Thekgang Talking Podcast

What happens when reading becomes something we do together? In this episode of Thekgang Talking, Lorraine speaks to Paige about the experience of shared reading and the ways books can create opportunities for connection, conversation and discovery. Beyond the Book: The Magic of Reading Together considers what happens around a book as much as what happens inside it. Reading together can create moments of interaction between children and adults, encourage curiosity and make books part of everyday relationships and experiences. This is a conversation about the social experience of reading and the simple but powerful idea that sometimes a book becomes more meaningful when we experience it together.

Executive Producers (for Thekgang NPO):

Lorraine Sithole, Terry-Ann Adams and Melvin Kabwe

Thekgang Talking is a books and publishing podcast, covering topics that cut across the books and publishing ecosystem, from indigenous language writing and publishing to alternative manifestations of books such as audiobooks and graphic novels. Guests on the podcast include authors, publishers, booksellers, festival directors and literacy organisations. For more information, visit thekgang.org.za.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when a book does more than tell a story? In this episode of Thekgang Talking, Karabo Kgoleng speaks to Barbara Adair about Books That Move Us Literally: An Alternative Lexicon — exploring literature beyond the conventional boundaries of the book and considering the different ways stories, texts and literary experiences can move us. The conversation forms part of Thekgang Talking's exploration of an alternative lexicon: the many forms, ideas and experiences through which literature can be created, encountered and understood. This episode invites us to think about books not simply as objects to be read, but as works that can take us somewhere — intellectually, emotionally, physically and imaginatively.

Thekgang Talking is a books and publishing podcast, covering topics that cut across the books and publishing ecosystem, from indigenous language writing and publishing to alternative manifestations of books such as audiobooks and graphic novels. Guests on the podcast include authors, publishers, booksellers, festival directors and literacy organisations. For more information, visit thekgang.org.za.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Young adult readers need literature that speaks to their experiences, their imagination and their language. In this episode of Thekgang Talking, Tirelo Makgeledisa and Tuelo Gabonewe explore the writing of young adult literature in Setswana and the role such literature can play in developing young readers and strengthening the language's place within contemporary publishing. The conversation looks at the challenges and possibilities of writing for young adults in Setswana, while considering the importance of stories that young readers can recognise as their own. At the heart of the discussion is a simple question: what happens when young people can find themselves, their experiences and their language in the books they read?

Executive Producers (for Thekgang NPO):

Lorraine Sithole, Terry-Ann Adams and Melvin Kabwe

Thekgang Talking is a books and publishing podcast, covering topics that cut across the books and publishing ecosystem, from indigenous language writing and publishing to alternative manifestations of books such as audiobooks and graphic novels. Guests on the podcast include authors, publishers, booksellers, festival directors and literacy organisations. For more information, visit thekgang.org.za.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when literature is written to be performed? In this episode of Thekgang Talking, S'fundo W Sosibo and Andi Mgibantaba explore the role of plays and playwriting within South African literature. The conversation considers drama as both a literary form and a live art, looking at the distinctive relationship between playwright, text, actor and audience. It asks us to consider where plays sit within the broader literary ecosystem and what playwriting contributes to the way South Africans record, interpret and communicate their experiences. From the written script to the stage, this episode explores theatre as another way of making literature move.

Executive Producers (for Thekgang NPO):

Lorraine Sithole, Terry-Ann Adams and Melvin Kabwe

Thekgang Talking is a books and publishing podcast, covering topics that cut across the books and publishing ecosystem, from indigenous language writing and publishing to alternative manifestations of books such as audiobooks and graphic novels. Guests on the podcast include authors, publishers, booksellers, festival directors and literacy organisations. For more information, visit thekgang.org.za.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reading is one of the most powerful tools for education, imagination and social development. It becomes even more meaningful when it begins in a language that feels familiar and lived.

In this episode of Thekgang Talking, Kabelo Kgatea and Lorato Trok discuss the role of mother-tongue literacy in building a stronger reading culture across South Africa.

Together, they explore the importance of indigenous language publishing, the need to make books accessible to children in the languages they speak at home, and the responsibility shared by writers, publishers, educators and communities to cultivate lifelong readers.

Building a reading nation is about more than increasing the number of books available. It is about ensuring that every child has the opportunity to discover the joy of reading through the language that first shaped their world.

Thekgang Talking is a books and publishing podcast, covering topics that cut across the books and publishing ecosystem, from indigenous language writing and publishing to alternative manifestations of books such as audiobooks and graphic novels. Guests on the podcast include authors, publishers, booksellers, festival directors and literacy organisations. For more information, visit thekgang.org.za.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Language is often the first bridge between a child and a story.

In this episode of Thekgang Talking, Bobo Lukhele and Upile Bongco explore the importance of multilingualism in children's literature and the role publishers play in ensuring that every child can experience books in the language that speaks most directly to them.

The discussion reflects on the value of mother-tongue literacy, the importance of representation in children's publishing and the opportunities created when books become accessible across South Africa's many official languages.

This episode is a celebration of language, inclusion and the belief that every child deserves to see, hear and recognise themselves in the stories they read.

Executive Producers (for Thekgang NPC): Lorraine Sithole, Terry-Ann Adams and Melvin Kabwe

Thekgang Talking is a books and publishing podcast, covering topics that cut across the books and publishing ecosystem, from indigenous language writing and publishing to alternative manifestations of books such as audiobooks and graphic novels. Guests on the podcast include authors, publishers, booksellers, festival directors and literacy organisations. For more information, visit thekgang.org.za.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it mean to write from the margins?

In this episode of Thekgang Talking, Flow Wellington joins Karabo Kgoleng to explore poetry as a literary form that documents experience, questions convention and gives expression to voices that have historically been overlooked.

The conversation reflects on the role of metaphor in poetry, the importance of language and identity, and how poets continue to shape cultural conversations through their work.

Margins and Metaphors offers a thoughtful exploration of poetry's enduring place within African literature and publishing.

Executive Producers (for Thekgang NPO):

Lorraine Sithole, Terry-Ann Adams and Melvin Kabwe

Thekgang Talking is a books and publishing podcast, covering topics that cut across the books and publishing ecosystem, from indigenous language writing and publishing to alternative manifestations of books such as audiobooks and graphic novels. Guests on the podcast include authors, publishers, booksellers, festival directors and literacy organisations. For more information, visit thekgang.org.za.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Colour Your World: An Exploration of Children's Literature in Afrikaans 

Children's books do far more than entertain. They introduce young readers to language, imagination, empathy and discovery. In this episode of Thekgang Talking, Terry-Ann Adams speaks to bestselling author Jaco Jacobs about children's literature in Afrikaans and its role in developing confident readers and nurturing a culture of reading. The conversation explores the creative process behind writing for children, the unique opportunities and challenges of publishing in Afrikaans, and why books remain one of the most powerful ways to inspire curiosity and creativity in young minds. As part of the Colour Your World series, this episode celebrates children's literature as an important contribution to South Africa's multilingual publishing landscape.

Credits

Executive Producers (for Thekgang NPO): Lorraine Sithole, Terry-Ann Adams and Melvin Kabwe

Thekgang Talking is a books and publishing podcast, covering topics that cut across the books and publishing ecosystem, from indigenous language writing and publishing to alternative manifestations of books such as audiobooks and graphic novels. Guests on the podcast include authors, publishers, booksellers, festival directors and literacy organisations. For more information, visit thekgang.org.za.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Books that move us: Exploring how spatial planning and space influence our stories

Stories emerge from places. In this episode of Thekgang Talking, Tonderai Chiyindiko and Solam Mkhabela explore the relationship between literature, space and spatial planning, reflecting on how the environments we inhabit influence the stories we tell and the identities we construct. The conversation considers how neighbourhoods, cities, landscapes and public spaces shape memory, belonging and imagination. It also examines how literature captures the lived realities of communities and preserves the social histories embedded within place. This episode invites listeners to think differently about the connection between storytelling and the spaces that surround us.

Executive Producers (for Thekgang NPO):

Lorraine Sithole, Terry-Ann Adams and Melvin Kabwe

Thekgang Talking is a books and publishing podcast, covering topics that cut across the books and publishing ecosystem, from indigenous language writing and publishing to alternative manifestations of books such as audiobooks and graphic novels. Guests on the podcast include authors, publishers, booksellers, festival directors and literacy organisations. For more information, visit thekgang.org.za.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Colour Your World: Publishing in Mother Tongue – isiXhosa and siSwati.

Mother-tongue publishing plays a vital role in literacy development, cultural preservation and identity formation. In this episode of Thekgang Talking, Bobo Lukehele speaks to Yamkela Tywakadi about publishing in isiXhosa and siSwati, and the importance of ensuring that readers have access to stories in the languages they understand best. The conversation explores language, literacy, representation and the challenges facing indigenous language publishing in South Africa. Part of the Colour Your World series, this episode highlights the role books play in sustaining language and building stronger reading communities.

Executive Producers (for Thekgang NPO):

Lorraine Sithole, Terry-Ann Adams and Melvin Kabwe

Thekgang Talking is a books and publishing podcast, covering topics that cut across the books and publishing ecosystem, from indigenous language writing and publishing to alternative manifestations of books such as audiobooks and graphic novels. Guests on the podcast include authors, publishers, booksellers, festival directors and literacy organisations. For more information, visit thekgang.org.za.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.