Litnet

"Art is the place I go to process emotion. Literature, reading and also writing are like flashing a light in the dark."

"The reader as medereisiger, as fellow traveller, is encouraged to page on and on to fulfil the almost breathless expectation created by the thematically arranged geographical sections."

Wordfest 2025 will take place in Makhanda from 19 to 20 September 2025.

"'Standing still' was first inspired by an image that existed in real life: a vehicle broken down on the side of the M3 in Cape Town with a horse box attached to it. As I drove past, I noticed the horses peeking out at the traffic passing by and I couldn’t help wondering what the story was."

In an increasingly digital world, the simple, tactile experience of reading and sharing a book remains a powerful tool for personal development, entertainment and connection. Reading for pleasure is a cornerstone of lifelong learning and a key to unlocking a child’s potential.

"Stories allow us to hold up a mirror to society. They make complex issues personal and relatable by showing how real people are affected. Through fiction we can ask uncomfortable questions, challenge the status quo and start conversations that matter."

Amazwi is hosting its annual Heritage Carnival on 20 September, in celebration of Heritage Day.

The conference theme is "People and other animals". Registration and the submission of abstracts can be done at the links provided.

"Grab a mug of coffee and settle down in your most comfortable chair, blanket on your knees and cat on your lap. I’m now going to tell you the unbelievable story of Athol Fugard and the Serpent Players – theatre against apartheid."

"In a way, power exposes us, the worst of us. Part of us is kept in check by our evolutionary social hardwiring."

"At Greenpeace, I see the impacts of the climate crisis daily. And so, I firstly wanted to remind myself why I am still fighting as a climate justice activist, despite things looking so bleak. But I also delved deeper into the idea of climate apartheid. We are not equally impacted by the climate crisis; people with money can simply relocate when they’re at risk. I wanted to explore what would happen to my community once the wealthy residents abandoned Cape Town."

"My fascination with this story began with the idea of a weight cut for a fight. A relinquishing of the body’s power, right before putting the body’s power to the test. There’s an inherent conflict in that."

"He made a late and untheatrical entrance and stood there catching his breath as he faced us first-year drama students, expectantly clutching our brand-new copies of Brooks and Heilman’s Understanding drama."

"The fight for justice, and for what you love, can be a powerful motivator, often compelling people either to step up or to step away. That’s the emotional truth I wanted to capture."

Adriaan Basson will be in conversation with Jeff Wicks at the book launch of The shadow state: Why Babita Deokaran had to die on 28 August at Exclusive Books, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town.

"With 'We cannot afford to be silent', I hope to annihilate the word missing in front of middle class. I do not believe that, as the middle class, we are missing at all. I hope to call out to other middle-class citizens that their complacency is not serving them, but rather hurting them and rendering them “missing”."

"From Newclare to Coronationville to Riverlea, he takes our hand as we are guided on an Odysseus-like journey through the streets of his childhood, weaving vivid recollections of food, family and foes."

Taking the multimedia operatic experiments of William Kentridge, South Africa’s most celebrated contemporary visual artist, as a starting point, author Juliana M. Pistorius investigates contemporary opera’s potential to process the troubled histories that haunt post- and decolonial societies.

There are no mentors involved and both emerging and established writers of all genres are invited to apply.

Amazwi South African Museum of Literature invites you to a conference that explores all aspects of children’s literature, from picture books to young adult fiction. The conference brings together authors, illustrators, translators, academics, publishers, teachers, librarians, booksellers, reviewers and all organisations and individuals working to promote or study children’s books, get children reading, and to get books to children.