Litnet

"As a country we must stop paying lip service by having commissions and task teams and Zoom meetings. We need to implement existing policies effectively, and we need it to happen now!"

"[South Africa’s] biggest challenge is self-esteem for our own talents – having to be told who’s world-class by international speculators, rather than realising this through our own people and media. Then, we’re also struggling to get the funding of local films right, performing miracles on shoestring budgets and being expected simply to rinse and repeat these miracles."

Call for flash stories for a new anthology to be published in 2024.

A book of affirmations that highlights each of South Africa’s eleven official languages [and] is a love letter to children (especially Black, Indigenous, and people of colour) in South Africa honouring their magic, worth and power.

Award-winning poet Jacques Coetzee will be reading in Gqeberha on 5 December when the Ecca Poets will launch their new collection, The salt of being.

A transgender Roman emperor? Why were there no bedrooms in Caesar’s palace? How about an emperor who may have worn more shoes than Imelda Marcos? Is democracy better than a benign dictator? These are but a few of the hot topics Mphuthumi Ntabeni teases out of Mary Beard during an interview in Cape Town.

Tony Jackman interviewed Marita van der Vyver on her novel Still breathing and her memoir A long letter to my daughter. What is it like to get older? How does one hold an entire cast of characters in one’s hand? Are her characters based on real people? How does it feel to dream in a language that differs from the one your daughter dreams in?

"The grim reaper is everywhere to be seen as these tragic events unfold. Beyond the rights and wrongs, the claims and counter-claims, this war, like all wars, has already resulted in the deaths of thousands of non-combatants ..."

"Mandivale ngokucoma Umuzi/Praesa ngalo mbono mhle kangaka wokuguqulela le ncwadi kulwimi lweSintu. Nakugqirha Guzula ngomsebenzi omhle encomekayo." | "I think this is a superb translation that not only makes the book accessible in Xhosa, but, because a language lends a new way of seeing the world, will enrich your knowledge and enjoyment of the book even if you have already read it in English."

The season must end this weekend on 3 December 2023. More information here!

Vimbai soon learns that every action has a consequence and some of our wishes come to haunt us when we are at our happiest. Her carefully orchestrated life takes a nosedive when her secrets are held against her.

"What about those who cooked, cleaned and built the houses in which they lived, he reminds us to consider. Without them, would those who achieved fame, or who sacrificed and contributed so much, been able to do all they did?"

LitNet en STAND (The Sustaining Theatre and Dance Foundation) bied oor die volgende maande ’n aanlyn teaterresensiekursus vir vyf Afrikaanse en vyf Engelse aspirantresensente aan. Hier is al die inligting. | Over the next few months LitNet and STAND (The Sustaining Theatre and Dance Foundation) will be presenting an online theatre review workshop for five aspiring Afrikaans and five aspiring English theatre reviewers. Here is all the information.

"My hope is that the moon will continue gazing down at these two theatre makers, and that we will continue meeting them in dimly lit rooms where they shine brightly among the stars." | This review was revised and updated by the participant. This is the second version of this review, which forms part of the LitNet | STAND theatre review workshop.

"Droomkraan-kronieke is recommended for audiences who seek to be enraptured and desire a dynamic theatre-going experience." | This review was revised and updated by the participant. This is the second version of this review, which forms part of the LitNet | STAND theatre review workshop.

"The core of Monsters lies in its narrative structure, a mosaic of tragedy, complicity and moral ambiguity." | This review was revised and updated by the participant. This is the second version of this review, which forms part of the LitNet | STAND theatre review workshop.

"This production was site-specific, making use of the space and elements found there. The cast moved the story from one outdoor location to the next, incorporating trees, grass and stones into the narrative." | This review was revised and updated by the participant. This is the second version of this review, which forms part of the LitNet | STAND theatre review workshop.

"The production does not only contribute to case studies in the development of the choreopoem as a dramatic style of African storytelling for post-apartheid South Africa, but also serves as a social agent that holds a mirror to society, challenging the audience to question their role in the marginalisation of women." | This review was revised and updated by the participant. This is the second version of this review, which forms part of the LitNet | STAND theatre review workshop.

"Russel asked how we might create an embracing, inclusive time horizon, irrespective of personal consequences, out of which we could serve humanity. Russel gifted us a type of human enfolding, based on recognition, intimacy and conviviality, a legacy for human and planetary co-existence."

Basson and Hunter map out the likely scenarios for a coalition government after the 2024 election and what it will mean for the country if politicians such as John Steenhuisen, Julius Malema or Herman Mashaba gain access to the Union Buildings.