Litnet

"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."

The closing date for applications is 25 July 2025 and the residency will take place at Paulet House in KwaNojoli in the Eastern Cape from 29 September to 19 October 2025.

"The world often doesn’t make sense to any thinking person, so taking flight to imaginary worlds can offer comfort – here, often the world does make sense. Magic realism can be a form of sense-making of the world around us, a need that seems to be escalating."

As part of its landmark 25th anniversary celebrations, the Caine Prize for African Writing is pleased to announce the return of its online editing programme.

"What we ask of literary prizes is not infallibility, but integrity, imagination and boldness. The awarding of a prize should strive to be as fearless and far-reaching as the fiction it celebrates."

Journey across epic China – through millennia of early innovation to modern dominance in one riveting, fast-paced read. From ancient times to Xi Jinping, Covid-19 and the “wolf warriors”, here is the vast, complex history of China, distilled into just 250 pages. Jaivin dismantles the idea of a monolithic China, revealing instead a nation of startling diversity. And she gives China’s women, from ancient warriors, inventors and rebels to their 21st-century counterparts, long overdue attention.

"I would really stress to writers, especially creative writers – of fiction and also of creative nonfiction – to develop your voice, your style; don’t turn to AI to develop it for you. There’s a wooden quality to this sort of prose that’s a bore to read."

The Schreiner Karoo Writers Festival is an annual literary celebration held in Cradock, South Africa, featuring writers mainly from the Karoo. Evening gatherings often include dinner-theatre performances, fireside chats, and open mic sessions, complemented by hearty Karoo cuisine and warm hospitality.

"The interpreters is ’n versameling essays wat die tradisionele grense van joernalistiek en literêre skryfwerk uitdaag. Dit is ’n viering van stories wat nie net inlig nie, maar ook emosie, refleksie en kulturele diepte uitlok. Die boekresensent Jonathan Amid het in gesprek getree met die samestellers van die boek, Sean Christie en Hedley Twidle."

"The Great Cattle Killing incident is an extremely sensitive issue among the Xhosa. Nicholas dared to tread where most fear to tread. He handled the topic fairly and with deep empathy. But much of what still needs to be researched and said about the incident remains."

"The more we publish, the brighter it looks, so we are going to continue nurturing this wonderful genre."

"The first book to be launched was Winged words, a short collection of poetry on bird mythology, written by John Samuel and beautifully illustrated by Vulindlela Nyoni. The second was Tested by fire, a biography on Neville Alexander, written by Doreen Musson."

Alan Kirkaldy, recently retired from Rhodes University in Makhanda, was awarded the Vice-Chancellor’s Book Award at the 2025 graduation ceremony for his work Everyday communists in South Africa's liberation struggle. The lives of Ivan and Lesley Schermbrucker.

"So, we sat in a random staff room at the CTICC and ate really bad food, the blandest curry on earth, which I had overheated in the microwave, with plastic forks and styrofoam cups of water while we made small talk for an hour."