CONSULTUS Publishing Services (CPS), in collaboration with LitFest Harare, has announced the launch of a free-to-attend Language Legacy Expo, to be hosted at the CPS head office in Eastlea, Harare.
CPS Communications Officer Kudzanai Thondhlana informed IndependentXtra that the 10-week expo will commence tomorrow with an exhibitor’s forum at 12 pm.
This forum will engage interested exhibitors in discussions about the expo and available opportunities. The official programme will begin on August 3, celebrating culture and heritage through literary and visual arts.
The expo aims to promote reading culture, support writers, and foster community connections around literature and the arts.
Scheduled to run every Saturday afternoon from July 27 to September 28, the expo targets a diverse audience, including writers, parents, children, educational institutions, cultural organisations, and artists.
The event will feature a variety of activities, including literary workshops, book discussions, book swapping, controlled reading workshops for teachers and parents, live performances, and a writing competition for scholars.
There will also be stalls for creatives and producers to exhibit materials such as books, visual artworks, and crafts.
Masimba Madondo, General Manager of CPS, expressed his excitement about the expo, stating: “In line with the new heritage-based curriculum, we endeavour to play our role in advocating for effective language learning, as well as the preservation and promotion of indigenous languages."
LitFest Harare director Chirikure Chirikure also shared his enthusiasm, saying: "We are very excited to partner with CPS in promoting language literacy and cultural heritage preservation through the Language Legacy Expo. This is a necessary platform for supporting the legacy of our indigenous languages and culture for this and generations to come”.
Research on Sub-Saharan African languages, published in the third edition of the ‘Atlas of Endangered Languages’ (2010) by Unesco, highlights that up to 10% of African languages, especially those spoken by small speech communities, may disappear.
According to Unesco, around 1 500 languages are at risk of losing their users in the near future.
This observation prompted the organisation to categorise the levels of endangerment in a document titled The Language Vitality and Endangerment (UNESCO 2003). The six categories range from extinct to stable yet threatened.
The Language Legacy Expo aims to address these concerns by providing a vital platform for the preservation of indigenous languages.
While attendance is free, a cover charge will be incurred for the grand finale on September 28. Exhibition stalls can be secured for a small fee.
CPS publishes and distributes educational textbooks and digital e-learning solutions from Early Childhood Development through High School.
LitFest Harare is an arts and culture organisation that focuses on promoting and developing literary and related arts in Africa.
