Luanda – The Angolan writers John Bela and Esmael Farinha on Tuesday in the Province of Luanda defended the need to create policies that encourage a taste for reading, right from childhood.
Speaking on International Children's Book Day, marked today, 2 April, the writers defended the inclusion of schools and residents' committees in these policies aimed at encouraging children to read in Angola.
For John Bela, children's books are a leverage for children, as they help them learn to read and develop their cognitive skills.
In this vein, the writer urged parents and teachers to "prioritise books for children".
"Attention should be paid to children's book writers, because they are the protagonists in the development of the society we want", he said.
Having the same idea, the writer and poet Esmael Farinha emphasised that literature in childhood improves vocabulary, making learning more fluid.
To further boost literature in Angola, Esmael Farinha said that policies should be created for children to develop reading habits in schools, colleges and nurseries.
He recalled that children can have reading circles with Angolan children's writers from the new and old generations, especially Cremilda de Lima, Bel Neto, Ngonguita Diogo, Kardo Bestilo, Mira Clock, John Bela and Manuel Rui Monteiro.
The International Children's Book Day was created by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) in 1967 and is celebrated every year on 2 April.
The event was created to honour the Danish writer and poet Hans Christian Andersen, author of some of the most widely read children's stories in the world, with a focus on "The Ugly Duckling", "The Little Lead Soldier" and "The Little Mermaid".
IBBY chose 2 April to celebrate the date because it was the author's birthday.
AMC/OHA/MRA/jmc
