Durban - No one needs an excuse to read books, but if you do, the imminent summer holiday is just the ticket.
The Denis Hurley Centre Street Lit is an award-winning entrepreneurship project, an initiative of the Denis Hurley Centre, working out of the Order of St John, Durban.
It was birthed from the notion of Durban as a Unesco City of Literature and as a way of providing some income for the unemployed and homeless.
Selling affordable quality pre-read books to an eager public meant vendors who had experienced homelessness were able to earn a modest income.
Street Lit was the KwaZulu-Natal finalist in the SAB Social Innovation and Disability Empowerment Awards 2019.
“We are enormously grateful to all our fantastic venue partners,” said project facilitator Illa Thompson. “Broll has recently given us space in Davenport Square and Bluff Towers, which is exciting, and big thanks too to Berea Centre and Pick n Pay Hyper for always being so accommodating.
“Finding places to trade is a challenge. If you have access to a busy public space where it would be appropriate to sell books, please let me know,” said Thompson. “We would love to partner with you. Also, we are always on the lookout for quality books – we never have enough, so donations are welcome.”
If you want to donate books, contact Thompson at books@denishurleycentre.org or visit www.denishurleycentre.org
Where you can find the book vendors:
- Vusi at Bluff Towers
- Bulelo at Davenport Square
- David V at KZNSA Gallery
- Eric at Durban Botanic Gardens’ Visitors Centre
- Richard and Khanyi at Pick n Pay Hyper Durban North
- Mxolisy outside the Denis Hurley Centre
- Alvin at Berea Centre
- Thabo at the Playhouse
- David J by the taxi rank by the station
- David S by the mobile library by the Workshop
- Bongwa in the CBD
There are also other vendors around town – look out for their lime green branding.
The Independent on Saturday