Litnet

"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."

In his search for love and healing through dating apps, things take a dark turn – ending him becoming a serial killer and partaking in a chilling killing spree.

"African democracy advocates, civil society and media professionals generally do not share their governments’ enthusiasm for Chinese security engagements, citing the widespread abuse of Chinese policing and mass surveillance systems. China is also frequently criticised for its regime-centric strategy, which many African observers believe entrenches authoritarian practices. African civil societies play a crucial role in scrutinising these security relationships to ensure they advance citizen interests."

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.

"This is not the time for panic. It is the time for calm, for resolve, and for clarity. Let us remember who we are: a people who have faced down tyranny before."

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

"The scale of AI-generated books is as staggering as that of music. One estimate puts the number of such titles already in the hundreds of thousands, particularly in the US, China and Japan."

"The implications are stark. If those entrusted with the highest ranks of law enforcement cannot operate without fear or favour because they fear political retaliation, then our entire criminal justice system is endangered."

"Coalition politics is not about ideological triumph, but deliverable results – rebuilding Eskom, fixing Transnet, unclogging ports, revitalising public education, etc. These are tasks that transcend partisan lines. No coalition can function without a competent, apolitical bureaucracy. A phased, legally mandated Skills and Integrity Audit of senior civil servants, overseen by the Public Service Commission, should be launched, with clear benchmarks, retraining and regular reviews."

"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 20th Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival kicks off this coming week from 4 to 13 July at the US Konservatorium in Stellenbosch. SICMF artists this year include Andrey Baranov, Daniel Rowland, Maja Bogdanović, David Cohen, Dwight Parry, YaoGuang Zhai, Emanuil Ivanov, Bram van Sambeek and José Garcia Gutìérrez. Lovers of jazz will also have a lot to enjoy with composers like Kapustin and Artie Shaw on the bill. 

The first-ever Nou Praat Jy! public speaking competition, hosted at Curro Durbanville High School on 25 June, was a resounding success, bringing together top high school teams from across various provinces to celebrate Afrikaans in all its colour and sound.

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."

"I’ve been thinking a lot about tenderness lately. Is tenderness more than just kindness and gentleness? When does tenderness transform into succulence, transform into discomfort?"

"There is a need to dispel myths about artists being unable to support themselves, but also for industry bodies such as Tribuo to push strategic interventions that speak to this fundamental challenge of precarity. And for us not to fall into the trap of thinking that artists must all now become businesspeople in order to solve this issue, noting that while some artists are highly successful entrepreneurs, others have talents that are more limited or focused on their core craft as artists."

"This is no sudden collapse. It is a pattern that has been years in the making ..."

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.