New writing
Fiction and prose by established and emerging authors. Send your poetry or fiction to New Writing at skryfwerk@litnet.co.za to be considered for publication on LitNet.
Please note that work previously published in print or on any online media platform will not be considered for selection.
Dance of bloodied feet
2025-02-13"bred barefoot
to stagger over the shards
of yesteryear’s looking glass,"
Resurrection
2025-02-06"The year of the Master’s Resurrection and Ascension.
His call, as the Thunderous Sounds of the Apocalypse."
Gossiping trees
2025-01-23"An uninterrupted meeting of the minds,
Discussing thoughts, anecdotes
From the mother branches"
The show must go on
2024-09-12"The makeshift stage is artfully suited to both the tricks of high office and the gambols of farce, often indistinguishably."
From a murmur to a shout
2024-08-22"The village erupted in surprised praise. Somehow, the imagery of the entire police team, from the station commander to the most junior constable, picking up sand and wielding brooms, became a beacon of hope."
Pink suitcase
2024-08-07"when I walk out of the door
my pink suitcase rattling behind
on broken wheels I thought you would fix"
Forsaken place
2024-05-30"Nothing grows here now except silence and birdsong by day and the call of the jackal by night."
The lost diaries of Tiyo Soga
2024-02-09"It is not easy, waiting for fair sailing weather, permanently watching for the winds to turn."
Protection needed
2024-01-17"Somewhere a mother lifts
a hand to shade her eyes to look and
look again
down the long dusty street
for a son that will never
arrive again."
Wishes beyond glory
2023-08-24"I wish you the open heart that brings the truth and love to all mankind,
beyond any political blocks and false leagues.
Only the free flow of borderless wisdom!"
De-ossifying love
2023-07-27"before our love ossifies
withering unrequited unfulfilled
I will steal your heart truly
once more
committing like never before"
Baberton Daisy
2023-02-09"Let my words caress you,
my gentle hands are thornless,
here to charm you, not to harm you"
A story written by AI: "The fox astronaut"
2022-12-13"Kora was a curious little fox who had always dreamed of exploring the vastness of space. She spent her days reading books about the stars and planets, and imagining what it would be like to visit them."
AI writes a poem about sitting in the morning traffic
2022-12-13"So here’s to sitting in traffic on this morning drive,
May it be a reminder to slow down and enjoy the ride."
AI writes a haiku about broken glass
2022-12-13"Sparkling shards of broken glass
Beauty in the shards"
Press release: Waiting and exhilaration – Kelwyn Sole on birding and poems
2022-10-10This month, as the world celebrates World Migratory Bird Day, the AVBOB Poetry Project celebrates a brilliant, challenging new collection by Kelwyn Sole, an award-winning poet and keen bird watcher, with a particular love of pelagic birding.
Press release: 2022 AVBOB Poetry Gala
2022-09-29Eleven talented poets – one for each official language of South Africa – were announced as the overall winners of the 2022 AVBOB Poetry Competition at a gala prize-giving at the Pretoria Country Club on Wednesday 21 September 2022. Here are the winners.
Mkhuseli
2022-09-20Stemme | Voices | Amazwi is LitNet’s series of 15 short, powerful monologues, presented in collaboration with Suidoosterfees, NATi and ATKV. In Siphokazi Jonas’ Mkhuseli, a fallen star whose memory was wiped when it fell to earth, stands guard at a shoreline to save the spirits of the drowned. Peggy Mongoato performs the monologue, directed by Qondiswa James. Watch the performance in isiXhosa with English subtitles here.