Litnet

Act and advance! is Pedro’s contribution to filling the void about the events that led to the protests at UWC. He follows in detail the lead-up to the developments at the university, the actions and activities of the students and their outcomes.

We invite you to join us for a warmhearted gathering of poets from 6 to 8 September 2024. Themed “Towards a wonderful world”, the festival seeks to instill a sense of hope and beauty, through poetry, into our turbulent world. As with all our previous festivals, the caliber of work will be exemplary and you’ll again hear Die Mengelmoes Digters – Theresa Carstens, Diana Ferrus, Fiona Fertyn, Gaireyah Fredericks, Naidene Lottering, Sophia Oliphant and Jadrick Pedro.

"Percival is the kind of writer that first disarms the reader with humour before painting the horrors of American life, on which modern Western culture is premised. Humour is the modus operandi of his narrative style. His books are tragicomedies with depth."

Clarence Ford will be in conversation with Patric Tariq Mellet about his new book, The truth about Cape slavery, on Monday, 2 September 2024 at 17:30 for 18:00 at Exclusive Books, Cavendish Square, Cape Town.

Peter Friedland served as a member of Nelson Mandela’s medical team and helped to monitor his hearing. They built a rapport over the years and their conversations regularly veered towards politics. As an ENT specialist, Peter regularly treated victims of violent crime. When his daughters were exposed to a robbery, he had to make a life-changing decision. This book examines the powerful forces that push people away from South Africa and those that pull them back in. It is never as simple as merely staying or going – it is an emotional tug of war that continues until something snaps.

In The truth about Cape slavery, Patric Tariq Mellet argues that modern South Africa – its economy and politics – is shaped and established on the foundation of chattel slavery just like the United States of America. Cape slavery, rather than minor, was a crucial feature of maritime capitalism. This then moved to become the cornerstone of the Cape’s agricultural economy. 

"He is a creative writer very much attracted to the beauty of the mangled achievement; it is, in a sense, part of his ethos. It is the wilfully imperfect note that Pienaar strikes with great care and planning, which charms when it doesn’t become too convoluted."

"Ja, lesers gaan dinge raaklees wat nog nooit in die media gedek is nie." Stefaans Coetzee kuier saam met Nicole Engelbrecht, skrywer van die blitsverkoper, Sizzlers: The hate crime that tore Sea Point apart.

Joe Schutte en sy pelle, Nathe en Thabo, lewe vir rugby. Alles anders in Joe se lewe is so vars soos verlede jaar se brood. Maar skielik verander iets in die rugbyspan. Dit voel asof hulle spanmaats oornag groter, sterker, beter is. Joe en Thabo verloor hulle plekke in die span terwyl Nathe onseker is oor sy plek. Die drie beraam ’n plan, maar dis onwettig en die risiko is groot. Dan is daar Joanne. As Joe en Joanne se sterre mekaar gevind het, waarom kan sy ma haar nie verdra nie?

The Achmat Dangor Literary Prize is now open to eligible young writers working in all genres (poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction), with applications closing on September 15, 2024.

"We felt that editing the mass of content down to a collection of gems would be a great curated read. We believe it to be powerful (so many parents, not gurus, sharing their experience and wisdom), and we see the trends of what subjects people are concerned about daily. We could and might still publish 10 books. There’s that much."

The shortlisted collections of poetry for the Ingrid Jonker Prize 2024 have been announced.

This is the most urgent book ever to appear from the pen of cultural icon Koos Kombuis. Sometimes, when he is in an irreverent mood, Koos writes under the fun-filled pseudonym "Joe Kitchen". This time around, though, he is deadly serious. The death of history is a climate change diary.

"In Afrikaans, bedonnerd has pejorative associations. But I used the name to mean 'crazy about books'. I feel that there is no greater word for my memoir than BookBedonnerd."

The programme for this year’s Open Book Festival is now live. The festival, known for creating an inclusive space for important conversations, is set to explore a range of themes including mental health, fatherhood, creativity, and the impact of history on the present.

"Most of these stories are set in Botswana, which in itself is refreshing since there has been a scarcity of stories in that setting since the death of Bessie Head."

The Caine Prize for African Writing, an esteemed annual award honouring outstanding African writers, is pleased to announce the shortlist for the 2024 edition. The five shortlisted stories were carefully selected from a pool of 320 entries originating from 28 African countries.

You are invited to the book launch of What’s wrong with June? by Qarnita Loxton. Eva Mazza will be in conversation with Qarnita Loxton on 1 August, Wordsworth Books, Stellenbosch Square at 18:00 for 18:30.

The 19th South African Literary Awards ceremony will take place on 7 November 2024. Earlier that day, the 12th Africa Century International African Writers Conference celebrating the 33rd anniversary of the African Union-declared International African Writers’ Day and 30 years of South Africa’s freedom and democracy.

The 2025 AVBOB Poetry Competition officially opens for entries on 1 August 2024. This prestigious contest invites poets from all corners of South Africa to submit their original works in any of the South Africa’s 11 official written languages. With generous cash prizes awaiting the winning entries, this is a golden opportunity for talented wordsmiths to shine.