Litnet

"The thing about speculative fiction is that it’s always about now."

"When we discussed the idea of the book and chat club, we imagined books as a way for people to connect – a way to say 'hello' from South Africa to Ukraine. That’s how this project was born."

Andile Bhali attended the Etienne van Heerden Veldsoirée from 25 to 27 July 2025. Here is a selection of his photographs.

You are warmly invited to a panel discussion on Postcolonial opera, William Kentridge and the unbounded work of art by Juliana M Pistorius.

"The book succeeds admirably in mapping the spiritual geography of our black lives, especially how our indigenous cosmology, shaped by centuries of ancestral wisdom, gradually morphed into what is now termed 'religion' with the advent of Christian missionaries."

"Ultimately, I think all stories are fundamentally stories of power. Power is at the very heart of drama and conflict. There are those who have it and those who want it. I can’t think of a short story I have written that didn’t explore power in some way. The most interesting power struggles are those that characters experience inside themselves."

On the railway takes readers through South Africa’s rich railway history, from Estcourt to the grand steam engines on narrow gauges. David Williams highlights luxurious trains like the White and Blue Trains, and the vital role of goods trains in the economy. He explores engineering feats that tamed tough terrains and the growth of railway towns. The book also addresses racial segregation, the decline of the rail network, and reflects on the past and uncertain future of South African railways.

"I see electricity as a character as well, as the story accentuates the power of electricity by showing how it controls and affects life. Lack or scarcity of electricity disrupts society and causes issues that affect everyone. Electricity empowers and connects people; it’s a power that nobody should be denied."

"Paige uses her real-life Good Book Appreciation Society (GBAS) page, which she founded on Facebook, as a cornerstone of Book people. At the moment, GBAS has almost 24 000 members who post their opinions/reviews of books they have read, often sparking heated debates about personal likes and dislikes."

"I will return to the Veldsoirée because it serves this purpose. It is a safe space for expression, sharing of knowledge and engagement with people smart, critical and open to dialogue."

"We are so blessed to live in a country with minds like the ones encountered here."

"As for escapism, the literary world has always been an excellent, reliable form of escape. Not only can you lose yourself in a riveting scene in the right chapter, but that form of escape also happens to expand your mind with words you’ve never encountered (and have to google), perspectives you’ve never considered – with a new world of intellectual curiosities."

"Humour, in my story, was used as a tool to lighten what could otherwise be considered a volatile social issue, while still taking the bull by the horns."

"I love humour in books. Especially the 'tongue-in-cheek' variety. There’s even more to come in book two. I think it’s important to balance some of the darker aspects of the thriller genre with moments of levity."

"I can’t claim a moral high ground; for that I am too flawed, too contradictory. I suppose something I’ve been thinking about a lot is that empires fall – and how right now feels like the end of something."

"The comrade’s wife isn’t just a powerful novel, but a necessary one. It interrogates power, silence, gender, race and survival with the tenderness of a friend and the clarity of a scholar. No notes. Just awe."

Khomotso Moshikaro will be in conversation with Edwin Cameron, Rebecca Gore and Sohela Surajpal at the book launch of Behind prison walls: Unlocking a safer South Africa at The Book Lounge in Cape Town on 24 July at 17:30 for 18:00.

"His body of work cuts across genres — novels, short stories, drama, essays, poetry, biographical writings as well as translations."

"Where better to hold an annual literary festival than in the gorgeously, dare one say courageously, restored story street in that remarkable little Karoo town and in the very hotel in which both Schreiner and Mark Twain spent time?"

"In a world where 1% of the population have a monopoly on economic and, by extension, political power, the general masses suffer under the weight of inequality. What we do have are our voices."