Litnet

"'Sika Lekhekhe. Knyp die kat in the donker. Wiggling the toothpick. Whatever you call it, whoever you are and whatever you’re into, let’s talk about it.' That’s what the promo pack said. Then I watched the first episode. That is why I invited Kim and Romantha for a chat – about sex, of course!"

During International Mother Tongue Language Month, Tessa Dowling talks about her love and teachings of the Xhosa language. "I was captivated by the superb sound of Xhosa and the absolute grammatical sense that it made to me! Its power to connect me to people."

Freek Robinson interviews Songezo Zibi, author of Manifesto: a new vision for South Africa (2022), about the current political situation and his view on how South Africa can be turned around.

Will other metros follow the Mother City's example? Freek Robinson interviews Geordin Hill-Lewis, the mayor of Cape Town.

"Of course I admire, study and read books from other continents, but African writing is to my mind still hugely underrated and far too little known, when there are brilliant novels of great depth and complexity produced all over our continent."

What is Boris Johnson's legacy? What lies ahead for British politics, society and foreign policy? Freek Robinson interviews John Simpson, world affairs editor of BBC News.

"Battiss is a huge subject! Briefly, he was born in Somerset East in 1906 and became South Africa’s best abstract artist. He is still considered to be our best water colour artist."

Mphuthumi Ntabeni is one of six authors currently in residence in Somerset East, courtesy of the Jakes Gerwel Foundation and PEN South Africa. His novel The wanderers is on the long list for the Sunday Times Fiction Prize.

"I’m blown away and I feel so honoured. When I left KwaSizabantu back in 1993, there was very little support available to survivors of cultic and coercive groups. It was pre-internet days, too, so I was on my own and really struggled. Books saved me, however."

Nzara: Hunger is a mythological, musical epic poem telling the story of the Rozvi Empire from Great Zimbabwe attempting to steal the moon out of the sky. The movie is based on a ceremony-theatre play by the same name. It is cyclical in nature and portrays a world devoured by terror. It invites us, once again, to believe in love.

"Studying towards a medical degree is extremely demanding and studies show that medical students around the world have high rates of depression and anxiety, even in the preclinical years of training. Awareness and knowledge are the first steps to prevention, and as the saying goes, prevention is better than cure!"

"I believe that literature, if done right, speaks about much more than just the present moment – it allows us to examine the past and imagine the future."

"Watching Ukrainian parents evacuate their children to safety while staying behind to fight for their future breaks my heart. I cannot imagine the levels of anxiety and distress this kind of separation causes for a family. These people will never fully recover from this, even if they survive."

"My heartfelt hope is that this book reaches those who are in toxic situations (whether at home or at work), where their boundaries are being transgressed, and that reading it helps them to see their situation with clearer eyes and take steps to protect themselves."

"No. Children in this country don’t read enough."

"Overall, the entire process was a joy. I always try to make a fun environment where the actors can enjoy themselves. I think that genuine joy translates into the film. Also, it’s easy to forget, sometimes, but we’re making cartoons for a living. If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong."

On 10 December Aoife Lennon-Ritchie spoke to Gabeba Baderoon and Sifton Anipare about getting published, emigrating and feminism.

How do we represent Africa as a multicultural, multifaceted continent to our readers? How do we embrace diversity in early readers for Africa’s kids? And how do we market our wonderful African stories to a Eurocentric world?

African comics are created for Africans, not the East, nor the West. “I draw myself,” one panellist said. Yet many African comics find their way into Europe, simply because our comics are of international quality.

"If I had wanted to attack the heart of Afrikanerdom, I would have put a bomb, even a tiny one, in or around the Voortrekker Monument." In 2011, Hélène Passtoors received the Order of the Companions of OR Tambo for her contribution to the armed struggle against apartheid. In this exclusive interview with Melt Myburgh, she shares memories about her life as an MK operative.