Fish Hoek Library is strengthening youth literacy and community storytelling by giving young writers opportunities to share their voices, languages and lived experiences with others publicly.
The community library brought authors, publishers, literacy organisations, young writers and residents together for its Literary Festival, creating a platform for reading, creative writing and storytelling across generations.
Held under the theme Every Language Holds a Story, the festival placed particular emphasis on encouraging children to recognise the value of their own experiences and to express themselves through writing, including in their mother tongues.
The approach positions public libraries as more than places to access books, extending their social role into literacy development, cultural preservation and community participation.
Young writers aged nine to 13 were given an opportunity to participate through the festival’s Junior Writing Competition. Rather than selecting a single winner, organisers recognised every participant for contributing their work.
City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Francine Higham, said communities carry stories through generations, languages and everyday experiences.
“Our communities are filled with stories: stories told by grandparents, stories carried through language, stories of migration, identity, resilience, joy and everyday life,” Higham said.
She said public libraries have an important role in ensuring those stories are heard, valued and preserved, while creating opportunities for children to recognise the importance of their own voices.
“Through our Junior Writing Competition, we have encouraged children to write creatively, including in their mother tongues, and to see themselves as storytellers,” Higham said.
The wider festival programme included creative writing, children’s storytelling, literacy activities, poetry, author discussions, journaling and opportunities for young people to share their writing and personal reflections.
Authors and literary voices participating in the programme included Professor Jonathan Jansen, Zubayr Charles, Shana Fife and Mia Arderne, alongside local writers, publishers and community organisations.
Read to Rise, Origami for Africa, Cape Town Silent Book Club, Restoring Hope and the Friends of Fish Hoek Library were among the organisations involved.
Historian, surf scholar and poet Dr Glen Thompson and literary facilitator Sarah Prince also participated.
The collaboration demonstrates the social capital that public libraries can create by connecting residents, writers, educators, community organisations and young people around shared cultural and educational activities.
For children in particular, access to storytelling and creative-writing platforms can provide opportunities to develop literacy, communication and confidence while recognising their own language and experiences as valuable.
Fish Hoek Library hopes to establish the Literary Festival as a recurring event on the community calendar, with plans to expand participation, strengthen partnerships and continue creating opportunities for local literary voices.
