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An illuminated darkness by Jacques Coetzee: a review
2021-05-12"But beyond the good that this means for visually impaired readers and the South African publishing industry, the collection’s poems are worth their own engagement. To me, the poems’ most interesting elements come from their portrayal of various humans’ attempts to relate to one another earnestly."
Wesens is “a deep exploration of humankind”
2021-05-11"Though culture is ingrained in us and forms a big part of how we shape and see our world, it is learned, and therefore we can unlearn the parts of our culture that no longer serve us, or the parts of it that do not do the planet any good."
Artfluence Human Rights Festival, 5 May 2021: Keynote address
2021-05-11"Even today, 27 years later, it is still hard to find a vaccine against the virus of racism, because of those many daily new variants."
Wesens is far “from the archetypal gun-toting American film” says Nelia Bester
2021-05-11"The two scientists have a different kind of power over the major and staff sergeant. They are the ones documenting the journey and can therefore decide when to stop filming and when to start again."
“Leave your Hollywood notions at the door”: Mphanya Mmatseleng on Wesens
2021-05-11"To those who have not seen the film, allow yourself to experience this Afrikaans catalyst project. Leave your Hollywood notions of films and filmmaking at the door, and give this unique film a chance to challenge your outlook on life."
Wesens: Uncomfortable truths found among the footage
2021-05-10"The audience must confront the uncomfortable realisation that our Western ideas of civilisation, progress and superiority are fundamentally outdated."
Wesens: a review by Ayden Kruger
2021-05-07"The film as a whole grapples with the concept of invasion. Set against the backdrop of the Americans attempting to invade the moon and the Russians apparently attempting to invade the world with communism, the arrival of the foreign object onto the farm seems dangerously intrusive."
Response to letter of Dr Smith
2021-05-07"Dr Smith will be unable to provide proof of her misleading claim that the department’s doors have been shut as the misleading headline of her letter suggests. At the time of the University of Fort Hare authoring this response, no decision has been taken by the senate."
Wesens, an analysis by Jessica Smith
2021-05-06"Careful combinations of cinematic elements carry a weighty topic with an aesthetically pleasing backdrop – a masterfully executed film for fans of indie productions and for those who are undaunted by the truth."
An analysis of Wesens (2020) by Gareth H Green
2021-05-06"It is a surprisingly beautiful message derived from brutally honest and ever-relevant commentary on human society as a whole."
Press release ‒ Programme: ArtFluence Human Rights Festival
2021-05-04The inaugural ArtFluence Human Rights Festival (5‒8 May 2021) will focus on arts, constitution and democracy. This online festival, presented by the Centre for Creative Arts (CCA) in partnership with the Embassy of the Netherlands, will be live-streamed.
Press release and competition: Buy Christine and win a trip to Amsterdam in 2022
2021-05-04To celebrate the release of Christine, Melinda Ferguson Books (an imprint of NB Publishers) is thrilled to announce an exciting competition that offers one lucky reader the chance to win a return ticket to Amsterdam in 2022.
Press release: 1st Commonwealth Women’s Entrepreneurship Summit to be held 19–20 May 2021
2021-05-04The inaugural Commonwealth Women’s Entrepreneurship Summit is the first global event to focus on women in emerging tech sectors. It is a two-day online conference focusing on women’s entrepreneurship featuring 50 speakers, 20 talks and 12 panel sessions.
By the fading light by Ashraf Kagee: a reader impression
2021-05-04"By the fading light is a book to be read and reread. To remind us of where we were as a country. To savour the language. To laugh. But mostly to stare misty-eyed into the distance."
The African Library ‒ Timothy Ogene: The day ends like any day (2017)
2021-05-03"This debut novel by acclaimed poet Timothy Ogene bears the traces of the author’s lyrical talent, his Nigerian origins, his expansive reading of world literature and his life-cherishing attentiveness to natural and human phenomena, both physical and spiritual. The text is, nevertheless, unpretentious in every way; as a narrative, perhaps a bildungsroman, the predominant tonal quality is a sort of quietness, a retrospective serenity."
First sip: It’s not about the bats by Adam Cruise
2021-05-03"We recognise when our pets are happy or sad, we understand the happy expression of an elephant wallowing in a muddy waterhole or a tired lion yawning under the shade of a tree at midday. But the mannerisms of bats, fish and mosquitoes, no."
COSATU: The solution to corruption is in our hands
2021-04-30"This fight requires determination and brutal efficiency. Diplomacy does not work with criminals. If the president succeeds, voters will rally around and defend him."
The departing
2021-04-29"Brandish the banners –
bright red as the dying day –
for tonight the old man will wilt
and eerily drift away –"
Listening, not squabbling, builds academic communities
2021-04-29"Listening language involves people from different language backgrounds talking and writing their own language, and understanding one another while developing their receptive language skills and practising strategies to attain a more complete command of the other language."
The profiler diaries by Gérard Labuschagne – reader impression
2021-04-28"As a reader (and writer), I find the interviews Labuschagne conducted with suspects most interesting, as they afford one rare glimpses into their worlds and the way they saw things."
