Kgalagadi (Pronounced Ga’laga’di) is the Tswana name for the wilderness, which falls within the borders of South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia. It is the hunting ground of the nomadic Bushmen and the home of the several Tswana tribes who call themselves Bakgalagadi (people of the wilderness). The author collected the stories during her years as a safari guide in Botswana. In retelling these stories of the Bushmen the author has retained, as far as possible, the essence of the original. They are simple, totally free from abstractions – truly primitive art. The stories are told in the style and spirit of the Bushmen. This explains the short, clipped sentences, the virtual absence of adjectives, adverbs pronouns, conjunctions and subordinate classes. Animism (where non-human entities display human traits) pervades: Moon is a venerated deity, Rain, a long-legged animal that treks from one place to the next; and Hail, a human being.

In their practical form and their animistic conceptions, these tales stand out uniquely in literature, as do their graphic art counterparts, the rock paintings of the Bushmen. These indigenous tales have been recorded and published to ensure that, like the folk tales and fables of Europe, they are not lost to generations to come. 

– Extract from Kgalagadi Tales

Thanks to the funding granted by the National Lotteries Commission, Biblionef commissioned the publication of a very special children’s book titled Kgalagadi Tales. On the 26^th May 2016, we had the privilege of launching this wonderful book!

As described in the extract above, the storybook is based on the life of the Bushmen from Botswana. The location for this launch was, therefore, extremely significant. Set in the beautiful !Khwa ttu Centre in Yzerfontein, we all immersed ourselves in the culture of the Bushmen and appreciated the book that much more.

We were so fortunate to have both the author of the book, Hanneke du Preez, and the Publisher, Jacana Media (represented by Carol Broomhall), in the same space to celebrate this launch with us.  Also present was one of the translators for this project, Nthuseng Tsoeu, and a very special guest; Paramount Chief Hennie van Wyk. Pedro the Music Man entertained the guests with storytelling and song with musical instruments made from natural materials such as dried seaweed and even a dried pumpkin! Volunteers were asked to read “Why Polecat Stinks” (a story from Kgalagadi Tales) in their mother tongue. The audience thoroughly enjoyed this. The Volunteers read in Afrikaans, isiZulu, isiXhosa and even in one of the San languages! The spirit of the day was without a doubt a celebratory one!

It has always been Biblionef’s belief that:

• Children should have access to storybooks in their mother tongue
• The books we donate should contain stories and pictures that South African children can relate to

We, therefore, ensure that the content and imagery of the books we donate is of the best quality for our beneficiaries. To have commissioned the publication of Kgalagadi Tales in all 11 languages is a great feat for Biblionef and will greatly benefit the South African children.