Litnet

"Rather than charge an entrance fee, we want children to be able to go home with a book or at least carry a story that they heard at the festival in their hearts for the rest of their school days, at least."

The third event in the Skrywersaand series will feature the launch of two compelling thrillers: The hidden by Fiona Snyckers and Good Hope by Nick Clelland. Both novels are set in the near future, The hidden in the United States and Good Hope in an unsettling version of what readers would recognise as Cape Town. Jonathan Amid will lead the discussion, delving deeply into questions of genre, power, place and the politics of fear.

Major names will be in Cradock from 12 to 15 June 2024 for the annual Karoo Writers Festival. Deon Meyer, Coenie de Villiers, André Schwartz, David Viviers and Herman Lategan are but a few of the names that have already been pegged to the performers list.

"I was asked to speak about young-adult fiction (YAF). It is a topic I am passionate about, and I love reading YAF, but I am really old. That was one of the reasons I asked four YA authors to share their views on their own writing with the girls. The authors agreed to share their insights with the rest of the country on World Book Day."

"Tens of thousands of civilians flooded into the streets – no one slept that night. Carnations were the flowers in season, and many of the soldiers 'planted' the long-stemmed flowers in their gun barrels – an image broadcast across the world."

"The near north is a book of memory, about life and death, joy and sadness, spatial geography and the thinking and not thinking behind human settlements."

"This is my first traditionally published novel set outside of South Africa. This is a story that could only be set in the USA. The combination of survivalist cult, ultra-right-wing white supremacists and federal authorities could only take place there. That was the story I felt compelled to tell, and that dictated the setting."

"Widespread municipal corruption, management failures, poor skills and continual disruptions raise serious questions about the prospects of municipalities or other public bodies sustainably delivering better services. Meanwhile, National Treasury has often cited ineffective grant utilisation by municipalities as a key reason for why water finances have not reached local low-income groups."

An international judging panel has shortlisted twenty-three outstanding stories for the world’s most global literature prize. The shortlisted writers hail from 13 countries across the Commonwealth and their ambitious stories span continents and decades.

"The word 'intent' is of paramount importance here."

Join us for an evening filled with lively discussions around Ian Sutherland’s new novel, Catastrophe. Set against the backdrop of a world teetering on the brink of disaster, this thought-provoking novel explores themes of resilience, redemption, and the pursuit of truth in the face of overwhelming adversity.

"This always seems to happen nowadays: When wars break out conveniently close and accessible to the world’s press, they get wall-to-wall coverage."

This one-of-a-kind festival, curated by award-winning internationally acclaimed producer/engineer and LGBTQ+ activist, Christi van der Colff, promises to be a deconstructed celebration aimed at fostering genuine connections through the mediums of music, art, and film.

"One or two clicks could turn into Johnny Cash performing 'Barbie girl' or create a photograph of Steve Hofmeyr singing into a barbecue sausage."

The king of broken things is a journey into the broken heart of a young boy, a journey of discovery through his experiments, projects, and creations. He teaches us that the rehabilitation of broken things includes people and hearts, and that all things, seen and unseen, can be mended. Whether you’re 8 or 80, The king of broken things will rehabilitate every heart – it’s not just for young audiences.

"South Africa’s foreign policy towards Israel and its war in Gaza should therefore not be seen in isolation, but as part of a broader framework in which the cause of the weak, marginalised and oppressed is apparently advocated."

"Opera is always important, no matter where you find yourself."

Whether embarking on a bizarre quest to find Cecil Rhodes’s missing nose (sliced off the bust of the Rhodes Memorial) or bike-packing the Scottish islands with a couple of squabbling anarchists; whether learning to surf (much too late) in the wild, freezing waters off the Cape Peninsula or navigating the fraught politics of a Buddhist retreat centre – the author explores forgotten utopias, intentional communities and islands of imagination with curiosity, hope and humour.

Join her, as she takes the audience on an evening of comedy, celebrating the strengths and weaknesses of South Africa’s democracy - just in time - as the country gears up for the 2024 big elections.

"I remember that it was a close-up photo of Opperman’s face which illustrated one of his poetry collections. I was fascinated by the detail, which I immediately associated with a landscape. This was the impetus which inspired me to start writing."