Since 2020, Biblionef South Africa has been on a deliberate and passionate mission to ensure that the stories of South Africans, particularly those that have been overlooked, untold, or silenced, are documented, published, and made accessible to our children.

Our journey in publishing South African non-fiction stories began when Jacana Media approached us with a series by Lorato Trok that focused on bringing South Africa’s heroes and heroines to the forefront. This project immediately excited us. A year later, we commissioned the publishing of The Forgotten Scientist: The Story of Saul Sithole by Lorato Trok. This was a turning point for us. Publishing Saul Sithole’s biography sparked our deep and continued focus on uncovering and sharing South African stories that had previously gone untold.

Since then, we have continued working with Jacana Media to bring these stories to life. Recently, we have also partnered with New Africa Books to continue our mission of ensuring that the stories we commission reflect the diversity, complexity, and richness of South African life. Through these partnerships, we have been able to place locally relevant stories into the hands of children in their own languages, expanding the variety of books available to young readers across the country.

Following Saul’s story, we focused on Imbokodo: Women Who Shape Us by Dr Athambile Masola and Dr Xolisa Guzula, a powerful three-part series that celebrates South African women who have changed the course of our history. These are women whose names are seldom found in school textbooks but whose impact is undeniable. These stories honour women’s contributions and create space for young girls to imagine themselves as inventors, activists, artists, and leaders. Each project is built on this foundation.

We then commissioned Hector: A Boy, a Protest, and the Photograph that Changed Apartheid, the story of Hector Pieterson by Adrienne Wright, told in a fresh and accessible way for children. We championed the life of acclaimed dancer Gregory Maqoma in “One Step at a Time,” ensuring that children from township communities could read about someone who came from their world and achieved international acclaim. We also preserved the story and the cultural heritage of Queen Katrina Esau in Golden Girl by Lorato Trok, ensuring that these important indigenous stories continue to live on.

This effort continued with Together Apart: The Story About Living in Apartheid by Dr Athambile Masola and Dr Xolisa Guzula, which presents South Africa’s painful history in a way that is honest, age-appropriate, and available in multiple South African languages. A milestone in South African literature, as this is the first book to explain apartheid to young children. Most recently, we added Rosina’s Dream by Lorato Trok, a biography that tells the story of Rosina Sedibane Modiba, a pioneering black female athlete whose legacy had been all but forgotten.

Across these titles, our intention remains to fill a gap in South African children’s literature. For too long, South African children have read about heroes from other countries. For too long, local languages have been underrepresented in children’s books. For too long, the stories of indigenous South Africans (women, men, township and rural leaders, athletes, scientists, and community activists) have not been told. Since 2020, Biblionef has worked purposefully to change that.

We believe that stories help children see themselves and understand that their lives and histories are important. When children read about people who look like them and come from similar backgrounds, they see that their own dreams and possibilities are real. They learn that their communities and their histories matter.

We have also worked to ensure that these stories are available in as many South African languages as possible. By doing this, we are helping to grow African languages in children’s literature, ensuring that children can read stories in the languages they speak at home.

As we look to the future, Biblionef remains committed to uncovering more of these stories. We will continue to find, commission the publication of, and distribute stories that inspire, stories that reflect South African lives, and stories that have been missing for too long. We will keep giving them books. We will continue to open up their world.