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Supporters say

‘It's pretty awe-inspiring to be part of a room full of people literally buzzing with creative energy. I left feeling inspired all over again for the publishing industry…’ —Sarah McGregor, Joburg, June 2015

‘…looked up and it’s hours later! There’s a wonderful, calm, productive, collaborative vibe in here’ —Louis Greenberg, Joburg, June 2015

‘We all did something extraordinary there that day … to bring the joy of reading to our small people.’ —Melissa Fagan, Cape Town, August 2014

‘Thank you, Book Dash. Awesome vision. Cool team.’—Liesl Jobson, Cape Town, June 2014

‘What a fantastically creative day! Loved it and am looking forward to the next one.’—Vian Oelofsen, Cape Town, May 2014

‘Thank you for your app! My kids and I can read anytime! God bless the labour of your hands and this initiative!’—Mamatse

Write, illustrate, design? Join a team. Make a book. Change the world.

Book Dash gathers creative volunteers to create new African storybooks that anyone can freely print, translate and distribute.

Why Book Dash?

Children in South Africa need more books, but they cost too much purchased from publishers. The cheapest books have no publisher – then the only cost is printing. So our participants do the work of publishers in a single day. After that, anyone can get print runs sponsored and put finished books into the hands of children.

We believe every child should own a hundred books by the age of five. In South Africa, that means giving 600 million free books to children who could never afford to buy them. Every day we lose, more children grow up unable to read and write well, and to enjoy the worlds that books open up.

Children from the Centre for Early Childhood Development, proudly showing off their new Book Dash books.

In February of 2017, we were featured on SABC Newsroom. Have a listen to what we have to say:

Check out video footage from one of the first Dashes, to see how far we’ve come: