Ethale Publishing launched the third edition of its nationwide reading competition, Read in the Holidays, an initiative to promote reading and critical thinking among students in secondary education, vocational technical education and higher education in Mozambique.
In this edition, 304 teenagers and young people from all Mozambican provinces took part, with girls making up 45% of the total number of participants. The provinces of Maputo City (126), Maputo Province (96) and Nampula (20) registered the highest number of participants, while the province of Manica, with only one participant, registered the lowest number.
The majority of the participants are in higher education (216) at different universities across the country, while students in technical vocational education (27) were in the minority. The overall average age of participants was 20-years-old.
Read in the Holidays participants submit a critical review of a book of their choice from Ethale's catalogue, or from a pre-approved shortlist of national and international publishers. This encourages participants to cultivate the habit of reading and to exercise critical thinking, a key skill for young people in the 21st century.
The main winners of this edition are Karen Muvique, in the Teenager category, and Aniva Joaquim, in the Youth category, who received cash prizes and books of different genres, including a copy of the book Succernergy, autographed by author and global entrepreneur Tânia Tomé. Ethale branded T-shirts were also distributed as prizes.
As a way of encouraging youth protagonism and projecting the expression of new critical and conscious voices, the texts of the competition's inalists have been published in e-book form in a collection already available on the Ethale Books App (Android, Mozambique-only).
"This is just the beginning" Karen Muvique
"I never imagined that my summary would be considered the best among so many others. Read in the Holidays allowed me to express my thoughts on the book I read, an opportunity we don't get every day. This motivates me and I'm determined to read and write more. This is just the beginning."
Reading connects us to the world – Aniva Joaquim
"This award is for all the young people who think reading is a waste of time. I'm here to prove that it can change lives. Reading isn't just about knowledge, it's also a way of connecting with the world and understanding ourselves better: it's a powerful tool for transforming the lives of many young people who, through their talent, can give their own lives a better destiny."
Speakers inspire teenagers and young people to invest in developing their skills
In each edition of the competition, speakers have been invited to share their inspiring reading journeys with the participants. In this edition, the speakers were Tânia Tomé (writer, economist, global leader and entrepreneur), Virgília Ferrão (writer and founder (of the book club and indie publisher, Diário de Um Qawwi) and Jessemusse Cacinda (writer, academic and co-founder of Ethale Publishing).
Our Partners
This third edition of Read in the Holidays was supported by Escola Portuguesa de Moçambique, Elton Profissional School, Galeria do Porto de Maputo and Womanice.
Counsellor for Press and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Mozambique visits Ethale Publishing
"We share a deep respect for freedom of expression and the creation of safe spaces to give voice to the experiences of local communities."
See the original post on the US Embassy in Mozambique's Instagram account
Ethale Publishing is a creative agency and publishing house dedicated to promoting, and investing in, African narratives. Would you like to become an Ethale Ambassador or support us? Please get in touch: ethalebooks@gmail.com
This is an interesting idea, Ethale Books. I am inspired and would be interested in starting something like this in Zimbabwe.
The reading culture is dying and what an innovative way of reviving reading. Congratulations 🎊 Well done.
I am so impressed and I hope to join your fourth edition