Getting into International Literacy Day

Today is International Literacy Day; a day to remember the one in five adults globally who lack minimum literacy skills. 

For a literate person, it is hard to imagine the struggle that some Kiwis face every day. The Aoraki Polytechnic journalism students spoke to South Cantabrians from all walks of life to find out why they think literacy is so important, and what makes a great book.  These are their stories.

 - By Louise Risk

Sometimes his mates laugh at him for being back at school, but 20-year-old Keith Harper is determined not to become another beneficiary statistic.

In the five years since he left high school, Keith has been employed fairly consistently, but he was unable to find other work when the freezing works season ended this year and so he approached Winz for help.

''I told them I needed a job and they told me I'm at risk of becoming a long-term beneficiary statistic - but I'm not.''

It was through Winz that Keith started attending Literacy South Canterbury classes.

He has already gained NCEA qualifications in English and maths through them, and is studying for his forklift licence.

In September he will attend a boot camp at Burnham for ''failing youths'' and thinks after it he may sign up for the army.

The six-week camp will involve early-morning run and press-up sessions as well as obstacle course training, a high ropes course and a rafting trip.

Keith intends to use this time to quit smoking as well, although he is uncertain whether he will be made to go cold-turkey.

He said the camp has a strict no drugs or alcohol policy.

''It will be really good for me, if it doesn't kill me.''

Keith tried to sign up for the army once before, but his lack of qualifications and his ''stupid drunken'' criminal record held him back.

''It will be nice to be in the paper for something good for once.

''I'm sick of my Grandma ringing up and growling at me for being in the court news,'' he said.

''I want to do something that makes her proud.''

With his court appearances behind him, Keith hopes his new qualifications will help him get a permanent job.

One thing that Keith hasn't done since leaving school is read, but like so many people, he harbours a secret desire to write a bestseller some day.

''I used to love reading but for the past five years I haven't read anything that I didn't have to.''

Keith regrets his decision to ''bum around'' at school and then leave without any qualifications.

''At the time I thought I had better things to do with my life,'' he said.

''You want to get those qualifications.

''Even if you don't think they mean anything, they do.''

What are you reading right now?  Nothing, but I finished a book about the mysteries of the unknown not long ago.

What is your favourite book of all time? Harry Potter

If you could be any book character, who would you be? (Professor Severus) Snape from Harry Potter - he's awesome.

Can you imagine yourself reading with an electronic book in the future? Not in 100 years.

If Harry Potter fought Edward Cullen, who do you think would win and why? Harry Potter would smoke him - he would probably use Snape's ''spells for hurting people'' book. (Keith had never read the Twilight series but had heard many girls talking about it.)

- By Daniel Birchfield

John Threlkeld knows his books. He has hundreds of them. No surprises there, he owns a book store. The shelves at Reader's Book Exchange are bulging, with a few more to be squeezed in before the day's end.

''This morning there was a suitcase sitting outside when I arrived. It was full of old books," John laughs.

Apparently this is a common occurrence at the store John has owned for the last 10 years.

A bookworm if ever there was one, John really got into reading at intermediate school.

''In terms of reading seriously, it was when I was around 11 or 12. We had a teacher who encouraged us to read a lot of books,'' he says.

Decades later, John, an ex-teacher, still reads religiously.

He loves a good thriller, but will quite happily read whatever is put in front of him.

A lot of people have read a particular book that has had a profound influence on their lives.

In the case of John, a couple of books have made him appreciate what we all take for granted. Freedom.

''No books have really changed my life. But there was one book I had read to me called the Silver Sword. It was the story of a family in Poland that gets torn apart by the war. They get back together in Switzerland and travel from there. I will always remember it,'' he says.

''Another book that really got me thinking was Morgan's Run by Colleen McCullough. It was centred on the English judicial system and how unfair it was. It's about convicts who are sent to Botany Bay in Australia and to Norfolk Island. The conditions must have been horrific; it wasn't the land of milk and honey that's for sure,'' John says.

John at times is surprised at the kinds of books his customers purchase.

Many kinds of books appeal to many kinds of people it seems.

Take Mills and Boon novels. Be honest; deep down you really want to read one.

Just to see what it's like.

''A number of years ago I had a woman in her 80s come in and buy a Mills and Boon book. About a week later, she came back with her daughter. She put the book on the counter and said 'Oh, they were quite naughty. Do you have any more like that?' It was hilarious, her daughter was wetting herself,'' John laughs.

It just goes to show, there is a book out there for all of us.

What are you reading right now? The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson.

What is your favourite book of all time?  The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

If you could be any book character, who would it be? I can't really say. There's no one that really stands out.

Can you imagine yourself reading with an electronic book in the future?  I wouldn't read them at the moment. I like the feel of a book. But who knows, maybe later on.

If Harry Potter fought Edward Cullen, who do you think would win and why? Vampire stuff doesn't really interest me a lot. Harry Potter has some great supernatural powers and stands for what's good in the world.

 - By Samantha Pooke

All the different creative and imaginary worlds had him hooked to begin with, that longing to be someone admired by so many people, the hero in the story.

Jason Shaw loves books. The Geraldine High School English teacher grew up in a big family so they didn't get to travel far, so instead he went there himself through his books.

Narnia was one of his favourites and still is, and he has passed them on to his nine-year-old daughter, Grace, she shares the love of them and would happily sit in the car and read them from Geraldine to Christchurch.

''Wonderful books, ones you can read again and again. I was 10 years old when I read them first and 36 when I last read them.''

Grace loves the Famous Five, the Secret Seven and the Rainbow series. She will wake up in the night, start reading and can't go back to sleep because she's hooked. Even in the car when it's dark she will try and read with each traffic light.

His youngest, Faith aged two, loves being read stories about animals. She is at the point where she will pick up a book and pretend to read it.

''It's nice to know that my children have a love for reading and not just reading because they have to.''

Jason takes advantage of any opportunity he has to pull out a book and start reading, including in the middle of the forest at Pudding Hill.

''We were told in the year nine school camp we had to go for a whole hour stranded. I went into the bush where I couldn't see anyone and I read Pinocchio for an hour. Unfortunately they told us to come back. I could have stayed there.''

As a school teacher he has had rewarding moments with students who have had no interest in reading. Last year he introduced a year nine student to the Narnia chronicles and they loved them. Now the student wants to keep on reading.

His passion has begun to spiral out of control with a bookshelf that cannot handle any more books. He is now at the point where he has boxes of books stored away, of course somewhere handy so he can easily get to them. This is the problem when there is only one book he has not bothered to finish.

''I'm a real hoarder but with books it's very hard to get rid of any book. It's hard not to buy the book when I go to the library.''

What are you reading right now? Banquo's son by T K Roxborogh, she's a New Zealand author. It is a sequel to Macbeth and set 11 years later.

What is your favourite book of all time? It's the Holy Bible. The Holy Bible is one which is a personal book; you can read history, psalm, and characters and learn a bit about it. There are 66 books and 40 different authors. I read it every day, you know the stories but you learn something new each time you read it.

If you could be any book character, who would you be? Phileas Fogg from Around the World in 80 days, because Phileas Fogg is one of the noblest characters in history and also one of the most inventive, he used every means of travel plus some.  And it would be fun to live in the 1800's.

Can you imagine yourself reading with an electronic book in the future? Yes I can, I think even now there are many texts we can get online and to be able to access books which are hard to get.  But turning off all the power, sitting outside and not worrying about the glare from the sun on the screen, I don't want to lose that.

If Harry Potter fought Edward Cullen, who do you think would win and why? Neither, I would hope that Alex Ryder would come in and destroy them both. He would finish them off, probably take no longer than one minute and 20 seconds.

 - By Alana Dixon

Picture the kind of book a 94-year-old woman might enjoy reading.

Then think again.

Ethel Braddick, a resident at Glenwood Home in Timaru, breaks the mold when it comes to reading, opting for mystery novels rather than Mills and Boon.

''I just find them very relaxing.

''People always say to me, 'oh, why are you reading those horrible books?', but I just think they're so much fun. They take you somewhere else,'' she said.

''I do like to read biographies occasionally, but mostly I stick to adventure or detective stories.''

Born in 1916, Miss Braddick does not remember learning to read, but recalled becoming something of a book worm around the age of 10.

''Before that, I was always too busy running around, playing, so I didn't read as much. But by the time I was 10 or 11, I always had a book in my hand.

''I used to lie on the couch reading, and my mother would be in the kitchen calling for me to help with the dishes, but I'd try to wait until the end of a good bit before I'd go in and help,'' she said.

Tales of crime and intrigue have always grabbed her attention.

''I can't remember what I read when I was young, but I doubt it was much different to what I read now. I've always loved Dick Francis.''

The name of her favourite book from the British crime writer has slipped her mind - ''I haven't the foggiest, to tell you the truth'' - but she remembers the plot down to the finest detail.

Undercover jockeys posing as kitchen-hands, horrific deaths, and of course the inevitable criminal lurking within a horse-racing syndicate, all help to cement the book at the top of Miss Braddick's favourites list.

''[Dick Francis] has written some wonderful books, but I think that was his best one. I think that was the most interesting book I've ever read,'' Miss Braddick said.

She did not realise the author's popularity with others until she ended up lending one of her books to her doctor, after he visited her on a house call.

''He saw it on my night-stand, and asked if he could borrow it. I was surprised a doctor would read something as light as that.''

During her last visit to the public library in Timaru, she had tried to find some of Francis' earlier novels, which she had not read for a number of years.

''His son Felix helped him write his later books, and you can see the modern thinking in them. They're not as good as the older ones.

''Unfortunately they were all out at other libraries around the place, and I never heard back from the library about hiring them later,'' she said.

''I'd love to read them again one day, though.''

What are you reading right now? It's a mystery book called Sleep of the Unjust, by Elizabeth Ferrars, about a wedding and a family, and all the things going on underneath all at once.

What is your favourite book of all time? I can't remember the name of my favourite. It was a Dick Francis book, about a horse stable and a criminal. I do love Dick Francis. If I saw it on the shelf there, I'd recognise it in a minute.

If you could be any book character, who would you be? I don't know. I don't think I would want to be any female character I've read about. I think it would be more interesting to swap places with Dick Francis' wife Mary - she travelled with him all the time, and helped him write his books. I think that would have been a wonderful life.

Can you imagine yourself reading with an electronic book in the future? I'm a bit late in life to start learning about computers and technology, I think. Technology really gets me.

If Harry Potter fought Edward Cullen, who do you think would win and why? Who?

- By John Hobbs

Literacy South Canterbury manager Jill Lyons is living life in the now thanks to her passion for reading.

An avid reader, she recalled learning to read with her family visiting the public library each week and developing her love for books at a young age.

''Books are very important to me ... I found you could escape to other places in the world.

''It's a past time that doesn't have a lot of costs related.''

Ms Lyons said the book that had influenced her life the most was The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.

''It's about living each day as it comes and living for the moment.

''It reinforces that if you live on a day-to-day basis that you take the most of the opportunities that come before you.''

Despite the digital revolution and electronic devices such as the iPad replacing hard copy books for many people, she is a firm believer books will hold their place in the future.

''There will always be a place for a hard copy because we engage with it in a totally different way ... you can take it wherever you want to.''

A qualified librarian, Ms Lyons has spent her working career in education and has been working at Literacy South Canterbury for five years.

''I have a passion for literacy and numeracy.

''I saw it as a good opportunity to make a difference in the community."

Ms Lyons said Literacy South Canterbury provided a confidential, one-on-one learning service for adults at little or no cost and they developed programmes based on individual learning requirements and interests.

She said people's perception of literacy needs can sometimes be a barrier because literacy was a broad term.

It did not just refer to people who could not read or write, she said.

For example, a nurse could be tired of shift work and be seeking a position in management but needed to learn more technical writing for reports.

Or someone could have functional literacy, meaning they know enough to get by, but are uncomfortable to seek job promotions or employment because they are not comfortable they can meet literacy demands.

Events such as International Literacy Day can raise awareness but they often slide under the radar, she said.

''It should be every day, not just one day a year.

''My biggest vision is for the community to work together to make changes for people who need support in terms of literacy and numeracy ... to spark that moment for a person, for them to say 'yes I can' and to empower them to seek support.

''There couldn't be a better job for me.''

What are you reading right now? I'm re-reading The Power of Now.

What is your favourite book of all time? The Power of Now, absolutely.

If you could be any book character, who would you be? Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz because she had courage.

Can you imagine yourself reading with an electronic book in the future? Yes, if hard copy didn't exist I would still want to read.

If Harry Potter fought Edward Cullen, who do you think would win and why? Harry Potter because he has way more experience.

 -By Hayley McCaughan

One of Timaru District Library's most prolific book lenders was once a boy who struggled with reading and writing.

Today retiree Robin Olds borrows a bundle of books a week, turning his attention mostly towards fantasy and detective novels.

''You can lose yourself in them entirely," Mr Olds said.

Reading takes up a lot of his day, and he can spend six hours a day reading, which may include time spent with half an eye on the television on, he said.

He borrows about ''30 odd, on average per week, but I do scan read.  There's an awful lot of padding in books these days''.

But to pick the most influential book he has read would be impossible.  There are just too many, he said.

What switched on the reading light for him was the fact he couldn't read at primary school.

He was also left-handed, which made things even more difficult in that period. 

''It was traumatic. 

''They always gave us something to hold in our left hand so that we would use our right hand, and would hit us on the knuckles if you didn't, with an ebony ruler." 

Mr Olds also had trouble concentrating which added to his reading difficulties at primary school.

''It did frustrate me because if you can't read, you can't learn."

So at the age of nine or 10 he biked from his home near Princess Margaret Hospital in Christchurch, all the way across town to the university, where he had lessons once a week for about six months. 

This led to one-on-one tutoring on Saturday mornings which gave him not just the ability to read and write, but importantly, the joy of reading.

He counts himself fortunate as there were others he went to school with who had struggled with literacy issues, whether from being left-handed, or for other reasons, and who probably lead quite different lives because of that lack of support.

''I was one of the lucky ones.

''Because I know people my age who didn't get the help I did.''

What are you reading right now? Ian Irvine's Geaomancer, from the Well of Echoes series.  It's the first volume of four.

What is your favourite book of all time? It's a series, JK Rowling's Harry Potter, just with the people she writes about and the way she writes.

If you could be any book character who would you be? One of Clive Cussler's characters, and that would be Dirk Pitt - he's a marine engineer, action hero.

Can you imagine yourself reading with an electronic book in the future? I'd like to try, quite honestly.

If Harry Potter fought Edward Cullen, who do you think would win and why? I don't know who Edward Cullen is.

- By Charley Mann

More than 50 years ago Eleanor Hemi was told she was no longer allowed to speak her native language.

Today she is relearning a dialect once lost to her.

For Eleanor and her classmate Janel Te Raki, learning te reo Maori is not only a rewarding challenge, but a way of reconnecting to their roots.

Both women are studying te reo at Timaru's Aoraki Polytechnic, as part of gaining social services qualifications.

For Eleanor, who is Maori, learning te reo will help her ''put something back into my Maori Tanga''.

''I spoke it fluently as a child but because of the environment [at the time] I had to be more westernised and lost te reo,'' she said.

''We weren't allowed to speak Maori back in the 50s and 60s, and I was still attending a native school.''

Janel is learning te reo for the first time.

Adding Maori papers to her existing social services qualifications will help her to ''go out there and talk to families that are Maori and understand their process and culture more''.

She finds learning to read and speak te reo tough though.

''It's quite difficult to pronounce, read and speak,'' she said.

''Even though I'm part Maori, I wasn't brought up in the culture.''

Eleanor has similar struggles with the language, as a ''Maori having to learn Maori, it is difficult''.

But she is taking her education a step further by immersing herself in te reo when she returns to Rotorua after completing her diploma.

''Because I'm going back home and I've decided [social work] is the work I want to go into, I plan to go back into total immersion.''

And keeping Maori culture alive is important to both women.

''It's about keeping the culture alive,'' Janel said.

''More people out there want to learn Maori.''

Janel has also been overwhelmed by the amount of Maori literature available, from the local library to the internet, ''there is more than enough''.

Eleanor agrees that there is plenty of Maori literature and information easily available, especially in the Aoraki Polytechnic library.

And rather than dwell on her lost language, Eleanor is embracing the future and its possibilities.

''I'm a 21st century Maori now,

''I'm learning to embrace both western and Maori in Maori Tanga.

''I'm going home and making a start.''

Janel Te Raki

What are you reading now? Nothing right now. The last book I read was My Sister's Keeper.

What is your favourite book of all time? Oh you got me there! I don't know.

If you could be any book character who would you be?  I've read so many books I can't think of any.

Can you imagine yourself reading with an electronic book in the future? Possibly.

If Harry Potter fought Edward Cullen who would win and why? The Edward guy - I haven't read any of those books or seen the films but I think vampires would have more power over Harry Potter.

Eleanor Hemi 

What are you reading now? Sociology books.

What is your favourite book of all time?  Anything to do with psychology and I enjoy Mason Durie's books.

If you could be any book character who would you be? A psychologist.

Can you imagine yourself reading with an electronic book in the future? I would love to - I've only just learned to use a computer this year.

If Harry Potter fought Edward Cullen who would win and why?  Harry Potter, he's brilliant and he thinks before he acts!

- © Fairfax NZ News