Booker Prize shortlist has two debut novels

The six titles shortlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize were announced on Thursday.

First awarded in 1969, the Booker Prize is regarded as the leading award for high-quality literary fiction written in English.

This year marks a first for all six scribes who made the shortlist, which features two debut novels, Chetna Maroo's Western Lane and Jonathan Escoffery's If I Survive You. 

The shortlisted titles are: 

Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein

If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery 

This Other Eden by Paul Harding

Prophet Song by Paul Lynch 

Western Lane by Chetna Maroo 

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray

The winner will be announced at a prize ceremony in London at Old Billingsgate on November 26.

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Sihle Nontshokweni and her mother don matching outfits to launch uNobuntu at Open Book Festival 2023

Sihle Nontshokweni and her mother Nombeko Nontshokweni stunned crowds at the 2023 Open Book Festival with matching orange outfits. The duo launched Nombeko’s book and documentary uNobuntu at the festival.

uNobuntu is Sihle’s mother’s book, a collection of poetry on life and grief. The book took 40 years to publish as Nombeko began penning poetry after she lost her first daughter uNobuntu.

Sihle remarked that she is proud of her mother’s journey of writing and publishing this incredibly personal book:
Mom lost her first child uNobuntu in 1983, she started writing poetry as a way of making sense of this loss. At the time she was an isiXhosa literature teacher so she used the writing instruments she’d be trained in to write. The manuscript collected dust for decades and when I published Wanda (2019) I was trying to help her publish this book.

The mother and daughter went to the 2023 Open Book Festival to screen the documentary version of the book, where her mom discovers her finished manuscript for the first time.

Read the synopsis below:
What do mothers do when they experience abrupt loss? “uNOBUNTU”, is a portrait of the quintessential, post-millennial South African family; a devoted daughter helps her mother fulfil her life-long dream of publishing a treasured 40-year-old manuscript. This story of hope, and triumph, goes against the backdrop of prevailing stereotypes about the culture of literacy in Africa. Instead, it lifts a contextual, hidden narrative about black women writing their lives into existence and subsequently shaping intellectual traditions.

Sihle and her mother had a blast at the Open Book Festival. Along with launching the book and documentary, Sihle’s mother Nombeko had her first ever panel on “Motivations for Writing” while Sihle did a children’s storytime and chaired a panel. Sihle added that Open Book Festival is special for her.

Sihle Nontshokweni is a South African children’s book author. She is a University of Pretoria (UP) PhD student and former UP staffer, the producer and host of The Ultimate Book Show on SABC 3, the author of the award-winning children’s book Wanda (2019), and the ambassador for World Read Aloud Day 2021. She has also been recognized as a young achiever by the Mail & Guardian in the category Film & Media.

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Residents of Durban, Johannesburg, and Bloemfontein in for a poetic treat as Poetry Africa 2023 reveals guests and program

The guests and program for Poetry Africa 2023 to be hosted in Durban, Johannesburg, and Bloemfontein, South Africa from October 5 – 17, 2022 were announced on September 16, 2023.

Poetry Africa is an international poetry festival first hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa in 1996. 

The Centre for Creative Arts’ other major events are Time of the Writer and the Durban International Film Festival.
In August, The Centre of Creative Arts announced that this year’s poetry extravaganza will be hosted in its traditional month of October.

 They followed that with the revelation of the guests to take part on September 16. The poets to take part in this edition are many of the leading poets in the Southern African nation as well as some from other African countries. 

They include Mongane Wally Serote, Phillippa Yaa de Villiers, Napo Masheane, vangile gantsho, Eugene Skeef, Nhlakanipho Thabethe, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, Noluthando Buthelezi, Ọbáfẹ́mi Thanni, Omar Badsha, Ongezwa Mbele, Philile Nkabinde, Pralini Naidoo, Professor Heidi van Rooyen, Raquel Lima, Ronelda Kamfer, Rudy Francisco, Saif Arbee, Sanguilla Vabrie, Sarah Lubala, Muxe Nkondo, Nana Asaase, Adjei Agyei-Baah, Akabiru, Amanda Zuma, Amee Slam, Angela Hough, Anton Krueger, Ashwyn Mberi, Athingahangwi Ramabulana, Carol Simango, Chioniso Tsikisayi, Dr Raphael d’Abdon, Duduzile S. Ndlovu, Solly Ramatswi, Thuthukani Myeza, Thuthukani Ndlovu, Torsten Clear Rybka, Tshegofatso Makhafola, Ernest Dawkins, Fumane Ntlhabane, Hape Mokhele, Indigene “Gene” Corefio, Zuhura the African Lioness, Jonathan Lefenya, Keith Oliver Lewis, Langelihle Ellah Moyo, Larissa Hassim, Lebohang ‘Nova’ Masango, Lehlohonolo Mazibuko, Lesedi Mogale, Lex LaFoy, Maleshoane Ladybird Mphutlane, Mandi Vundla, Manqoba Mtsweni, Marc Vanicatte aka Daréka, Mariusca Moukengue, Masai Sepuru, Mlungisi Mlangeni, Vus’umuzi Phakathi, Wanga Fosiko, Whitney De Jongh, Xolani Mbhele, Zama Madinana, Zizipho Bam, and Lebo Mashile.

During that period, South Africa will be the centre of activities like the Keorapetse Kgositsile Annual Lecture, the Mafika Gwala Memorial Lecture, Slam Poetry Workshop, the Slam Jam, poetry performances, Resonating Rhythms, panels, and other activities like The Four Horsemen Production. 

Residents of Durban, Johannesburg, and Bloemfontein will also be treated to activities like school and community visits as well as campus invasions.

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BOOK REVIEW: Edge of Here: Stories from Near to Now by Kelechi Okafor

Publisher: Trapeze
Date: September 14, 2023
Genre: Fiction
Language:  English
Where to find it: Waterstones, Amazon.

Kelechi Okafor

Kelechi Okafor is a writer, presenter, actor and tour de force in challenging how we think about race and femininity in tandem, and is a regular media contributor. Her podcast “Say Your Mind” is centered around the reclaiming of self through an unflinching observation of society. 

Kelechi is also published in the illustrious anthology, It’s Not OK To Feel Blue edited by Scarlett Curtis, and her short story is included in the Who’s Loving You anthology, published by Orion Books in 2021.

Book Review

Edge of Here Stories from Near to Now by Kelechi Okafor

Enter a world very close to our own… One in which technology can allow you to explore an alternate love-life with a stranger. 

A world where you can experience the emotions of another person through a chip implanted in your brain. And one where you can view snippets of a distant relative’s life with a little help from your DNA.

But remember: these experiences will not be without consequences . . . In this stunning debut collection, Kelechi Okafor combines the ancient and the ultramodern to explore tales of contemporary Black womanhood, asking questions about the way we live now and offering a glimpse into our near future. 

Uplifting, thought-provoking, sometimes chilling, these are tales rooted in the recognisable, but not limited by the boundaries of our current reality-where truth can meet imagination and spirituality in unexpected ways.

Allow yourself to be taken on a journey into worlds that are blazing with possibility, through stories that will lead you right up to the Edge of Here . . .

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Renowned storyteller and poet Gcina Mhlophe's new book is available in braille and video

Renowned storyteller and poet, Gcina Mhlophe, has taken her book, "Nozincwadi- The Mother of Books," and transformed it into a video with a sign language interpreter, making it accessible to deaf individuals. 

Mhlophe, who has been running the literacy project Unozincwadi since 2001, recently launched the video book at the Bessie Head Library in Pietermaritzburg on Literacy Day, September 8. The video will be available on streaming platforms such as YouTube.

Mhlophe, an actor and playwright, has always aimed to include children with special needs in her literacy initiatives, which involve building libraries and donating books to schools. 

With sign language now recognized as the official 12th language in South Africa, Mhlophe believes it is long overdue to provide accessibility for the deaf community.

The launch of the video book project was a success, with children from a special school enjoying the moment. Teachers from special schools expressed gratitude for being catered to, and Mhlophe was delighted to hear people reading her book in a language she couldn't understand.

Mhlophe emphasizes the importance of considering children in special schools when donating books, as they are a significant focus for her. The video book will be available for download on the Unozincwadi YouTube channel. Mhlophe acknowledges that deaf people are often excluded from various activities due to the lack of sign language interpreters.

"Nozincwadi- The Mother of Books" is inspired by the story of a village woman who couldn't read or write but had a deep passion for books. She would collect them and create a pile in her house. 

This woman's love for education led her to assist in buying school books for children in her area. In return, the children would read stories to her. 

Eventually, she joined an adult learning center where she learned to read and write, inspiring others in the village to do the same.

The hard copy of the book is available at bookstores, and a braille version is available at the SA Library for the Blind. 

However, Mhlophe notes that there has been little interest from booksellers in the braille version thus far.

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The Longlist for the 2023 Bank Windhoek Doek Literary Awards is Out!

The longlist for the 2023 Bank Windhoek Doek Literary Awards is out and it includes a stunning range of Namibian fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual art.

The Bank Windhoek Doek Literary Awards are awarded every two years to celebrate the works of four Namibian literary artists—two writers (fiction and nonfiction), a poet, and a visual artist—published in Doek! Literary Magazine. The awards seek to bring a wider Namibian and international audience to the selected works, writers, poets, and visual artists.

Bank Windhoek, the official sponsor of the Awards, has always been an active supporter of Namibian art and artists within the country’s young democracy.

 Each winning literary artist is awarded NAD5000 in cash sponsored by Bank Windhoek. The winners are also presented with a unique trophy commissioned from a Namibian artist.

All longlisted, shortlisted, and winning literary artists are provided with unique opportunities such as book prizes, further publication in select anthologies, offers of representation, appearances at literary festivals, participation in creative workshops, access to mentorship programs, exhibitions in local, national, and international galleries, and art residencies in Namibia and abroad.

The following Namibian literary artists are longlisted for the 2023 Bank Windhoek Doek Literary Awards:

Fiction

Charmaine //Gamxamus: “Misdirection” (Issue 9: September, 2022)
Emmerita Ambata: “The Seasons Of Beatrice And Katherine” (Issue 10: May, 2023)
Roxane Bayer: “Letters To Chloe” (Issue 7: November, 2021)
Kay-Leigh De Sousa: Jacob’s Technicolour Taxi” (Issue 10: May, 2022)
Karin Eloff: “One Man’s Trash” (Issue 9: September, 2022)
Maria Iita: “Where Do I Start?” (Issue 11: September, 2023)
Filemon Iiyambo: “Their Mother’s Words” (Issue 10: May, 2023)
Delila Katanga: “Vara” (Issue 7: November, 2021)
Andelaine Tsowases: “Make It, Pay It” (Issue 8: May, 2022)

Nonfiction

Frowin Becker: “Deliver Me, Anvil” (Issue 9: September, 2022)
Nina Van Zyl: “Motherhood” (Issue 8: May, 2022)

Poetry

Kina Indongo: “Windhoek” Issue 7: November, 2021), “How Things Are And How They Happen“, and “Our Last Conversation” (Issue 10: May, 2023)
Veripuamu Nandee Kangumine: “Daughters Of A Witch” and “There Isn’t A Word In Your Language For Being Touched” (Issue 7: November, 2021); “The Jackal Who Prepares You For Marriage” (Issue 10: May, 2023)
Ros Limbo: “Beloved Step-Child” and “She Lay There” (Issue 10: May, 2023)
Frieda Mukufa: “Edhina Ekugidho” and “Love, Reimagined” (Issue 10: May, 2023)
Vivian Tjijandjeua Ojo: “The Dust Was Here First” and “Soil Dances Of Kaokoland, Badagry, and Amhara” (Issue 8: May, 2022)
Tjizembua Tjikuzu: “Praise Song For Kangozu“, “Prince Of Rain“, “Ode To My Childhood Dog” (Issue 8: May, 2022)
Keith Vries: “Jamal” and “Who Did You Leave Under The Sea” (Issue 10: May, 2023)

Through Doek! Literary Magazine, Namibian writers, poets, and visual artists have been adding their voices to Namibia and Africa’s literary consciousness. 

Each publication is a reflection of the diversity of thought and the abundance of literary craft that is present in Namibia.
Congrats to the longlisted writers and artists! Check out their work in Doek! Literary Magazine

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Afro Poetry Times September issue springs out the best of poetry and stories

When you find yourself munching through the same old flavours, things tend to get a bit boring. 

And you might find yourself ditching the chocolates in favour of a salty snack, or something different from the fridge.

 Things happen during the course of your novel writing that might take you on a tangent or add a new layer of intrigue.

Or to quote Faith Sullivan: ‘Sometimes the best things in life are unexpected.’

The Afro Poetry Times September 2023 issue is laden with something different. 

This issue includes: 

* Lady finds her calling in poetry after losing her job and house

* #Competition - Win £1,500 for a single poem or us$3,000 and a trip to New York for your short story

* Zimbabwean author narrates how he scooped a United States publishing deal

* Poet used poetry to reveal the abuse she went through and she won an award

* Author launches three books 

* Short Story 

* Book Review - Impossible Skies

* Unpublished poems and a lot more. 

Get your digital copy from anywhere in the world on PressReader.

https://www.pressreader.com/canada/afro-poetry-times/20230901

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Damon Galgut’s Booker Prize-winning novel comes to the stage

Rehearsals are in full swing and the countdown is on to the world premiere of the stage adaptation of Damon Galgut’s Booker Prize-winning novel, The Promise.

Club Dezza Productions and The Market Theatre present The Promise — on Stage which will have its world première from September 16 to October 6 at The Star Theatre at the Homecoming Centre in Cape Town (formerly The Fugard Theatre).

The production will transfer to The Market Theatre on The John Kani stage from October 18 to November 5. Bookings for both cities are open via Webtickets.

Featuring a star-studded South African cast and creative team, the production is written by Galgut and directed by internationally acclaimed, multiple award-winning director Sylvaine Strike.

“The rehearsal process for bringing this exceptional novel to the stage has been a profound and electrifying journey,” said Strike.

“We are developing the theatre language for the piece, while the costumes and sound design are springing magically to life under the genius of Penny Simpson and Charl-Johan Lingenfelder respectively. It has been a gift to work with Josh Lindberg’s exceptional set from day one, which, without giving too much away, does not have a single flat surface. A true playground for us all creating the landscape of The Promise – on Stage.”

“We have been reflecting on ourselves as South Africans, with the recent events in our country highlighting how disparate our daily experiences are. It serves as a sharp reminder that the themes of The Promise remain absolutely relevant, and how vital it is to have continued conversations around these realities.”

The stellar cast line-up is Rob van Vuuren (Curse of the Starving Class, Endgame) as Anton Swart; Kate Normington (Tali’s Baby Diaries, Storm in a B-Cup) as Rachel Swart; Frank Opperman (Ouboet and Wors, Toutjies en Ferreira) as Manie Swart; Chuma Sopotela (Standard Bank Young Artist, Karoo Moose) as Salome; Cintaine Schutte (Die Seemeeu, Fynskrif, Tien Duisend Ton) as Tannie Marina; Jenny Stead (The Glass Menagerie, Elesin Oba) as Astrid Swart; Albert Pretorius (Die Seemeeu, Nêrens, Noord-Kaap, Tien Duisend Ton) as Dominee Simmers; Sanda Shandu (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Unlikely Secret Agent) as Lukas, and Jane de Wet (Spoorloos, The Watch) as Amor Swart.

The dream creative team is completed with sound design and original music composition by Lingenfelder (King Kong), set and lighting design by Lindberg (Birdy), costume design by Simpson (The Producers) and choreography by Natalie Fisher (Free Flight Dance Company).

Galgut was awarded the prestigious Booker Prize for The Promise in 2021. It is only the third time a South African writer has been given that honour.

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Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi to chair Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2024 jury

Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi is the chair of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2024 jury announced today, September 1, 2023. She will be joined by among others Keletso Mopai (Africa) and Richard Georges (Caribbean).

The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction in English in the regions of Africa, Asia, Canada and Europe, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. 

Each of these winners is then eligible for the global prize. Some previous winners in the Africa region have been Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi (2014), Lesley Nneka Arimah (2015), Faraaz Mahomed (2016), Akwaeke Emezi (2017), Efua Traoré (2018), Mbozi Haimbe (2019), Innocent Chizaram Ilo (2020), Rémy Ngamije and Roland Watson-Grant (2021), Ntsika Kota (2022), as well as Kwame McPherson and Hana Gammon (2023).

 Global winners include Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi (2014) and Kwame McPherson (2023).

The judging panel for the 2024 edition of the prize announced today is chaired by previous winner Ugandan-British novelist and short story writer Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi. 

Multiple award winner Makumbi is the author of the titles Kintu (2014), Manchester Happened (2019), and The First Woman (2020). Apart from the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, she has won the Jhalak Prize, the Janzi Awards, the Kwani? Manuscript Project, and the Windham-Campbell Prize.

Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi said, ‘The Commonwealth Short Story Prize brings much of the writing world together to celebrate the short story form. As chair, I can’t wait to meet the talent the 2024 prize will unearth. I anticipate a diversity of worlds, a vast range of voices, some crazy tales, and the agony of making a choice. Bring it on.’

Other judges from the five regions are South African writer Keletso Mopai, (Africa), Singaporean short story writer, screenwriter, and novelist O Thiam Chin, (Asia), Canadian writer and editor Shashi Bhat (Canada/Europe), poet and author Richard Georges from the British Virgin Islands (Caribbean) and award-winning Australian Bundjalung writer Melissa Lucashenko (Pacific).

The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is accepting entries until November 1, 2023. 

The competition is administered by the Commonwealth Foundation. It is open to citizens of all Commonwealth countries and is free to enter. 

Now in its twelfth year, the Prize is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction (2,000–5,000 words). The five regional winners receive £2,500 and the overall winner receives £5,000.

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The Open Book Festival returns to Cape Town on September 8

The 2023 edition of the Open Book Festival (OBF) kicks off next week.
Hosted again at The Homecoming Centre (HCC) in the Cape Town CBD from September 8 to 10, it is a gathering that lovers of books and meaningful conversations simply cannot miss.
“We have spent the last few months reading some of the best literature that has come out of this country and the continent this year to prepare for the conversations for this year’s gathering. We’ve worked to ensure there is something for everyone and are delighted to be bringing some new ideas to this year’s festival,” said convenor Frankie Murrey.
The festival follows the same format as last year, with several panel discussions taking place in each time slot. These will, for the most part, take place in HCC venues, with a small number of sessions happening in other spaces, including the Book Lounge.
Between the discussions, members of the public will have the opportunity to interact directly with the authors, and get to know some of the people exhibiting at the Marketplace. This public area is where all book sales and signings take place.
In addition to the discussions that form the backbone of the festival, young readers can look forward to several story-time sessions. Lovers of poetry have much to look forward to, with poets included in different events.
Murrey said while the festival is never themed, the programme always includes events that explore challenges faced by women, the LGBTQIA+ community and those who seek to identify potential solutions to issues stemming from patriarchy.
Highlights of the programme include:  
Extraordinary Lives: Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis, Sindiwe Magona and Patric Tariq Mellet speak to Firdose Moonda about overcoming the horrendous impact of apartheid.
African Cities as Text | Desiring Urbanity in African Literature: Farai Mudzingwa, Wisani Mushwana and Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah speak to Mapule Mohulatsi about African cities as spaces of reinvention and desire. Brought to you by the African Literary Cities Project.
The Banality of Violence: Nechama Brodie, Caryn Dolley and Morabo Morojele explore the normalisation of pervasive violence in the company of Erin Bates.
The future of publishing: In the context of a drastically weaker rand, load-shedding woes  and concerns about representation, Mervyn Sloman talks to Eugene Ashton (JB), Mbali Sikakana (NB) and Karina Szczurek (Karavan) about their thoughts and plans.
Queering the Page: Wisani Mushwana, SJ Naudé and Pieter Odendaal speak to Branden Grant about queerness and masculinity.
Constructed Identities: Lynsey Ebony Chutel, Thandiwe Ntshinga and Pieter Odendaal speak to Nadia Sanger about the roots of racial identity in South Africa.
African Cities as Text | Cape Town City Stories: Caryn Dolley, Patric Tariq Mellet and Chase Rhys speak to Barbara Boswell about writing the memories and (sub)cultures of Cape Town. Brought to you by the African Literary Cities Project.
Queerness and Cape Town: Zoey Black, Maneo Mohale and Manila von Teez explore Cape Town's "queer capital" claims in the company of Lwando Scott.
“Our focus last year was on writers based in South Africa and this time around we are broadening that to include African writers. We’re always excited about the debut writers we can add to the programme, and this year is no different. Audiences have some powerful voices to meet at OBF 2023,” said Murrey.
The Open Book Festival has been in existence since 2011. The Fugard Theatre, as it was known then, later to be renamed the HCC, has always been the hub for the event. The pandemic forced organisers to reformat the event into two podcast series editions, but there was a return to a live, in-person format in 2022.

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Sylvia Mbewe wins Kalemba Short Story Prize 2023

Sylvia Mbewe has been declared the winner of the Kalemba Short Story Prize 2023 in Lusaka, Zambia today, Friday, September 1, 2023.

The Kalemba Short Story Prize is awarded annually to the best work of original and unpublished short fiction written in English by a Zambian administered and funded by Ukusefya Words. Previous winners have been Mali Kambandu (2018), Mubanga Kalimamukwento (2019), and Rhodasi Mwale (2020).

The jury for 2023 comprised Mbozi Haimbe, Lionel Ntasano, Austin Kaluba, and Chobela Ndilila. The longlist was announced on Saturday, April 29 before the shortlist was public on July 27.

The winning short story announced today, described as “immersive, spellbinding and unapologetic” by the judges, is Dark Motives by Sylvia Mbewe. Up the Eucalyptus Tree by Mikha Mweetwa and No Strings Attached by Mukandi Siame emerged as run-ups. 

You can read all the winning stories on their website.

Winning the Kalemba Prize, Mbewe said “would truly be a monumental achievement and a highlight in my writing journey that I will proudly share with my eight-month-old baby in the years to come.

 It would not only open up exciting new opportunities but also boost my confidence as a writer, allowing me to pursue my passion with even greater determination and conviction.”

Mbewe will be presented with the award including the US$1500 cash prize at a ceremony in Lusaka later in September.

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