Letter: Africa's children thirst for books

I READ the article "Want a library? No thanks", which described how many state schools have turned down the offer of free sets of 250 classics from Everyman Books (26 July) with sadness and anger.

In South Africa I recently visited a "middle" school (7-14 years) in Khayalitsha township near Cape Town. I remember the headmaster, Abraham Souti, standing in front of a locked and barred cupboard, explaining that it was the only book store in a school of 1,500 children.

He said how much his eager pupils would appreciate any second-hand textbooks in English. Perhaps if there was a similar gesture to South Africa from Everyman Books, Mr Souti might be able to leave his book cupboard unlocked from time to time.

Dorothy Anne Morris

Harlington, Bedfordshire