Category: South Africa
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iBuyambo Book Festival 2026 starts February 20
The iBuyambo Book Festival 2026, themed “Our Words. Our Work. Our Freedom,” will take place on February 20 – 21, 2026, in Langa, Cape Town, South Africa. It will coincide with International Mother Tongue Day, which is February 21, reinforcing its commitment to linguistic heritage. First held in Langa in December 2023, the iBuyambo Book…
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Book Digest: Chika Unigwe, Netonon Noel Ndjékéry, Kagiso Lesego Molope, Mordecai O. Ogada
Our regular Book Digest segment spotlights new books by Chika Unigwe, Netonon Noel Ndjékéry, Kagiso Lesego Molope, and Mordecai O. Ogada. Grace by Chika Unigwe Publisher: Canongate BooksPublication Date: January 15, 2025Genre: FictionLanguage: English Where to find it: Canongate Books Chika Unigwe Chika Unigwe is Professor of Creative Writing at Georgia College and the author…
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Book Digest: Nadia Davids, Oyinkan Braithwaite, Lolá Ákínmádé, Hussain Ahmed
Our regular Book Digest segment spotlights new books by Nadia Davids, Oyinkan Braithwaite, Lolá Ákínmádé, and Hussain Ahmed. Cape Fever By Nadia Davids Publisher: Simon & SchusterPublication Date: December 9, 2025Genre: FictionLanguage: EnglishWhere to find it: Simon & Schuster Nadia Davids Nadia Davids is an acclaimed South African playwright, novelist, academic, and former President of…
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Sunday Times Literary Awards 2025 Winners Announced
Shubnum Khan and Khumisho Moguerane were declared winners of the Sunday Times Literary Awards 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Thursday, December 4, 2025. The Sunday Times Literary Awards are awarded annually in fiction (since 1989) and nonfiction (since 2001). Organised by South African newspaper The Sunday Times, it has been won in recent times…
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South African Publishing Hub Launches Third Cycle to Amplify Local Voices
The third cycle of the DSAC Publishing Hub launched on Friday, November 21, 2025, at the University of South Africa (UNISA) in Pretoria. The event celebrated 21 new manuscripts selected for publication, marking a significant step in preserving the nation’s literary heritage. An initiative of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) and the…
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South African Literary Awards 2025 winners announced
The winners of the South African Literary Awards 2025 were announced at the Roodepoort Theatre and Museum in Johannesburg on Tuesday, November 11, 2024. The South African Literary Awards, popularly known as the SALAs, organised by wRite associates, have honoured many authors since 2005. Winning writers and poets have included Es’kia Mphahlele, Nadine Gordimer, Miriam…
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South African Literary Awards 2025 shortlists announced.
The South African Literary Awards 2025 shortlists were announced in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Monday, October 27, 2025. The South African Literary Awards, popularly known as the SALAs, organised by wRite associates, have honoured many authors since they were founded in 2005. Winning writers and poets have included Es’kia Mphahlele, Nadine Gordimer, Miriam Tlali, Lauretta…
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Book Digest: José Eduardo Agualusa, Kopano Matlwa, Anote Ajeluorou, Jasmaine Payne
Our regular Book Digest segment spotlights new books by José Eduardo Agualusa, Kopano Matlwa, Anote Ajeluorou, and Jasmaine Payne. Todo Sobre Deus by José Eduardo Agualusa Publisher: Quetzal EditoresDate: October 2025Genre: Fiction Language: Portuguese Where to find it: Quetzal Editores José Eduardo Agualusa José Eduardo Agualusa was born in the city of Huambo, Angola, on…
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iLembe Book Festival 2025 starts October 23
The iLembe Book Festival 2025, under the theme, “Reading is a Right, Not a Privilege,” runs in Groutville, KwaDukuza, South Africa from October 23 – 25, 2025. The iLembe Book Festival is a collective effort of award-winning novelist Nozizwe Cynthia Jele, author and journalist Dudu Busani-Dube, and writer Ayanda Xaba. First hosted in 2024 by…
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Morland Writing Scholarships 2025 shortlist announced.
The Morland Writing Scholarships 2025 shortlists were announced in London, UK, today, Friday, October 17, 2025. The Morland Writing Scholarships for African Writers, popularly referred to as the Morland Writing Scholarship, is an opportunity to allow writers to finish a manuscript. In the past, the scholarship has been accorded to writers from across the continent,…
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South African author and academic Zoe Wicomb has passed away
South African author, translator, and academic Zoe Wicomb passed away in Glasgow, Scotland, on Monday, October 13, 2025. Zoë Wicomb was born in Namaqualand, Northern Cape, in 1948, and grew up during the height of apartheid, a time that deeply influenced her writing and lifelong inquiry into the complexities of belonging and selfhood. After completing…
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Sunday Times Literary Awards 2025 shortlists announced
The Sunday Times Literary Awards 2025 shortlists were announced in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Sunday, October 5, 2025. The Sunday Times Literary Awards are awarded annually in fiction (since 1989) and nonfiction (since 2001). Organised by South African newspaper The Sunday Times, it has been won in recent times by Jacob Dlamini and Damon Galgut (2015), Pumla Dineo…
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Fred Khumalo’s “Dancing The Death Drill” stage adaptation
Fred Khumalo’s novel Dancing The Death Drill was adapted for stage and performed at the Joburg Theatre from September 9 – 28, 2025. In 1917, the British ship the SS Mendi launched from the British colony Cape Town, South Africa, with hundreds of natives of the Southern African country to take part in the European…
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Zukiswa Wanner and Other Global Sumud Flotilla Activists Released
South African writer, publisher, and activist Zukiswa Wanner and other participants in the Global Sumud Flotilla arrived safely in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, after their release from Israeli custody. The Global Sumud Flotilla is an international, civil society–led maritime initiative aimed at breaking the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. The…
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University of Johannesburg Prize 2025 winners announced
Barbara Boswell, Siphokazi Jonas, and Shubnum Khan were announced as the University of Johannesburg Prize 2025 winners on Tuesday, September 30, 2025. The University of Johannesburg Prize for South African Writing in English, also known as the UJ Prize, was instituted in 2006. It comprises a main prize and a debut prize, given annually for…