KNYSNA NEWS - The organisers of the 10th Knysna Literary Festival announced last week that during the festival, support was pledged for three school scholarships for previously disadvantaged learners, and for their creative writing workshops for the youth, taking place later this year.

Festival founder and sponsor Ling Dobson of Pam Golding Properties Knysna and Plett, said they could not have wished for a better outcome. 

“Our dream and quest have been to stimulate and create a proud legacy of learners, who are the future leaders of our proud nation. The importance of education comes up time after time in the panel discussions we facilitate and it is clear that this is a key focus area if we want to change the future of South Africa for the better," she said.

'How can we make a difference?'
Sanlam Private Wealth, who has been keen a supporter of the Literary Festival for the past three years, announced on the last day of the festival that it would sponsor two bursaries. Senior portfolio manager Humphrey Price said that they believe investing in education is an investment in the future of South Africa. “Over the last three days we have been challenged to look at how we can make a difference, each in our own way, and this I believe is a step in the right direction.”

Two more bursaries were pledged by private individuals, and another sponsorship was received after the festival towards the creative writing workshops that will take place later this year. Dobson said that to date more than 3 000 learners took part in workshops and competitions. “Our aim with these is to encourage a love of reading and writing, and ultimately improve literacy.”

She thanked the public of Knysna and elsewhere for their support. “Without them attending the events, during the festival but also during the year with our Literary Liaison events, we would not be able to achieve what we do."

'Our shared humanity will prevail'
Dobson concluded by quoting Michael Charton, narrator and storyteller of the First World Champions during the festival. “The quote Michael used during his story, referring to the 1937 Springboks and their interaction with the Maoris from New Zealand, stays with me. He said that once we are freed of the prevailing political narrative, our shared humanity will ultimately prevail. That given the opportunity, we will discover, regardless of our cultural differences, that there is far more we have in common than that which differentiates us, and that once we are freed from a throttling political narrative, we will realise what is truly important in life and legacy. Just as the First World Champions did," Dobson said.

She added, “The comments we received on this year’s festival was that the events were uplifting. Attendees said that they were reminded that we can make a difference, each in our own way. I am looking forward to the year ahead, and to us making a difference. Where it matters.”

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