Litnet

The Commonwealth Foundation has announced five regional winners of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, the world’s most global literary prize. 

Koos Kombuis gee hoog op oor Karin Brynard se speurroman Tuisland. Hy vertel ook waarom hy van chicklit hou en neem Marian Keyes se My favourite mistake onder die loep. Daarna gesels hy ook oor bundels van die skrywer-musikante Corrazerwas (Tussenspel) en Andries de Beer (Aalmoes vir die bootman).

"Hierdie boek behoort wyd byval te vind. Nie net by ouers wat die ontsaglike verlies van ’n kind moes beleef het nie maar ook oor kinders grootmaak en die huwelik waar die ouers ’n sterk span vorm."

Lisa Robinson has moved from Durban to Cape Town to be with Grant, the prospective next First Minister of the Good Hope Territory. The GHT is the safest and most prosperous country in the southern hemisphere – at a price.  Life here is picture-perfect. The Mother City is pristine. Everyone has a job. Tourism is booming. But this shiny new state has decided that Lisa is a problem, and problems here disappear quickly and quietly.

"Perhaps the country most deeply affected by the ICC warrants, other than Israel itself, would be the USA. While itself not an ICC states party, US criticism of the Palestine case – in light of its previous support for the ICC warrants against Putin and Bashir, among others – exposes not only its double standards, but the shallowness of its much-touted moral compass."

Will voting be based on competence or identity? Freek Robinson talks to William Gumede, chairperson of the multiparty convention.

"Nie almal wat oor gebeure in verlede tye skryf, kan as historici beskou word nie. Het Karel Schoeman dié titel verdien?" Dan Sleigh het voor sy dood oor Karel Schoeman as historikus geskryf, en sy dogter Jean Sleigh het die teks aan LitNet gestuur om te plaas as meningsartikel.

"The unlikely secret agent is meer as net ’n historiese drama. Dit herinner ons aan die krag van gewone mense om buitengewone dinge te doen in die aangesig van ongeregtigheid."

Met Frazer Barry se lied "Plakkaat oppe paal" hoop hy "die liedjie inspireer Suid-Afrikaners om nugter te dink oor die politieke bestel en hoe hulle hul stem kan gebruik om die politieke leiers verantwoordelik te hou."

"But suddenly the agenda has become denser and more complex. International issues, bad old South African racial politics, and opportunistic political engineering have all made an appearance. So let’s pinpoint some of the key issues."

From 30 May – 14 June 2024, the acclaimed St Olaf Choir (USA), under the baton of its renowned conductor Anton Armstrong, will tour South Africa, with eight concerts and numerous choir collaborations and workshops in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Soweto, KZN and Cape Town. Composed of 75 mixed voices, the St Olaf Choir is hailed as one of the USA’s premier a cappella ensembles, renowned for its artistry and beauty of sound.

There is no shortage of good advice, personal finance books and well-worn practices, so the question is: Why can’t people change? We know what to do, but then inexplicably don’t seem to do it. What keeps tripping us up? Many of our money troubles are caused by behavioural traps that keep us locked in a cycle. The book contains real-life case studies of people who overcame financial difficulties and highlights the small steps they took to change the course of their lives. No matter what your income level or financial background, this book is tailored to help everyone.

There’s captivating music and even a Pulitzer Prize-nominee for the June programme at The Drama Factory: "Love Letters is a wonderful, funny and moving play which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Our music extravaganza this month includes Guitar Heroes with Mel Botes, celebrating the music of iconic guitar heroes. Also don’t miss Franky Jones’ beautiful tribute to legendary singer Edith Piaf in Edith Piaf, the untold story."

"Nie net was daar selfs tydens die opkoms en hoogbloei van Afrikaner-nasionalisme onder Afrikaners wisselende grade van verbintenis tot dié projek nie, maar selfs al kom jy uit ’n familie wat nie daardie sterk verbintenis gehad het nie, kan jy nie net eenvoudig van daardie identiteit wegstap nie."

"Ek het die Bothmas in Kaapstad ontmoet toe ek rondom 2000 betrokke was by Tafelberg-Uitgewers, die Akademiespelers en teater-, en boekresensies vir byvoorbeeld Die Burger gelewer het."

"Hoekom fokus ek op GOOD terwyl hulle grootliks deur die hoofstroommedia ignoreer word? Dalk omdat ek sien hoedat hulle strategies werk op munisipale vlak, en aflei dat dit ook op provinsiale en nasionale vlak herhaal word."

"Hidrologie is die studie van die beweging en verspreiding van water. Sosiohidrologie fokus op die komplekse verhouding tussen menslike interaksie en waterstelsels. Beide sosiohidrologie en hidrososiale teorie, wat albei uit hidrologie ontwikkel het, kry erkenning op grond van die klem wat geplaas word op die rol van sosiale faktore in fisiese prosesse."

"Soos enige ywerige leser is ek heeltyd op soek na nuwe stemme, maar dan verwag ek dat daardie nuwe stemme my asem moet wegslaan. Dit is hoe ’n genre groei."

"Hoewel die versoek om lasbriewe teen Israelse staatsamptenare ’n nuwe verwikkeling is, moet die verwikkeling naas een van die konstantes van die internasionale politiek gelees word: Die opkoms en ondergang van groot moondhede het daadwerklike uitwerkings op die beoefening van die internasionale politiek."

"This novel, the first in a trilogy, sets the stage for an exciting and thrillingly heroic tale of love and loss, family relationships and the consequences of war – both glorious and not."