Pan Macmillan South Africa is thrilled to announce the publication of Dancing Words, a new children's picture book written by award-winning poet Athambile Masola and illustrated by Katlego Keokgale. Officially released in August 2026, this enchanting title is aimed at children aged three and older and is available in five South African languages: English, isiZulu, isiXhosa, Setswana, and Afrikaans.
Dancing Words follows the journey of a young girl named Vuyo, who discovers the joy of language everywhere she goes. From learning about nature and food at home, to choosing books at the library with her Tata, to making up songs at school and learning hymns at Sunday school, Vuyo is constantly surrounded by new vocabulary. Her linguistic discoveries culminate in a magical dream where words dance, inspiring her to write a beautiful poem of her own.
This book marks Athambile Masola’s first publication with Pan Macmillan South Africa. A celebrated Cape Town-based author and University of Cape Town educator, Masola has been writing across genres for nearly two decades. Her deep commitment to storytelling is rooted in a childhood filled with stories and songs. Her debut poetry collection, Ilifa, notably won the Best Poetry Prize at the 2022 HSS Awards, and was recently published in English as Inheritance in 2026 by Batis Books. Masola's extensive literary contributions also include serving as an editor for the isiXhosa translation of Steve Biko's seminal book I Write What I Like (Ndibhala Intando Yam), and being featured in the book All That I Am.
The story is brought to life through vibrant, full-colour illustrations by Katlego “Kat” Keokgale. As a mother of two and an illustrator with a passion for magic, Keokgale hopes her work will inspire more black creatives to pursue careers in children’s book illustration and help grow the industry because there are so many amazing stories that need to be told.