Fiona Khan is an author of children’s fiction and poetry from South Africa. She has a long career in her native country as well as having been published internationally. Her efforts and support for literacy and reading has made her one of the most distinguished leaders in Kwa-Zulu Natal and elsewhere in South Africa. She is the founder and publisher of mobile and digital publishing house Global Forum 4 Literacy and Washesha Publications. Her dedication to the promotion of literacy goes back to the 1995 campaign A Reading Nation is a Winning Nation, where she worked at spreading literacy in schools, libraries and conducted workshops for language, literacy and literature. Her network today extends to Johannesburg by donating books for worthy causes and to Cape Town where she has been working on a film project for youth and animation for children. She has also been a radio presenter, spreading literacy, poetry and literature in general. Fiona was featured as one of South Africa’s climate change leaders in a Mail and Guardian supplement on South Africa and environmental affairs in 2014 for her efforts with establishing Permaculture and organic gardening in schools. This included recycling and indigenous gardening and creating sustainable partnerships with the communities. She has also assisted in community projects as a community practitioner such as counselling and assisting victims of gender-based violence and HIV/Aids. Her children’s book on HIV/Aids focusing on emotional intelligence has been used in the Department of Education’s school curriculum.
The Reykjavík UNESCO City of Literature has invited Fiona for a one month stay in Reykjavik in October and to participate in Mýrin.