If you’re a Riverbend regular or have browsed through our pamphlets at the counter,
you may know about The Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF).
Begun by Riverbend Books’
owner Suzy Wilson in 2004, ILF started as the Riverbend Reader’s Challenge, a reading
competition to raise funds for disadvantaged Indigenous Australians living in
remote communities who
were missing out on vital literacy resources. It became a nationwide challenge in
2006 as The Australian Readers' Challenge, growing and evolving firstly into The
Indigenous Literacy Project and then, in 2011, The Indigenous Literacy
Foundation.
ILF is an
initiative and charity of The Australian Book Industry drawing on its diverse
range of expertise, skills and resources. It works with the support of the
Australian Publishers Association, the Australian Booksellers Association and
the Australian Society of Authors.
In 2007, ILF launched Indigenous Literacy Day, which is held the first Wednesday
in September, with the aim of raising $100,000. That year, with the support of publishers,
booksellers, schools, authors and libraries around Australia, over $250,000 was
raised – with the majority of the fundraising coming from publishers and booksellers.
Thérèse Rein became patron of the Foundation in 2008. With the support of over
300 schools and nearly 300 booksellers and publishers, $300,000 was raised in 2008.
The ILF is aided by its
ambassadors, including eminent Australian Indigenous and non-Indigenous
authors and leading musicians, who work tirelessly to raise awareness of Indigenous
literacy.
In 2009, the ILF began The Great Book Swap as a grassroots way for schools and businesses
to raise money for indigenous literacy, as well as an enjoyable way for book-lovers
to swap and converse about their favourite books. Riverbend Books and Avid Reader
bookstore worked together to produce two Great Book Swap events which, with the
amazing support of the local communities that spring up around independent bookstores,
raised over $5000 for the ILP.
In 2010 Great Book Swaps have been held all over the country, in schools, radio
stations, writers’ festivals and bookshops. Many other events have also helped to
raise funds: a huge auction of the art of Children’s Illustrators with Josh Pyke,
Old Man River and Shaun Tan performing, was a huge hit in Sydney, while Songs for
Stories brought together a host of great musicians to entertain Melbournites. A
Celebrity Bookswap was held in Brisbane through the Don Dunstan Foundation with
ILP Ambassador Katie Noonan. ILF has also received the support of
the National Library of Australia.
2010 saw over $609,000 raised for ILF, going over and above the target
of $400,000!
Keep an eye out for more Indigenous Literacy events and news by becoming a fan on
Facebook,
by visiting ILF website www.indigenousliteracyfoundation.org.au, or holding your own Great
Book Swap!