Litnet

"Two new books add to the published oeuvre of South Africa’s pioneering psychoanalyst, Wulf Sachs [who] was out to demonstrate two things. First, that black urban migrants were in a terrible plight, not of their making, and one with which they were lamentably ill-equipped to cope. And, secondly, that the exciting new thought package of Freudianism successfully straddled the apparent crevasse between Western modernity and African traditionalism."

"Instead of one person speaking, many did. Instead of long speeches, we heard numerous poets reading for ten minutes each."

The 2025 Island Prize, the fourth year it has been running, has once more attracted nearly 200 entries from across the continent, and the range of subjects, styles, and genres has been greater than ever before. Now, rather than one winner, we have had to name two: Night dancer by Zabu Wamara of Uganda, and In the valley of bones by Kristien Potgieter of South Africa.

As jy ook vuisvoos is van ons land se politiek durf jy nie Marianne Thamm se komiese eenvrou-vertoning Round of applause reloaded by die Hermanus FynArts Festival misloop nie. Kom lag Junie maand lekker saam met ons vir ons land se absurditeite, en gaan huis toe met nuwe insig en hoop. Want, soos Thamm sê, sy het meer hoop vir Suid-Afrika as vir enige ander land.

The Hermanus FynArts Festival is a fusion of arts festival and winter school. "Heritage" is this year’s theme, weaving together a full programme of music, theatre, ballet, workshops, culinary demonstrations, food, wine, exhibitions and discussions. From jazz and Ghoema rhythms to stand-up comedy and storytelling, celebrate the richness and complexity of South African history, art, cultural identity and transformation.

Calling all birds of a feather to bookmark together at this year’s Kingsmead Book Fair. Kingsmead College will host the 13th annual Book Fair on Saturday, 24 May 2025 at Kingsmead College campus in Melrose, Johannesburg from 09:00 to 18:00.

Hermanus FynArts is proud to announce a dynamic new addition to the FynArts Festival: Wake up with Daily Maverick, a compelling morning talk series taking place from 9–13 June 2025. Don’t miss this thought-provoking series, designed for those who believe in the power of information, debate, and democracy.

"China’s presence in Africa’s port sector is unmatched anywhere else in the world. By contrast, Latin America and the Caribbean host only 10 ports built, financed or operated by Chinese firms, while Asian countries have 24."

"It’s a daring book.  He shows – and tells – with every word a song’s note, an ingredient that stirs flavours within, and the result is both delicate and rich."

"Let us redirect the winds of change that started blowing in South Africa from the founding of our constitutional democracy to make it a reality for everyone."

"It’s like a batsman playing his last test and scoring a hundred in the second innings. Or a bowler ending with 10 wickets in his last game."

We are delighted to announce the 2025 Island Prize shortlist.

Writer and alumna of the Jakes Gerwel/Oude Leeskamer residency programme, Lebogang Mazibuko, talks with our guest writer, Sihle Qwabe, about his writing process and the life experiences that inform his writing. Join us on 6 May from 15:30 to 17:00 for this conversation in Jannie se Leeskamer in exploration of Qwabe’s debut novel, The Resurrection.

"I asked if I could interview him about directing before he returned home, and he readily agreed. I opened a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau and turned on the tape recorder. I was 32 and Athol was 49."

Die wenners van die onderskeie pryse en toekennings van die Andrew Murray Desmond Tutu-prysfonds is nou bekend.

"Decima is a triumph of moral and aesthetic ambition. By entwining a species’s extinction with personal and national identity, Venter crafts a story that is simultaneously urgent and timeless. Its greatest achievement lies in making readers feel the weight of ecological collapse not as abstract data, but as the sum of countless individual tragedies, human and animal alike."

This arrangement promises to bring increased global visibility to Modjaji authors while maintaining Modjaji’s distinctive editorial vision and established local presence.

We are aware that some of the very sources cited here have been deliberately misinterpreted or misrepresented by those seeking to discredit gender-affirming care. This pattern — the selective citation of studies, the exaggeration of uncertainty, and the failure to reflect scientific consensus — does not reflect good-faith engagement with evidence.

"If you thought Apeirogon, published in 2020, was the most pertinent book McCann could have written for our era, wait until you read his recent book, Twist, which came out this month."