The Otto Foundation

The Otto Foundation creates and manages libraries and reading programmes at a cluster of schools in District Six, Cape Town. Our mission is to deepen the culture of reading in these schools and to foster a love of reading.

The journal takes readers on a ‘reading journey’ through eight book-related themes, including: the Map of Memories, the Book Boat, the Poetry Plane, the Story Sled, the Mountains of Meaning, the Gorge of Gorgeous Words, the Forest of Feelings and the Desert of Dreams. The concept and text for the journal was developed by the Otto Foundation team. The beautiful, quirky characters and illustrations were created by Xanelé Puren (the Otto Foundation’s Manager: Design & Placemaking). The poems for the Afrikaans version of the journal (titled “Reis Met Woorde”) were written by the renowned South African wordsmith Philip de Vos.

Proceeds from sales of the reading journal will go towards funding the Otto Foundation’s library programmes and will enable us to provide free copies of the journal to learners in under-resourced schools – thus investing in the deepening of our country’s reading culture.