and grateful for the sober, compassionate, and science-based leadership our government has shown during the Covid-19 pandemic. We are mindful of the difficult choices you have to make, every day, in an attempt to save our lives and our livelihoods, and we have noted your call for public response to the proposed regulations governing the easing of the lockdown. It is in this spirit that we submit our request: that all books, not just “educational” ones, be available for trade, at Level 4 of the lockdown.
The book industry was vulnerable even before the pandemic. We as a country are at great risk of losing not only our booksellers, but our publishers too. We are concerned about the jobs that will be lost, as well as the loss of vital cultural and intellectual space. This space will not be easily regained once the Covid-19 crisis is over.
From May 1, restaurants will be able to deliver cooked food. We understand the value of this, to the economy, the service industry, and consumers alike. We would like to urge that brain-food be delivered, too, as an essential service: not just so that writers can keep writing and publishers can keep publishing and booksellers can keep selling, but so that readers can keep reading, new ideas can keep sprouting, and that the life of the mind of our country can keep growing.
Reading is one of the few art-forms that can be practiced at a social distance; it is a pastime that both encourages safe behaviour in the present and is an investment in our individual and collective future. University students, in particular, need uninterrupted access to books to prepare them for a meaningful contribution to the knowledge economy.
We are not being simply nostalgic when we say that there is nothing like a physical book: it distills, holds, and transmits knowledge like no other “device”. From the young child discovering the world through her first storybook to a grandmother, now alone during the lockdown, with only her books to comfort her, it is the foundation of our literate society. If we are going to ensure that our country continues to develop and strengthen a reading culture, we need to nurture and protect writers, publishers, booksellers and readers.
We have noted the new ways technology is being adopted because of the pandemic, and we understand that, in the future, there might be more trade in e-books and less in physical books. Still, publishers will be necessary to make those e-books, and so we don’t want to lose them. And, of course, the pandemic has put into sharp relief the digital divide. For a long time to come, e-books will not be an option for most South Africans, and for this reason the paper publishing industry must stay alive.
Of course, there are books in circulation already, and it could be argued that it is not essential for more to be bought and sold right now. We would disagree. To allow the book industry to trade right now is to give it a lifeline. Without that lifeline, we could well lose it. Forever.
In South Africa, purchasing a book is often a luxury, but many in the book community work to promote national literacy, to ensure that books are widely available for loan and purchase, and to promote the understanding that books are a necessity rather than a privilege. We would like to see emerge, out of this crisis, an opportunity for developing better book delivery at a community level, so that the key work already done to build literacy in South Africa will not be lost.
We do not ask that bookshops be open physically for business just yet. Rather, we ask for a simple addition to the current Level 4 regulations: that all books be available for purchase online or over the phone and for delivery, and that all booksellers, big and small, be allowed to trade.
All books are educational.
Signed:
- Barbara Adair
- Lize Albertyn-du Toit
- Kate Alexander
- Lucy Alexander
- Jonathan Ancer
- Gavin Andersson
- Peter Anderson
- Sally Andrew
- Brett Archibald
- Neil Armitage
- Zaheera Jina Asvat
- Adriaan Basson
- Charlotte Bauer
- Lesley Berry
- Mark Berry
- Lauren Beukes
- Cynthia Bevan
- Zelda Bezuidenhout
- Hlumelo Biko
- Albert Blake
- Carole Bloch
- Marn Bodenstein
- Jill Bradbury
- Kerneels Breytenbach
- Nechama Brodie
- Daniel Browde
- Edyth Bulbring
- Mary Burton
- Ndukenhle Buthelezi
- Penny Busetto
- Mike Cadman
- Edwin Cameron
- Jonathan Cane
- Andy Capostagno
- Trevor Carnaby
- John Cartwright
- Alma-Nalisha Cele
- Mukesh Chander
- Ivor Chipkin
- Yvette Christianse
- Sean Christie
- Jakkie Cilliers
- Francois Cleophas
- Stephen Clingman
- Jacklyn Cock
- JM Coetzee
- David Cooper
- Michael Cope
- Sharon Cort
- Ben Cousins
- Jeremy Cronin
- Karin Cronje
- Jenny Crwys-Williams
- Lindelwa Dalamba
- Jude Daly
- Achmat Dangor
- Fezile Dantile
- Carol Ann Davids
- Nadia Davids
- Rebecca Davis
- Henrietta Dax
- Jean-Pierre de Kock
- Ingrid de Kok
- Phillippa Yaa de Villiers
- Dirk de Vos
- Fred de Vries
- Shaun de Waal
- Jessica Denyschen
- Isobel Dixon
- S Dlamini
- Khaya Dlanga
- Ebbe Dommisse
- Dorothy Driver
- Andrew Duminy
- Hani du Toit
- Nomathemba Dzinotyiwei
- Chike Frankie Edozien
- Hagen Engler
- George Ellis
- Zimitri Erasmus
- Natasha Erlank
- Martha Evans
- Judith February
- Andrew Feinstein
- Melinda Ferguson
- Brian Fredericks
- Sibongile Fisher
- Fiona Forde
- Moira Forjaz
- Roddy Fox
- Damon Galgut
- Dawn Garisch
- Philippa Garson
- Mark Gevisser
- Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela
- Jeremy Gordin
- Tracy Going
- Pregs Govender
- Pumla Dineo Gqola
- Rachelle Greeff
- Pippa Green
- Jane Griffiths
- Albert Grundlingh
- Sharon Grussendorf
- Adam Habib
- Ferial Haffajee
- Rosemund Handler
- Ray Hartley
- Shafinaaz Hassim
- Joanne Hichens
- Nicky Falkof
- Anton Harber
- Shireen Hassim
- Stefanie Hefer
- James Hendry
- Michiel Heyns
- Mark Heywood
- Craig Higginson
- Alan Hirsch
- David Holt-Biddle
- Mehita Iqani
- Ron Irwin
- Zubeida Jaffer
- Ashraf Jamal
- Ena Jansen
- Nozizwe Cynthia Jele
- Ashraf Kagee
- Philippa Kabali-Kagwa
- Aryan Kaganof
- Ronnie Kasrils
- Cathy Kelly
- Billy Keniston
- Andrew Kenny
- William Kentridge
- Rashida Khan
- Busisiwe Precious Khumalo
- Siya Khumalo
- Sarah-Jayne King
- Bongani Kona
- Kelly-Eve Koopman
- Lindie Koorts
- Rustum Kozain
- Sue Kramer
- Helena Kriel
- Antjie Krog
- Cynthia Kros
- Christa Kuljian
- Terry Kurgan
- Ismail Lagardien
- Mandla Langa
- Bronwyn Law Viljoen
- Pertunia Lehoka
- Tony Leon
- Nombulelo Leqheku
- Sekajane Leqheku
- Lorraine le Roux
- Michelle le Roux
- Lorna Levy
- Bridget Lotz
- Barbara Ludman
- Lindiwe Mabuza
- Wendy Maartens
- Deon Maas
- Joanne Macgregor
- Hugh Macmillan
- Tshepo Madlingozi
- Bongani Madondo
- Kathu Maestro
- Nelly Page Magwaza
- Siphiwo Mahala
- Sello Mahapeletsa
- Macdonald Mailula
- Joshua Maluleke
- Desiree-Anne Martin
- Julia Martin
- Malose Erick Makgotho
- Angela Makholwa
- Justice Malala
- Gerhard Mare
- Lebo Mashile
- Sizwile Masukuma-Sibindi
- Zethu Matebeni
- Nixon Mateulah
- Makanaka Mavengere
- John Maytham
- Moeletsi Mbeki
- Liz McGregor
- Eusebius McKaiser
- Fiona Melrose
- Rajend Mesthrie
- Thando Mgqolozana
- Gcina Mhlophe
- Ronald Miller
- Greg Mills
- Makodi Moepya
- Helen Moffett
- Thabiso Mofokeng
- Tlaleng Mofokeng
- Fikile Moiloa
- Letlhogonolo Mokgoroane
- Simphiwe Molaba
- Natalia Molebatsi
- Saul Kgomotso Molobi
- Rudolf Isaac Monyela
- Jean Moore
- Michael Morris
- Floss Morrison
- Palesa Morudu
- Thabo Mosole
- Glenn Moss
- Sisonke Msimang
- Lungile Mtetwa
- Gregory Mthembu-Salter
- Isiphile Mthumezi
- Nick Mulgrew
- Pieter-Louis Myburgh
- Eric Naki
- Bill Nasson
- Nicoli Nattrass
- Charl-Pierre Naude
- Njabulo S Ndebele
- Nothando Ndebele
- Senzeni Ndebele
- Malika Ndlovu
- Maureen Ndlovu
- Mcebisi Ndletyana
- Sean Newman
- Susan Newton-King
- Chwayatiya Ngamlana
- Tembeka Ngcukaitobi
- Monde Nkasawe
- Candice Noakes-Dobson
- Patrick Noonan
- Mphuthumi Ntabeni
- Brian Vela Ntombela
- Sue Nyathi
- Ike Obedike
- Paul O’Sullivan
- Andre Odendaal
- Bernard Odendaal
- Pieter Odendaal
- Crispian Olver
- Margie Orford
- Yewande Omotoso
- Harry Owen
- Elize Parker
- Jacques Pauw
- Harriet Perlman
- Jackie Phamotse
- Howard Phillips
- Jolyn Phillips
- Phumlani Pikoli
- Don Pinnock
- Marguerite Poland
- Motlalekgotso Ponya
- Pamela Power
- Karen Press
- Lizette Rabe
- Marlise Rabe
- Kgotso Ramaipato
- Iman Rappetti
- Jo-Anne Richards
- Tim Richman
- Kevin Ritchie
- Heather Robertson
- Steven Robbins
- Kuli Roberts
- Kate Rogan
- Consuelo Roland
- Megan Ross
- Brian Rostron
- Albie Sachs
- Andre Sales
- Chris Saunders
- Karin Schimke
- Patricia Schonstein
- Lauren Segal
- Malebo Sephodi
- Mogau Seshoene
- Jeremy Seekings
- Pumza Shabangu
- Terry Shakinovsky
- Milton Shain
- John Sharp
- Sandra Shell
- Ntombi Sibande-Letlojane
- Kate Sidley
- Stephen Sidley
- Wandile Sihlobo
- Sizwile Masukuma-Sibindi
- Gus Silber
- Elinor Sisulu
- Ari Sitas
- Angelina Sithebe
- Sebolelo Lorraine Sithole
- Gillian Slovo
- Outlwile Tsipane
- Annette Snyckers
- Fiona Snyckers
- Kelwyn Sole
- Andrew Spiegel
- Jonny Steinberg
- Helene Strauss
- Raymond Suttner
- Richard Sutton
- Sandra Swart
- Lindiwe Sweleka
- Karina Szczurek
- Jane Taylor
- Jen Thorpe
- Redi Tlhabi
- Hazel Tobo
- Carla Tsampiras
- Melusi Tshabalala
- Nthabiseng Portia Tshabalala
- Zola Zonwabele Tshayana
- Karina Turok
- Hedley Twidle
- Chris van der Merwe
- Kees van der Waal
- Elizabeth van Heyningen
- Peter van Kets
- Mark Varder
- Sahm Venter
- Hein Viljoen
- Ivan Vladislavic
- Michael Vlismas
- Christiaan Vlotman
- Megan Voysey
- Peter Vundla
- Marita van der Vyver
- Hennie van Vuuren
- Zukiswa Wanner
- Edward Webster
- Mandy Weiner
- Flow Wellington
- Virginia Welsh
- Tony Weaver
- Cas Wepener
- Terry Westby-Nunn
- Bruce Whitfield
- Sarah Wild
- Brian Willan
- Zoe Wicomb
- Herman Wittenberg
- Nigel Worden
- Diana Wylie
- Rahla Xenopoulos
- Jolene Young
- Tanya Zack
- Zapiro
- Songezo Zibi
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