The best thing about being a subscriber to Bookslive.co.za is that you get to follow the African literature scene in a very cool way. The focus is definitely South African but you get something from other parts of this rock we live in. Take for instance today’s announcement of the Best short stories in the twenty years of South African democracy that was made earlier today. The list was made from a short list of 50 stories that had been made much earlier.
The judges of this group included Mandla Langa (Chair), Karabo Kgoleng, Mtutuzeli Matshoba, and Fiona Snyckers. Langa has written a lot the recent book being The Lost Colours of the Chameleon (2010) which was shortlisted for the prestigious Sunday Times Fiction Prize and won the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best Book – Africa Region. Kgoleng is a South African arts journalist and broadcaster with a decade’s experience in the fields of print and radio who has just joined the South African Department of Arts. Matshoba is a founder member of the Staffrider literary and arts journal, short story writer, film scriptwriter, and script editor. Snyckers (NOT SNICKERS!) is the author of the Trinity series of novels, and the Sisterz series of mobile novels.
Looking through the list some of the interesting ones include Phosphorescence written by Diane Awerbuck, and was shortlisted for the Caine Prize this year. Also of interest to me were the two stories that were responses to a story written by Can Themba The Suit that was written by current writers Siphiwo Mahala (The Suit Continued) and Zukiswa Wanner (The Dress That Fed The Suit) both appeared in Mahala’s African Delights book. Like you, I’ll be on the lookout for the other 17 stories but if those read are any indication then they are brilliant ones.
So now you know why you need to be on the mailing list Bookslive.co.za. Original content that comes regularly.
Leave a Reply