Litnet

Actor and musician Ian Roberts is something of a South African icon, renowned for his roles as the rugged Boer fighter Sloet Steenkamp in the TV series Arende and as Boet in the immortal and immensely popular Castrol advertisements. In this book he looks back on his long and illustrious career in which he became known for having a flair for languages and acting from the gut.

The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is now open and we will be accepting entries until 1 November 2024. Now in its thirteenth year, the prize is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction (2 000–5 000 words). In addition to English, submissions are accepted in Bengali, Chinese, Creole, French, Greek, Malay, Maltese, Portuguese, Samoan, Swahili, Tamil, and Turkish. Stories that have been translated into English from any language are also accepted and the translator of any story that wins (regional or overall) also receives prize money.

"What makes this festival so special is how the community have come out and supported us."

"So simple in its stream:
straight forward."

"On behalf of the Ingrid Jonker Prize Committee, I wish to announce ... the winner for 2024 ..."

"It is not simply a tragedy of love and jealousy. The roots of this tragedy lie far deeper, in the dim parts of our subconscious, where we have buried the remnants of the guilt, pain and fear embedded in our colonial past."

Act and advance! is Pedro’s contribution to filling the void about the events that led to the protests at UWC. He follows in detail the lead-up to the developments at the university, the actions and activities of the students and their outcomes.

We invite you to join us for a warmhearted gathering of poets from 6 to 8 September 2024. Themed “Towards a wonderful world”, the festival seeks to instill a sense of hope and beauty, through poetry, into our turbulent world. As with all our previous festivals, the caliber of work will be exemplary and you’ll again hear Die Mengelmoes Digters – Theresa Carstens, Diana Ferrus, Fiona Fertyn, Gaireyah Fredericks, Naidene Lottering, Sophia Oliphant and Jadrick Pedro.

"Percival is the kind of writer that first disarms the reader with humour before painting the horrors of American life, on which modern Western culture is premised. Humour is the modus operandi of his narrative style. His books are tragicomedies with depth."

"In a previous article published on the LitNet platform, I suggested openly and candidly that Kaaps is the future of Afrikaans. I take that back: Kaaps has its own future; it is now in the hands of us all. Help us secure the future of this historically marginalised and indigenous language."

"your liberators
are singing the same song
as their oppressors'"

"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."

Clarence Ford will be in conversation with Patric Tariq Mellet about his new book, The truth about Cape slavery, on Monday, 2 September 2024 at 17:30 for 18:00 at Exclusive Books, Cavendish Square, Cape Town.

WOMAD SA returns to South Africa for its 3rd edition: Concert-goers can look forward to Sonography: Stories in roots and blues at Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees on 2 October, followed by a special Desmond Tutu united 4 humanity concert – featuring Ladysmith Black Mambazo, PJ Powers and several world music acts – in Cape Town on 4 October. They will then perform in Johannesburg from 9 to 13 October.

Peter Friedland served as a member of Nelson Mandela’s medical team and helped to monitor his hearing. They built a rapport over the years and their conversations regularly veered towards politics. As an ENT specialist, Peter regularly treated victims of violent crime. When his daughters were exposed to a robbery, he had to make a life-changing decision. This book examines the powerful forces that push people away from South Africa and those that pull them back in. It is never as simple as merely staying or going – it is an emotional tug of war that continues until something snaps.

In The truth about Cape slavery, Patric Tariq Mellet argues that modern South Africa – its economy and politics – is shaped and established on the foundation of chattel slavery just like the United States of America. Cape slavery, rather than minor, was a crucial feature of maritime capitalism. This then moved to become the cornerstone of the Cape’s agricultural economy. 

"Lara Foot’s direction in this adaptation of Othello expertly weaves historical context with Shakespeare’s text, creating a multilayered narrative that speaks powerfully to contemporary issues. Foot’s directorial choices highlight the insidious nature of colonialism and racism, using these themes to deepen the emotional and psychological complexity of the characters and their interactions."

"He is a creative writer very much attracted to the beauty of the mangled achievement; it is, in a sense, part of his ethos. It is the wilfully imperfect note that Pienaar strikes with great care and planning, which charms when it doesn’t become too convoluted."

"Ja, lesers gaan dinge raaklees wat nog nooit in die media gedek is nie." Stefaans Coetzee kuier saam met Nicole Engelbrecht, skrywer van die blitsverkoper, Sizzlers: The hate crime that tore Sea Point apart.

Joe Schutte en sy pelle, Nathe en Thabo, lewe vir rugby. Alles anders in Joe se lewe is so vars soos verlede jaar se brood. Maar skielik verander iets in die rugbyspan. Dit voel asof hulle spanmaats oornag groter, sterker, beter is. Joe en Thabo verloor hulle plekke in die span terwyl Nathe onseker is oor sy plek. Die drie beraam ’n plan, maar dis onwettig en die risiko is groot. Dan is daar Joanne. As Joe en Joanne se sterre mekaar gevind het, waarom kan sy ma haar nie verdra nie?