Litnet

Oude Leeskamer is proud to announce the launch of The near north by the award-winning Ivan Vladislavić on 21 May 2024 at 18:00. He will be joined by Justin Fox, whose Place: South African literary journeys has recently enjoyed a fifth print run. Skrywersaand host Jonathan Amid will lead the discussion.

Elections are looming. Herman Mashaba (ActionSA) tells Freek Robinson how ActionSA would fix a country that is falling apart.

"Not only does Zuma challenge the ANC politically, but he also claims its heritage."

"Thirty years of democracy has eased the strained relations between the races of the apartheid years. There is a spontaneity, humour and verve in public life, in the shops and eateries, which is very refreshing to any outside visitor."

Poets or their publishers are invited to submit entries for the Ingrid Jonker Prize for English poetry in 2024. The closing date for submissions is 20 June 2024.

"Even the water sector reform after the political transition of 1994 has largely stuck to the direct municipal WSS delivery model from the apartheid era. A major difference, though, is that post-apartheid municipalities took on responsibility for service delivery in areas that had never been as well connected and managed as the previous white-only areas. This still hinders the bridging of these gaps."

The choir ensemble Voces Cordis comprises 75 talented and dedicated young adults from all over the Western Cape who share a passion for choral music and singing. Under the direction of the acclaimed choral conductor André van der Merwe, the choir will return to Stellenbosch for its first gala performance of 2024 on Friday, 24 May as part of the Endler Concert Series.

"It is morally, ethically and democratically wrong to exclude the voices of people who live on the margins, to speak for them. Trans and gender-diverse identities and lives are undeniable; to deny them is to rewrite history and to engage in behaviour which is bullying and abusive."

"The weather could not be any more different from South Africa’s sunny Karoo to the freezing winters in Moscow, where sunlight may be there for only four hours a day!"

"What does social media say about you, and what could it say about others around you? Social media reveals more than just your basic likes, like listening to Nirvana and reading a lot of Tolkien, but also locks your thoughts and musings in time. TikTok, Facebook and YouTube can be a good way to know someone, but when potential danger signs are ignored, social media is a darker trip."

"Admittedly, it is tricky to write about a journey with food. Unless you are writing a recipe book, how do you go about it? The book is a blend between autobiography and narrative novel."

"On Friday, during the South African Festival of Children’s Literature, I have been presented with the SA Children’s Laureate Award for my contribution to SA children’s literature."

We are giving away 2 x 2 tickets to Let’s Carnivale for Friday night’s show. Yes! You and a partner could be lucky enough to go on Friday night 17 May 2024! Each ticket is worth R400.

Amazwi South African Museum of Literature invites you to a conference that explores all aspects of children’s literature, from picture books to young-adult fiction.

Rory Riordan explains why all of us should demand that the blue team formally work with the green, black and gold team to move South Africa forward.

"It is easy in South African politics to blame Zuma, the preterit king of the superfluous, while failing to understand that the fundamental root of our current problems is extreme inequality."

"I don’t have the answers or pretend that any of this is easy. Nor will I accept that the ANC inherited an immaculate country in 1994. There was a lot to address – many vast inequalities and systems which were already corrupt and unjust. But it is now 30 years later and there is no denying the fact that we should be much further along ..."

"Despite our country facing challenges such as crime, corruption and energy insecurity, our democracy is worth defending through our vote."

"My reservations have nothing to do with whether I support this or that party in the Israel-Palestine conflict. It also has nothing to do with the question of whether it is or is not the right thing to do to support the two-state solution. My question turns on the lesson imparted above, ie, 'And then what will happen?'"