Romance writing workshop - Joburg and Cape Town

"I loved Mr. Darcy far more than any of my own husbands."~ Rumer Godden

Not that cynical? Then join: Romancing the Dollar!

Anthony Ehlers, author of 10 romances, will be running a Romance Writing workshop.
Date: 22 September
Time: 09:00 - 15:00

Two Writers Write graduates have had their first romances accepted.
Congratulations!

Which is the ideal genre for you?

Blaze?
Tender?
Modern?
Intrigue?
Medical?

Understand the Mills & Boon and Silhouette imprints.

Craft a story

Acquire the techniques to finish a romance
Learn the rules of the genre
Develop believable romantic characters
Understand techniques to move your plot along

Have the satisfaction of finishing a book.

Have fun.

When: Saturday 22 September 2007

Time: 8.30a.m. - 2.30 p.m.

How much: R1 975, 00 Ex VAT

Where: Block D, Coachman's Crossing Office Park, Brian Road, Off Peter
Place, Bryanston, Sandton

To Book: info@thewriteco.co.za

Johannesburg:

Tel: 011 706-4021
Fax: 011 252-8890
NLA, Suite D, Block D, Coachman's Crossing Office Park, Brian Road,
Off Peter Place, Bryanston, Sandton

Cape Town:
Tel: 021 462 7580
Fax: 086 6173046
20 Dunkley Mews, Dunkley Square, Gardens

A novel course by Jo-Anne Richards and Jann Turner

Two highly experienced, internationally-published South African novelists are jointly presenting a new interactive, four-week writing course this October.

Jo-Anne Richards (The Innocence of Roast Chicken, Sad at the Edges) and Jann Turner (Heartland, Southern Cross) will help you turn your great idea for a novel into a reality.

Taking place over four Saturday mornings from 9am - 1pm at Sasani Studios, Highlands North, Johannesburg, this intensive but accessible four week interactive course will cover all you need to know about getting started, polishing and completing your manuscript and getting it from page to print. Write a novel is ideal for both complete beginners and those who want to finally finish the first draft that's been lurking on their desk for months. Numbers are limited, to ensure individual attention.

The course will also include a "meet the publishers" session, where you can hear directly from publishers what they look for in a novel, how to present your manuscript and how they approach and market fiction in South Africa.

Both tutors have just delivered their fourth novel to their publishers, ensuring those attending the write a novel course will get the benefit of both years of accumulated experience and up-to-the-minute industry insights.

A course overview, tutor biogs and registration details can be found on www.creativeindustry.co.za.

Venue

Date: 06 October 2008 to 27 October 2007
Location: Sasani Studios, Highlands North, Johannesburg
Cost: R3000

Contact: Fiona Walsh
Company name: Creative Industry
Telephone number: 072 298 7736
Email address fiona@creativeindustry.co.za

International poetry festival for Durban, 1 - 6 October 2007

11th Poetry Africa

Twenty poets from 10 different countries will descend on Durban for an exhilarating rollercoaster of words, rhythms, and ideas at the 11th Poetry Africa international poetry festival which takes place from 1 to 6 October. Hosted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts, Poetry Africa kicks off with a series of pre-festival performances at Flavours of Durban, a Celebrate Durban initiative, on 29 September (Main Stage - outside City Hall at 20h00) and at the Awesome Africa Music Festival at Midmar Dam on 30 September. The intensive week-long programme starts with introductory performances by the full lineup of participating poets at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre on opening night 1st October, and will thereafter feature 5 poets every evening, through to 5th October, before the Festival Finale at the BAT Centre on 6th October.

The eclectic mix of poetic voices, styles, forms, and cultures includes the nuanced verse of acclaimed writer, theatre and film director/producer,Nathalie Handal (France/Palestine) and the visceral power of Oni the Haitian Sensation (Canada/Haiti) whose colorful poetry focuses significantly on social concerns and sexuality. The strong musical thread in this year’s Poetry Africa incorporates the uniquely resonant voice and maloya blues of musician and poet Danyel Waro (Reunion) in his long-awaited first visit to South Africa, and accompanied by group members playing island percussion. With a string of poetry awards to her credit the prolific young Korean-American Ishle, has been described as “brilliant, fiery, intelligent, raw, funny” and she too, with guitar, brings a musical approach to the performance of her poetry.

The striking line-up of participants from Africa this year includes Stanley Onjezani Kenani (Malawi), whose poetry encompasses the rhythm of African life in a mesh of metaphors, folklore and song; the popular Senegalese poet and arts activist Habib Demba Fall; and theatre practitioner Keamogetsi Joseph Molapong (Namibia), whose incisive poetry critiques the harsh ineq-uities of post-independence Namibian society.

From East Africa comes the dynamic Kenyan poet and spoken-word theatre artist, Shailja Patel, whose show Migritude has played to packed houses and standing ovations since it was launched in December 2006. "What Arundhati Roy is to imperialism/fascism/racism in prose, Patel is to them in poetry." - The Gulf Today.

Poetry Africa this year includes a special Zimbabwean package entitled ‘Hello Zimbabwe’. This comprises the iconic performance poet Chirikure Chirikure, author of three volumes of award-winning poetry, and the beautifully voiced mbira player Chiwoniso, winner of the UNESCO Prize for Arts, and KORA Best Female Vocals of Africa Awards nominee.

Completing the Zim trio is Comrade Fatso, a purveyor of “Toyi-Toyi Poetry” - urban street poetry that mixes Shona with English, mbira with hip-hop, and poetry with the struggle to survive.

The diverse array of South African poets at the core of Poetry Africa include respected poet and playwright Angifi Dladla, whose hard-hitting and complex poems have been published widely both locally and internationally, and the equally established Arja Salafranca, whose lucid poetry offers us intimate glances into intensely personal worlds.

The multi-talented Napo Masheane, currently enjoying great success and acclaim with her play “My Bum Is Genetic, Deal with It” and Haidee Kruger, a poet of startling technical ability and lyrical finesse, in addition to gracing the Poetry Africa stages, will both be launching their poetry collections at the festival. There are further launches of poetry books by Vonani Bila, Kobus Moolman and Gail Dendy.

The festival lineup also presents the evocative and provocative poetry of television writer and stage actress, Phillippa Yaa de Villiers; Danie Marais, whose stunning debut poetry collection In die buitenste ruimte (2006) has been awarded the Eugène Marais Prize, the UJ Debut Prize and the Ingrid Jonker Prize; and Durbanite Syd Kitchen, whose success as a musician should not overshadow his prowess as a poet. Kitchen published a cult-hit poetry collection in the 80s, and has “four more in the oven”. Other Durban participants include versatile young poet and theatre actor/dancer Zorro, and Mphutlane wa Bofelo who, eschewing the American slam stylistic and thematic template, twice won Poetry Africa’s Durban Slamjam title. The festival also includes special guest appearances by poetry luminaries Dennis Brutus, Keorapetse Kgositsile, Ari Sitas, and Kobus Moolman.

Special festival components include a focus on local Durban poets and the promotion of indigenous literature. The pre-festival showcase, hosted by Gcina Mhlophe, at Flavours of Durban on 29 September includes a fantastic array of young and experienced Durban talent. Poets include:

Bullet, Ayanda Chamane, Baxolile Dimane, Nokulunga Dladla, Busiswa Gqulu, Syd Kitchen, Sthembiso Madlala, Mxolisi Mtshali, Sakhile Shabalala, Furrah Simbeku, Mphutlane wa Bofelo, Siphamandla Xaba and Zorro. The programme also includes Madala Kunene and Danyel Waro.

Saturday the 6th sees a full day of activities at the BAT Centre, which includes poetry workshops, open mic opportunities, a special focus on praise poetry entitled ‘Emkhathini neziMbongi (Time Travel)’ choreographed by local poet Miracle, and the Durban SlamJam, all culminating with the Festival Finale on Saturday night. The Finale begins with the Durban Poetry Showcase, a collaborative platform that incorporates the talents of poets from numerous active poetry organisations in the city, including: Live Poets Society, Keen Arts, Nowadayz Poets, Young Basadzi, Poets Corner, and Pour a Tree. The upbeat SlamJam is also constructed around poets from these organisations.

Apart from the evening performances at the Sneddon and the BAT, a packed daily programme includes performances, seminars, workshops, poetry competitions, poetry in prison, and school visits.

The full programme of activities, plus participant bios and photos, is available on www.cca.ukzn.ac.za ( http://www.cca.ukzn.ac.za/ )

Enquiries to 031-2602506

Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal), the 11th Poetry Africa festival is supported by the Department of Arts and Culture, Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation (HIVOS), Royal Netherlands Embassy, Stichting Doen, French Institute of South Africa, Ethekweni Municipality, and the City of Durban.

For Media Queries Contact Sharlene Versfeld T: 031 201 1650 F: 031 201 1654 E: sharlene@versfeld.co.za Magdalene Reddy Centre for Creative Arts Memorial Tower Building University of KwaZulu-Natal Durban
4041 South Africa Tel: +27+31+260 2506 Fax: +27+31+260 3074 Email: cca@ukzn.ac.za Website: www.cca.ukzn.ac.za

Modjaji Books invitation to launch of Fourth Child

A collection of poems by Megan Hall

Thursday 4th October, 2007
at 17h30 for 18h00
The A.R.T. Gallery/ Clementina Ceramics
205, The Colosseum Building
3 St George's Mall
Cape Town

wine, water and song (by the Cafè Cruisers) will be provided

Fourth Child will be on sale

RSVP cdhiggs@gmail.com or sms 0727743546

PS. There is plenty of parking available after hours in Adderley,
Strand etc streets

The Native Commissioner wins Nielsen Booksellers’ Choice Award 2007

The Bookseller’s Choice Award, sponsored by Nielsen, is chosen and presented by the South African book trade in recognition of outstanding contribution to the industry

The shortlist of six consists of:

A City Imagined edited by Stephen Watson (Penguin)
An Unpopular War by J.H. Thompson (Zebra Press/Struik)
Assignment Selous Scouts by Jim Parker (Galago)
Geological Journeys by Nick Norman & Gavin Whitfield (Struik)
God se Apteek by Herman Uys
The Native Commissioner by Shaun Johnson (Penguin)

Last year’s winner was: Spud by John van de Ruit

The Sefika Awards are annual and presented at the PASA and SABA Conference. This year the conference was held at the Wanderers Club, Wanderers Protea Hotel, Johannesburg
and were presented by Simon Skinner (Sales Director, Nielsen Book).

The Booksellers’ Choice Award is an important award for South African writing, the book trade and the reading public. It is awarded to the book that booksellers across South Africa have most enjoyed reading, selling or promoting over the past year. Only open to South African authors who are published in South Africa, the award draws attention to the excellence and high standard of South African writing.

In addition to the BookSellers’ Choice Award, the following Sefika Awards were presented:

Bookseller Awards:
Academic Bookseller of the Year Protea Boekwinkel
Emerging Bookseller of the Year U’nique Books
Library Supplier of the Year Clarkes Bookshop
Trade Bookseller of the Year Exclusive Books (O R Tambo International) andExclusive Books (Hyde Park) and Boekehuis
Best Educational Bookseller Caxton Books

Publisher Awards:
Best Trade Publisher Random House
Best Academic Publisher Juta Academic
Best Education Publisher Maskew Miller Longman

Nielsen Book also sponsors similar awards in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

This year’s winner: The Native Commissioner

‘It has been a fantastic year for Penguin South Africa’s fiction, and to have won Book of the Year two years in a row is wonderful recognition for our list. The Native Commissioner was a powerful book right from the start and it is heartening to witness how the country’s booksellers got behind author Shaun Johnson with such support and enthusiasm. Coming as it does after winning the M-Net Award, the Commonwealth Award: Africa Region and being shortlisted for the Sunday Times Award, this is just the cherry on the top for Penguin and for Shaun. We are proud to be his publishers.’ Alison Lowry, CEO Penguin Books South Africa.

Quote from author

Sam Jameson, eight years old at the time of his father George’s death, decides, some forty years later, to go through the box of his father’s papers which his mother had passed on to him. In trying to piece together the life of a parent he never really knew, Sam discovers a sensitive, inherently kind but insecure man. George has seemingly spent his working life as a native commissioner conscientiously carrying out his duties, but has never quite been able to come to terms with the white man’s place in Africa. As his doubts deepen he is overwhelmed by despair

The author, Shaun Johnson as a journalist for many years, launching South Africa's Sunday Independent and becoming MD of Independent Newspapers in South Africa, before accepting the role of CEO for the Mandela Rhodes Foundation. The Native Commissioner is his first novel. He lives in Cape Town.

The Shortlist:

A City Imagined by Stephen Watson (Penguin Group)

Stephen Watson asked twenty South African writers to express their relationship to Cape Town and, above all, their sense of the unique genius or spirit of this city.

What emerges from A City Imagined is a composite portrait of Cape Town, more various, heterogeneous, complex even in its beauty, than that to be found in the standard treatments of the place.

Contributions from Andre Brink, Damon Galgut, Sindiwe Magona, Jeremy Cronin, Jenefer Shute, Anthony Sher, Mark Behr, Henrietta Rose-Innes, Justin Cartwright, Finuala Dowling, Michiel Heyns, Luke Fiske, Mike Nicol, Marlene van Niekerk, Nkululeko Mabandla and PR Anderson.

Stephen Watson, a Professor in English and current Director of the Creative Writing Centre at the University of Cape Town, has won a number of awards for his poetry and is regarded by many as one of the finest South African poets writing today. Professor Watson's collections of poetry include Return of the Moon: Versions from the /Xam, and Presence of the Earth: New Poems. His most recent work, The Other City: Selected Poems is widely acclaimed.

An Unpopular War by JH Thompson ( Zebra Press/Struik)

In the seventies, eighties and nineties, conscription had a profound effect on hundreds of thousands of young men, particularly those who had to serve in the Angolan war. This title is a collection of reflections and memories of that time, collected by JH Thompson, who interviewed men who did National Service. Contributors include ordinary soldiers, Special Forces members, helicopter pilots, chefs and religious objectors. The title captures the spirit and atmosphere, the daily duties, the boredom, fear and other intense experiences of an SADF soldier

Educated in Spain and South Africa, JH Thompson is a freelance journalist who has been writing and travelling extensively most of her life. She writes movie reviews, travel articles, features for numerous magazines, and had a wildlife column when she was a game ranger. She currently resides in Johannesburg.

Assignment Selous Scouts: Inside Story of a Rhodesian Special Branch Officer by Jim Parker (Galago Publishing)

Written from the author’s personal knowledge and first-hand experience, Assignment Selous Scouts illuminates the day-to-day horrors of the bloody and brutal terror war that was fought in the former Rhodesia against Marxist guerrillas. By the war's end there had been 21,782 recorded terrorist incidents in the country and 1,276 landmine detonations, causing 7,283 casualties. Although involved in the conflict earlier while serving as a policeman, the author stepped back into the Rhodesian Bush War in mid 1977 when as a farmer and a Police A Reservist he was appointed as a Special Branch liaison officer with the Selous Scouts at their Chiredzi Fort in the Lowveld.

Jim Parker was born in Zambia and educated in Rhodesia. After five years in the British South Africa Police he resigned to manage the family’s sugar farm at Chiredzi in the Rhodesia lowveld. In 1977 at the peak of the Bush War he joined the ranks of Special Branch Selous Scouts as an A Reserve Detective Section Officer. He served with this elite unit for protracted periods of service without remuneration until the summary disbandment of the Selous Scouts when Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF assumed power in March 1980. He is now a farmer in South Africa.

Geological Journeys by Gavin Whitfield & Nick Norman (Struik Publishers)
Geological Journeys is a traveller's guide to South Africa's rocks and landforms. For those who wonder about the particular tilt of a mountain ahead, the unusual patterns of a road cutting, the colour and texture of the roadside soil, or the purpose of a distant minehead, this volume offers answers and explanations about features along all the major routes across South Africa, and some of the lesser, but geologically interesting, routes too. Using familiar landmarks to pinpoint sites and subtle phenomena, the authors bring to light South Africa’s rich geological heritage, its likely roots and often tumultuous history. Along the way, they also discuss the historical background, personalities and stories that relate to the landscape.

Gavin Whitfield graduated from Rhodes University with Honours in geology and later completed an MSc in kimberlite studies. After working in a geological research laboratory he spent 28 years in mineral exploration for a number of major mining companies. This work took him to the Middle East, the Netherlands and Zambia. He currently runs a geological consulting business. He lives in Johannesburg with his wife and has an adult son.

Nick Norman, Geological Journeys - Struik Publishers

Nick Norman was born and raised in KwaZulu-Natal. He holds an MSc in Geology from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and has worked in mineral exploration in both Africa and South America. He is currently a consulting geologist in various parts of Africa and lives with his wife and two children in Franschhoek, Western Cape.

God se Apteek by Herman Uys (Bambi Boeke)

This book examines 88 of the most general ailments and sicknesses, their underlying causes, and how natural remedies such as fruit, vegetables, plants and herds can be used to prevent and heal. God se Apteek also looks in detail at the different blood groups and the most suitable diets for each group.

Herman Uys matriculated in Bethlehem in the Free State, earning B.A. B.D. degrees and a diploma in Theology at the University of Pretoria. Herman served for a 19 years in full time Pastoral ministry. His interest in natural health remedies has lead him into intense study and research in this field which culminated in lecturing on this subject nationwide. "God’s Pharmacy" was published in 2003 following public demand and became an unexpected national bestseller.

About Nielsen Book
Nielsen Book has four key brands: Registration Agencies (ISBN, SAN, DOI), BookData, BookNet and BookScan. Nielsen BookScan operates the world’s only continuous retail monitoring service for English-language books. BookScan operates in the UK, Ireland, US, Australia, South Africa, Italy and Spain.

Nielsen BookData is the leading provider of comprehensive, enriched and timely bibliographic data worldwide. BookData provides a unique source of bibliographic data services to booksellers, libraries and publishers in 110 countries around the world. Under the brand Nielsen BookNet, it also provides value-added transaction services to the industry. The group employs more than 150 staff in the UK. The company is wholly owned by The Nielsen Company, one of the world’s largest publishing and information companies.

Centre for the Book setting up children’s literature network blog.

The Centre for the Book is setting up a Children’s Literature Network Blog. The categories for the blog are listed below. If you would like to be on the blog, or to have a link to your website or blog on it, please send information to mairefisher@gmail.com

If you think we have missed a category or subcategory, please let us know and we will add it.


NEWS AND INTERVIEWS

WRITERS
Calls for submission
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ILLUSTRATORS
Illustrators’ Project Centre for the Book

PUBLISHERS
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- In South Africa
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CHILDREN'S BOOK SHOPS

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NEWS AND EVENTS
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OF GENERAL INTEREST

The latest from McSweeney's

After several months of secret labor in our mountaintop dojo, we're emerging from summer with four glorious items in hand (that's one item in each hand--we are built like Vitruvian Man). As of today, on our website and nowhere else, you can secure your copies of Bowl of Cherries, Millard Kaufman's stunning novel of young love and unorthodox acoustics and Iraqi imprisonment (Millard's ninety, by the way, and this is his first novel); McSweeney's 24, our two-in-one, Siamese-twin issue with six superb stories of troublesome times on one side and many gorgeous essays about running with Donald Barthelme on the other (along with two rare stories by the man himself); One Hundred and Forty-Five Stories in a Small Box, which features the very short, very sharp work of Sarah Manguso, Dave Eggers, and Deb Olin Unferth, with a small hardcover book for each of them and a gold-sprinkled slipcase for all of them; and Wholphin No. 4, our DVD quarterly's newest issue, and the first one to encompass Maggie Gyllenhaal, chimpanzees, and the chilling third installment of The Power of Nightmares. You can hear more about all of these at www.mcsweeneys.com

Rose Moss at Centre for the Book in Cape Town

Rose Moss will be reading from her collection of short stories 'In Court' published by Penguin and talking about her writing life on Thursday 30th August at lunch time at the Centre for the Book in Cape Town. 62 Queen Victoria Street. 13h00 to 14h00.

RSVP
Gaynor Young
cfbadmin@nlsa.ac.za
021 4232669

Looking for writer for 2008 Cutting Edge series

Peter Lancett, the series and commissioning editor for Ransom Publishing in the UK, is looking for a SOUTH AFRICAN writer to contribute a novella (30 - 35,000 words) to the 2008 Cutting Edge series. This series is aimed at teenagers and deals with hard-hitting issues - drugs, alienation, violence, death, crime etc. He is particularly looking for a writer who can contribute a work told from the perspective of a township kid. All works in this series are told in the first person.

If you are a SOUTH AFRICAN writer, interested in contributing to this series, please contact peter@xlitherfilms.com

Jacana Media invite you to the launch of Pregs Govender's Love & Courage

Guest Speakers: Amina Mama & Baleka Mbete
Poetry by Malika Ndlovu

Tuesday 21 August 5:30 for 6pm
Centre for the Book, 52 Queen Victoria Str, Cape Town
RSVP: Karin Iten 011 628 3200 karin@jacana.co.za

Finalists for sixth annual Bastiat Prize for Journalism announced

International Policy Network today announced the six finalists for the sixth annual Bastiat Prize for Journalism. The Prize – named in honour of the great 19th Century French philosopher and essayist Frédéric Bastiat – celebrates writers whose work cleverly and wittily promotes the institutions of the free society.

Commenting on the announcement, IPN Executive Director Julian Morris, said, “This year, we received over 280 submissions from writers in more than 60 countries, the overwhelming majority of them very high calibre.

The final decision is now in the hands of our eminent panel of judges, which comprises two former winners, Brian Carney (Wall Street Journal) and Amity Shlaes (syndicated Bloomberg columnist), two world-renowned economists, Professors Bibek Debroy and Wolfgang Kasper, and the Chief Judge of the DC Court of Appeals, Douglas Ginsburg. We look forward to announcing this year’s winners at the Bastiat Prize dinner on October 24th.”

The 2007 finalists (in alphabetical order followed by the publication(s) in which their entries appeared):

* Clive Crook

The Atlantic Monthly, USA; National Journal, USA

* Jonah Goldberg

LA Times, USA; Orlando Sentinel/syndicated, USA; National Review, USA

* A. Barton Hinkle

Richmond Times-Dispatch, USA

* Dominic Lawson

The Independent, UK

* Patrick McIlheran

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, USA

* Amit Varma

Mint, India
The winners will be announced at the Bastiat Prize Dinner in New York on 24th October 2007. The first prize winner will receive US$10,000 and an engraved candlestick. Second and third prize winners will receive $4000 and $1000 respectively, as well as an engraved candlestick.

The Bastiat Prize was first awarded in 2002 and judges have included Lady Thatcher and Nobel-Prize-winners James Buchanan and Milton Friedman.

This year’s panel of judges is:

* Brian Carney

(Editorial Board member, Wall Street Journal)

* Professor Bibek Debroy

(International Management Institute, India)

* Judge Douglas Ginsburg

(Chief Judge, Washington DC Court of Appeals)

* Professor Wolfgang Kasper

(Emeritus Professor, University of New South Wales, Australia)

* Amity Shlaes

(syndicated Bloomberg columnist; visiting senior fellow, Council on

Foreign Relations)

Last year’s joint first prize winners were Tim Harford of the Financial Times and Jamie Whyte for his articles in The Times of London. Rakesh Wadhwa took third prize for his articles in the Himalayan Times. Previous winners include Mary Anastasia O’Grady of the Wall Street Journal, Amity Shlaes (then with the Financial Times), Robert Guest (The Economist), Sauvik Chakraverti (Economic Times of India) and Brian Carney (then with the Wall Street Journal Europe). Entries for the Bastiat Prize are judged on intellectual content, persuasiveness of language used, and type and location of publication. The Prize is open to all writers, anywhere in the world; writers need not be associated with any specific publication. The Prize was developed to encourage and reward writers whose published works promote the institutions of a free society: property rights, the rule of law and limited government.

The Bastiat Prize is sponsored by International Policy Network (IPN), which comprises two sister organisations: a charity based in London and a non-profit 501(c) 3 corporation in the US. For more on IPN and the Bastiat Prize, please browse: www.policynetwork.net and www.bastiatprize.org

*New* commentary: Thoughts on African Writing in the New Century

I have been watching the publishing scene carefully and I have noticed that this era (the eve of the 21st century) might be the time for the African writer or artist. There have been numerous international awards given to African writers lately, for instance, Mann Booker, Caine, and others; and Nigeria, it seems, is once again leading in this explosion of African writing in English. Remember, in the 1950s Nigerian authors were leading the African scene, that is, in the arena of African writing in English. Of course, much was also happening in Francophone Africa, but my focus here is African writing in English. This writing has matured.

Thoughts on African Writing in the New Century - Emmanuel Sigauke

*New* poetry: Three poems by Abbey Khambule

Abbey Khambule is a Johannesburg resident, born in 1981 in Warmbath North West, raised and schooled in Cyverskuil, Atteridgeville, Pretoria and later Alexandra Township. He grew up aspiring to be a well known painter but in recent years has lost himself to poetry. He is studying towards a BA in Creative Writing and makes a living working for a law firm in Sandton.

Three poems - Abbey Khambule

Final edition of Crossing Borders magazine

Issue Twelve, the final edition of the Crossing Borders magazine

http://www.crossingborders-africanwriting.org/magazine/issuetwelve/
series is now available online. The magazine is edited by Becky Clarke, publishing the creative work, short stories and poetry of around 36 Crossing Borders participants over a year.

This edition includes:

Introduction by Becky Ayebia Clarke
'The Role of the Writer as a Social/Political Commentator' by Delia Jarrett - Macauley
'Goat's Feet' by Stanley Gazemba from Kenya
'True Warriors' by Ken Kamoche from Kenya
'The Other Cheek' by Hazel Couvaras from Zambia
Poetry by Zvisinei C. Sandi from Zimbabwe
'Broken Wings' by Batsirai Easther Chigama from Zimbabwe

British Council launches new writing website

The British Council's New Writing website http://newwriting.britishcouncil.org is now live. The theme for this month's focus is Writers on Writing, which examines the inner workings of a writer's mind as two authors discuss the highs and lows of what it takes to be a writer.

Ursula Holden's account of her writing career is inspirational and a homage to her strength and determination. She sent her first novel to over 40 publishers without finding a home for it; her second novel was accepted by Carcanet Press but lack of money prevented publication and it was only when her work was finally picked up by the late Alan Ross of London Magazine that she was finally published. 'Write at Your Own Peril' is an engaging and powerful piece of writing that combines personal memoir with the joys and pains of writing for a living.

Ma Jian left China, uncomfortable at the level of censorship he encountered there. He found Hong Kong to be a city in which he could write freely without losing the inspiration he gained in China. However, when Hong Kong was returned to the Chinese in 1997 his discomfort returned, forcing him to move to the West, far from the people, colours and smells that stimulated his work. His piece 'A Chinese Writer in London' describes the issues he has to confront to continue his work.

The website includes notes for teachers, notes for readers, author interviews and glossaries which we will be updating on a monthly basis, focusing on a wide selection of short stories, poems, novel extracts and essays.

An exhibition of photographs and poetry by 14 South African women

Botsotso and Constitution Hill are proud to present an exhibition of photographs and poetry reflecting and expressing the lives of women in our country as well as the wider world. The exhibition connects with the national month of women action.

The photographers: Neo Ntsoma, Suzy Bernstein, Riana Wiechers, Anna Varney The poets: elsbeth e, Sumeera Dawood, Lisemelo Tlale, Elizabeth Trew, Anet Kemp, Baitse Mokiti, Myesha Jenkins, Arja Salafranca, Makhosazana Xaba, Riana Wiechers, Bongekile Mbanjwa, Anna Varney The 50 photographs and poems are taken from the book ISIS X (Botsotso Publishing), of which Eva Kowalski commented:

“This anthology, edited by Allan Kolski Horwitz, combines contemporary photography and poetry by new South African female writers.

Such an openly women-only venture might attract projections of stereotyped feminism or effeminate style; neither are valid concerning this intelligent, varied, yet ultimately coherent anthology.

“Ostensibly the biggest challenge in putting together an anthology of such size is attempting to create a sense of unity and congruency while maintaining the clarity and strength of each unique voice, and Isis X manages this very well. The compiled texts range from humorous personal insights to poignant social observations to spirited expressions of anger and hope. That said, it is clear that certain themes and experiences are shared between works and authors; and these are noteworthy from both the point of view of poetry and photography connoisseurship and those interested in gender issues and other such subjects inevitably dealt with when women make art.” Exhibition opening will take place at 6pm for 6.30pm on Thursday, 2 August 2007 in the atrium of the Womens Jail Exhibition Space, the Womens Jail, Constitution Hill complex, Kotze St, Hillbrow The guest speakers will be Keketso Semoko (actress and womens activist)and Odette Geldenhuys (legal rights activist and documentary film maker). A reading by several of the poets (Myesha Jenkins, Arja Salafranca, Elizabeth Trew, Bongekile Mbanjwa and Anna Varney) will follow.

During August two further activities focusing on women will take place at the exhibition site:

1. Walkabout with the photographers and poets - 11am Saturday 11 August 2007
2. Evening of Women's Poetry (featuring Makhosazana Xaba, Uhuru Mahlodi, Donna Smith, and others as well as having an Open Mike component) * 6pm, Friday, 24 August 2007

Winner of the Caine Prize 2007 announced

Uganda’s Monica Arac de Nyeko has won the 2007 Caine Prize for African Writing, described as Africa’s leading literary award, for Jambula Tree from ‘African Love Stories’, Ayebia Clarke Publishing 2006. The Chair of Judges, Jamal Mahjoub from Sudan, announced Monica as the winner of the £10,000 prize at a dinner held this evening (Monday, 9 July) in the Bodleian Library in Oxford.

Jamal Mahjoub described her story as “a witty and touching portrait of a community which is affected forever by a love which blossoms between two adolescents”.

Monica Arac de Nyeko was born in Uganda . She studied at Makerere and Groningen universities for a degree in Education and an MA in Humanitarian Assistance. She is a member of the Uganda Women Writers Association (FEMRITE), was a literature and English language teacher at St Mary College, Kisubi, an Early Warning Consultant in Rome and later a Reports Officer in Khartoum. She has been a Fellow on the British Council’s Crossing Borders programme and was also shortlisted for the Caine Prize in 2004 for Strange Fruit. Her short stories Jazz, Miracles and Dreams and City Link are soon to be published.

Also on this year’s shortlist were:

Uwem Akpan (Nigeria), ‘My Parents Bedroom’ The New Yorker June 12, 2006

E.C Osondu (Nigeria) ‘Jimmy Carter’s Eyes’, AGNI Fiction Online 2006

Henrietta Rose-Innes (South Africa) ‘Bad Places’, New Contrast vol 31 no4 Spring 2003

Ada Udechukwu (Nigeria) ‘Night Bus’, The Atlantic Monthly, August 2006

Kenyan Billy Kahora’s ‘Treadmill Love’ from ‘The Obituary Tango’ Jacana/New Internationalist 2006, came in as highly commended by this year’s judges.

This year the winner of the £10,000 Caine Prize will take up a month’s residence at Georgetown University, Washington DC , as a ‘Caine Prize/Georgetown University Writer-in-Residence’. The award will cover all travel and living expenses.

Margie Orford, Michelle Matthews @ 20 Dunkley Mews, Cape Town

Top SA crime writer, Margie Orford, has developed what most writers dream of - an engaging protagonist who will develop into a series.

Orford is an award winning journalist, writer, photographer and film director. Michelle Matthews is the publishing manager of Oshun Books (Struik). Michelle will be talking about how to make your book as publishable as possible and answering all your questions on how to submit to a publisher.

Date: Thursday 26 July, Time: 6pm for 6.30pm.
Cost: R100 for wine and delicious snacks.
Venue: 20 Dunkley Mews, Dunkley Square, Gardens
RSVP: capetown@thewriteco.co.za

The Write Co short story competition 2007

The Write Co has announced that it will run this competition for the second time. The theme is "Paint it Black!".
"We introduced the competition due to an increasing interest in the short story last year," says Amanda Patterson, owner of The Write Co. The contest drew over 500 entries from all over the world. “We're hoping to double that number this year,” she adds.

Fiction writing courses run by The Write Co have turned 27 graduates into published authors. One of these is Harry Cronje author of the short story collection, Fanyana Talks to the Animals (Struik).

Another is Writers Write graduate and Write Co facilitator and editor, Morné Malan. Morné was one of the winners of the SA Pen Award for his short story - Jason's Kiss. Nobel Laureate JM Coetzee was the judge.

Morné went on to win Tafelberg's Great Novel Competition, in the Debut Novel Category. The judges were Prof. Andre P. Brink, Jakes Gerwel and Louise Viljoen. This novelist, playwright, copywriter and editor, facilitates Skrywers Skryf for The Write Co.

KISS is The Write Co's classic short story workshop. Mail info@thewriteco.co.za to find out more.

The Write Co's aim is to get as many South African popular fiction authors published as possible. Sarah Bullen opened the first Write Co franchise in Cape Town in June 2007.

PRIZES

1st Prize: Writers Write course - valued at R3 500, 00, or gift vouchers for The Write Co valued at R3 500, 00, your story published in The Write Co Newsletter, The Citizen Vibe and on The Write Co Website

2nd Prize: 1 year's subscription to The Write Club, worth R1 800.00

3rd Prize: 4 hours with one of our personal writing coaches, worth R1 400.00

Judges:
Amanda Patterson – The Write Co Founder and author of I See the Moon, Writers Write 1, Writers Write 2 and Rewrite your future
Morné Malan – Winner of The Best Debut Novel 2007 and a winner in the short story SA Pen short story award
Sarah Bullen – Cape Town's Write Co principal, author of Hey Baby! And Make Money Freelancing, publisher editor, and life coach

Entries will be accepted from 1 July 2007 until end September 2007.

Penguin launches another UCT MA graduate work

Blood Kin is a shocking exploration of how banal evil can be and how every one of us, at some stage in our lives, could be accused of being complicit. Drawing her readers masterfully towards the novel’s devastating climax, Ceridwen Dovey reveals how humanity’s most atavistic impulses – vanity, obsession and vengeance – seethe relentlessly, just beneath the veneer of civilisation.

Ceridwen Dovey grew up between South Africa and Australia. She received a scholarship to study Anthropology at Harvard University as an undergraduate, then moved to Cape Town for a few years to write her first novel, Blood Kin. She is now doing a PhD in Anthropology at NYU in New York.

Click here to read an extract