Litnet

As a young man in a close-knit Muslim community in Woodstock, Muhammad used to feel trapped between who he was and who he was expected to be. But then he met Riyaaz, and his world shifted in unexpected ways. Haram is an unflinching tale alive with hidden and unspoken desires.

Under the theme "Local Government Elections 2026 – Chances & Challenges for Municipalities to Fulfil their Constitutional Mandate" the event will explore key institutional, administrative and political dimensions of local governance ahead of the 2026 local elections.

Get ready to share the magic and celebrate the joy of reading aloud.  World Read Aloud Day (WRAD) is celebrated internationally on Wednesday, 4th February 2026, and we want you to be a part of the celebration.

"The poetry whisperer’s workshop is the takeaway from a project inspired by Alison Gwynne Evans, head of the Western Cape Branch of SACEE (the South African Council for English Education). ... Central to the workshop is the idea that the future of poetry should be affirmed, even in times where AI is set to challenge all areas of human endeavour."

"The main point is that it is exactly the sort of potential crisis that may explode, as the impression gains ground that the rules-based system under the UN and other bodies is impotent and toothless."

"Here we are, thirty-two years into our so-called non-racial, non-sexist democracy premised on human rights that are enshrined in our Constitution, and we have the minister responsible for arts and culture essentially banning an artist from participating in the Venice Biennial, because in his view, her work does not contribute to social cohesion in the country."

"The lesson of history is clear: When political anxieties dictate who may speak, the marketplace of ideas collapses. Every writer’s freedom suffers, not just that of the one targeted."

"Ultimately, this collection is about luck, about how your place in the world is more than just a cosmic accident, and about how you can never, ever outrun your history or fate."

Widely recognised as one of the most influential African writers of her generation, NoViolet Bulawayo was honoured for her short story "Hitting Budapest".

"Don’t expect even a sliver of sensationalist true crime, well-worn clichés that aren’t turned inside out, or gratuitous violence for its own sake. This is resolutely no pornographic exhibition of suffering, and the scheming that does happen is in keeping with the nature and motivation of the characters involved."

"Each number the sum of the two before
Seen in spirals of shells on the seashore"

"Flesh, Booker winner, strips away its surface, only to reveal astonishing depths below."

"Cassim writes as an insider about local Indian people, about community, about custom and ritual, and about the precarious comforts and sometimes deeply uncomfortable business of being part of a family. You can’t choose your family, but you can choose your friends, and 'found family' is certainly a thing."

"Hier is ’n Nuwejaarsgeskenk aan alle LitNet-lesers. Klik hier om vier gratis toneelstukke af te laai en te lees. Die tekste van hierdie vier eenmanvertonings ('one man shows') sal jou aan vroeëre tye herinner, jou laat wonder en jou hoop gee. Ons is hier, ten spyte van alles!"

Following a record-breaking run in Johannesburg, The Nutcracker comes to Cape Town in February 2026 for seven performances only.

"This a joke book – except that all the dialogue is real, and from my family, over a period of fifteen years. I have been taking notes."

"For now, I continue reading – lifting the dust of archives, tracing the moral DNA of empires. The covenant demands it. And dust, after all, is where every story of human belonging begins."

"Can AI imitate God? What is lost when one seeks guidance from a machine?" This video overview of an accredited LitNet Akademies (Godsdienswetenskappe) article by Anné Verhoef is generated by AI.

"In the end, I hoped to create a show that honours Andersen’s emotional truth while offering a version of the story that feels honest, contemporary and welcoming to a 2025 South African audience."

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