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The Jakes Gerwel Foundation and Passa Porta international house of literature in Brussels residency: an interview with Shireen Mall

Naomi Meyer, Shireen Mall Books and writers 2024-03-28

"Any serious writer with purpose will agree that the opportunity to collaborate in dialogue with a diverse group of writers from across the world in various disciplines is a sure way to grow personally as a writer and broaden your scope."

Press release: Second Amazwi conference on children’s literature, a call for papers

LitNet Books and writers 2024-03-26

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.

Halo: a TV review

Réney Warrington TV 2024-03-26

"Halo has oodles of heart and soul and characters that resonate deeply."

South Africa's water crisis

Freek Robinson, Anthony Turton Interviews 2024-03-26

Anthony Turton, an expert in water resource management, outlines the extent of the water crisis in South Africa.

Press release: AVBOB Poetry – Melissa Sussens’s tips for “finding the spark”

LitNet Books and writers 2024-03-25

Melissa Sussens is a poet dedicated to opening up and maintaining inclusive spaces for poets everywhere. Melissa has shared three exercises that help her to find her own creative spark (and kindle it in others).

Press release: Joburg Ballet’s exhilarating Scarcity heads for the KKNK

LitNet KKNK 2024-03-25

It’s time for new adventures for Joburg Ballet as the company gears up for its first ever appearance at the KKNK in Oudtshoorn on 27 and 28 March. The stimulating trio of dance works Joburg Ballet is presenting at the KKNK showcases an impressive line-up of choreographers: South Africa’s Dada Masilo, Chinese-German choreographer Hannah Ma and the Netherlands-based Spanish choreographer Jorge Pérez Martínez.

The Jakes Gerwel Foundation and Passa Porta international house of literature in Brussels residency: an interview with Sibuyiselo Sbuja Dywili

Naomi Meyer, Sibuyiselo Sbuja Dywili Books and writers 2024-03-23

"And secondly, I keep asking this: why should anyone bother to read or come watch a play written by an unknown young man who lives in the outskirts of Cape Town, where everything is far from him and the city lights are supposedly fantasies? And who lives every day looking up hoping to see a billboard of a role model in the township, but only gets to see the walking, unsung heroes who once tried and failed, the many who sought stability and did everything right, yet still crashed?"

Shorts: A festival of pocket operas – an interview with Conrad Asman, composer of Trial by media

Naomi Meyer, Conrad Asman Lifestyle and entertainment 2024-03-22

Ahead of Shorts: A festival of pocket operas at the Artscape Arena, Naomi Meyer spoke to composer Conrad Asman about his new work, Trial by media, which revolves around the media’s impact on the Oscar Pistorius trial: "Reeva’s voice has often been forgotten during various portrayals of this trial, and it is my hope to rectify this, while highlighting the effects of domestic violence present in this story."

The Jakes Gerwel Foundation and Passa Porta international house of literature in Brussels residency: an interview with Ayanda Xaba

Naomi Meyer, Ayanda Xaba Books and writers 2024-03-22

"The best part of the residency is the uninterrupted time to write, in a heavenly location, and the inspiration one gets in such a historic place. The town is quiet, the views are calming; this is honestly the best place to write."

Southern (African) Gothic: Exploring the horror film genre

Alex J Coyne Lifestyle and entertainment 2024-03-19

"Here’s a walk through the corridors of South African horror, from early ’70s thrillers to modern, local zombie films."

Books on the Bay Festival 2024: an interview with Darryl David

Naomi Meyer, Darryl David Books and writers 2024-03-19

"Midway through my second passion fruit and lemonade, I said that a region so rich in literary history deserves a literary festival of its own. To which David [Attwell] replied: 'Why don’t we do it?'"

Press release: The South African premiere of Shakespeare’s Othello at the Baxter from 6 April to 4 May 2024

LitNet Lifestyle and entertainment 2024-03-18

The South African premiere of Shakespeare’s Othello, adapted and directed by Lara Foot with a stellar cast and creatives, premieres at the Baxter on 6 April 2024. In this South African production, performed in English, isiXhosa and Afrikaans, Foot focuses on Othello’s inner life, wanting to add an African perspective, staging the play in several languages and relocates it to the time of German colonialism, to the time of the Herero uprising in German Southwest Africa, to present-day Namibia.

Call for papers: Imagining the ordinary city – arts, placemaking and everyday urban lives

LitNet Akademies en skole 2024-03-18

The deadline for abstract submissions is 30 May.

Press release: Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards winners celebrated at the Baxter

LitNet Lifestyle and entertainment 2024-03-18

The winners of the 59th Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards, sponsored by Heineken Beverages, were announced at a glittering ceremony at the Baxter Theatre Centre in Rondebosch, Cape Town. Read the full list of winners here.

KKNK 2024: volledige program

LitNet KKNK 2024-03-18

Die KKNK vind van 23 tot 31 Maart 2024 in Oudtshoorn plaas. Hier is nog inligting vir lesers wat die fees vanjaar wil bywoon.

Research at University of Johannesburg and societal impact

Freek Robinson, Sarah Gravett Universiteitseminaar | University Seminar 2024-03-14

For the second year running, the University of Johannesburg (UJ) has been ranked as the leading producer of accredited research outputs in South Africa. Sarah Gravett, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Internationalisation at UJ, emphasises the importance of research that impacts communities and society.

Ethics and the rise of the hustler state | Etienne van Heerden Veldsoirée 2023

Pedro Tabensky Etienne van Heerden Veldsoirée 2024-03-12

In this video, he asks the viewer to consider how the hunger and humiliation of concentration camps forced individuals into unethical behaviour. Then he turns the spotlight to decades of poverty and humiliation in South Africa.

Q&A with writer and director of Mercy, Zubayr Charles

Izak de Vries, Zubayr Charles Lifestyle and entertainment 2024-03-12

"A common discourse in Islamic and Cape Malay households here in Cape Town is the severe disdain projected onto those who place their parents in old-age homes. My goal with Mercy was to portray the subtle nuances and complexities as to why people make those decisions."

Press release: Cape Town Opera presents SHORTS: A festival of pocket operas at the Artscape Theatre from 11 to 21 April 2024

LitNet Lifestyle and entertainment 2024-03-11

This autumn, Cape Town Opera will present SHORTS: A festival of pocket operas, a captivating series of concise operas at the Artscape Theatre from 11 to 21 April, 2024. This dynamic festival promises to be a celebration of operatic innovation and storytelling, including the world premiere of Conrad Asman’s Trial by media, a compelling new South African opera, Francis Poulenc’s La voix humaine, and Mozart’s comedic opera The impresario, presented in English.

Press release: LAMTA’s Spring awakening hit musical returns to Cape Town and Johannesburg

LitNet Lifestyle and entertainment 2024-03-11

Spring awakening, directed by Sylvaine Strike, is back by popular demand. Based on the original play by Frank Wedekind, Spring awakening first opened on Broadway in 2006 to great acclaim. Hailed a masterpiece, the groundbreaking musical has consistently pushed boundaries.

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