Litnet

"Words hurt, and Bongani Mayosi paid the ultimate price for this kind of hurt. Let us be critical, by all means, but let us give more thought to how our words might affect one another."

"Macgregor seeds a fair amount of technological information throughout the novel. This locates the plot in substantial fact – the controversy around Karoo fracking has led to much publicity in the South African media – while Macgregor also presents these details in digestible pieces, mostly through Sam’s voice."

"Bongani’s soul, his sister said,
was vandalised, the insults
(sell-out, coconut)
cut him to the core, he changed,
withdrew, spoke less and less
and killed himself."

"What was striking about the different poets was that each one had, at some point in their life, experienced some form of grief, love, birth and hope. These themes came through in all the languages."

"Open Book Festival is committed to creating a platform to celebrate South African writers, as well as hosting top international authors. The festival strives to instil a love of reading among young attendees, with the programme designed to create conversations among festivalgoers long after the event." The eighth Open Book Festival will take place from 5 to 9 September 2018.

Iziko Museums of South Africa and the Supusupu Khoe Language Project will commemorate Women’s Day, as well as the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, on 9 August 2018. 

"The exhibition commemorates Sanlam’s centenary and is one-of-a-kind in its objective to showcase SA history. Curator Stefan Hundt takes visitors on a journey through the last 100 years, with guided tours available by appointment on set dates."

"And so we stand: network of scars,
shadows of arteries and veins
pressing up beneath the surface ..."

"this year for Christmas
my household’s skinniness
won’t penetrate my skin"

"Let’s hope there is a sequel."

"Apparently in DRC they say:
when people clap for you,
take flight –
for you are a fly;
claps can end your life."

 "As much as commentators like to argue that many education systems around the world have become more 'anglicised' or 'Americanised', it is important to remember that local actors – and here, I am referring to students – are not passive. Students today are more plugged into the news of the world, and demand that their professors explain the relevance of what is happening 'there', to 'here'."

"The fruit most likely
to wither on the vine
is the apple of your eye"

"I sat hundreds of metres away from Obama, but I wasn’t moved the way Pieter W Grobbelaar’s books moved me as a child. I wasn’t moved the way I was when my nanny told me about Tselane and the Giant."

"Now, Zuma is gone, and there are more breaking stories about the extent of the fiscal damage that has been done by his administration. But, When Zuma Goes and On the Brink are still there."

You are invited to the launch of Boerekos with a Twist on 21 July in Durbanville. The author, Annelien Pienaar, will do a bread tasting and all the items you will taste are taken from the recipe book.

"Ultimately, what I have taken from this book is the story of a man who could have continued with his life of privilege, but instead chose the road of social justice in a way that few can speak for themselves today."

"A great cast rarely guarantees a great film (and a lot has been made of this film’s cast). Yet, I was hopeful that the ginormous ensemble of highly talented women in Ocean’s 8 would prove to be a slick, exhilarating and entertaining combination. It was all in vain."

You are invited to the launch of The Coroner's Wife on 28 July in Stellenbosch, where Joan Hambidge will be in conversation with Fourie Botha.

"Time to part with what I’ve gleaned,
pick your favourite, he said,
I’ll print it, frame it, bring it round."