Litnet

Jonathan Amid will be in conversation with Siphiwe Gloria Ndluvu on her African gothic novel The creation of half-broken people at Oude Leeskamer on 12 September at 18:00 as part of the Skrywersaand series of book discussions.

"It is adorned with jewels
Like beads of sweat
On the skin of an athlete lifting weights that are heavier
Than the men who say she does not belong in the gym"

The McGregor whisky weekend is open to whisky lovers of all levels, from seasoned connoisseurs to those simply curious to learn more.

Music enthusiasts in the Western Cape are in for a remarkable experience as the internationally acclaimed double bassist and conductor, Leon Bosch, takes the podium in Stellenbosch on Friday, 6 September 2024.

"Reading about this aspect of Cape history formed part of the inspiration for a recent short story of mine, a work of flash fiction, which is about a young woman and her grandmother, and their different approaches to doing laundry, particularly their underwear. While ostensibly about panties (as the story is titled), it is also about our country’s long and difficult history, about ourselves and about memory."

Wêreld is hosting a series of art auctions, in partnership with Karen Zoid, to raise funds for the building of the first artist retreat space in the Piketberg mountains. The next Wêreld art auction will be an online as well as in-person launch event on 6 September at Kleinevalleij Estate in the Cape Winelands. Artworks by more than 70 artists, including Willem Boshoff, Pierneef, Lionel Smit, Maaike Bakker, Gordon Froud, Nina Torr, Johan Thom, Lien Botha and many more will be on display.

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 Now in its thirteenth year, the prize is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction (2 000–5 000 words).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.