The Centre for Creative Arts (UKZN) is proud to announce the programme
for the 17th Time of The Writer: International Festival of
Writers - a weeklong showcase set to provoke, inform and inspire interesting
debates and panel discussions. The festival, which brings together some of the
world’s finest novelist, authors and storytellers to Durban, features
participants from India, Kenya, Nigeria, Botswana, Togo, and Guinea takes place
from March 17 to 22 at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre.
Twenty writers will be gathering for a week of literary dialogue,
exchange of ideas and stimulating discussion under the theme Freeing Our
Imagination in solidarity with Kenyan writer Binyavanga Wainaina’s clarion
call for Africans to use their creativity to imagine and create a continent
free of the existential burdens of colonialism.
Opening night (March 17) will feature all participating writers as they
make brief presentations at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, with the first night
of the festival dedicated to the late great South African thinker, academic and
prolific writer, Professor Mbulelo Mzamane, a past participant of Time of the
Writer. Prof Mzamane passed away on February 15, having made his mark through
his writing and scholarship with titles including The Children of Soweto,
The Children of the Diaspora and other stories of Exile and Where there
is no vision the people will perish: Reflections on the African Renaissance,
among others. Nelson Mandela described him as “visionary leader, [and] one of
South Africa 's greatest intellectuals.”
The rest of the week’s evening presentations will be panel discussions
with writers talking about their writing and the issues dealt with in their work.
NEW VOICES FROM INDIA:
The first panel discussion of the festival on March 18 will focus on
writing from the sub-continent with Indian authors Satyagit Sarna and Prajwal
Parajuly. Satyagit Sarna is an author and lawyer based in New Delhi. His debut novel
Angels Share, described as a love story, a political commentary, and
coming-of-age novel, was published in 2012 by Haper Collins. He will be joined
by Prajwal Parajuly, whose books The Gurkha's Daughter: Stories and Land
Where I Flee have been lauded in international press. This panel discussion
will be facilitated by author, Shubnum Khan.
The second panel of the evening, entitled Mzansi Women Voices features
South African writers Angela Makhlowa and Praba Moodley. Returning to Time of
the Writer after her debut in 2007, Angela Makhlowa is an author and public
relations consultant. She became the first black female crime author with her
debut novel Red Ink. She has since published a drama novel, The 30th
Candle and will be releasing her third novel later this year. Praba Moodley
published her first novel The Heart Knows No Colours in 2003, which was followed
up by two more novels, A Scent So Sweet (2006) and Follow Your Heart,
the sequel to her debut novel. She writes for magazines and has been featured
in publications such as Elle and Oprah Magazine. The panel discussion will be
facilitated by author, Shafinaaz Hassim.
Wednesday’s
night (March 19) programme kicks off with a panel
discussion titled Writing the Policy Debate, featuring South African
writers and political analysts Professors Adam Habib and Paulus Zulu. As one of
the country’s most recognizable political analysts and Vice-Chancellor and
Principal of the University of the Witwatersrand, Professor Adam Habib has long
been considered one of the most astute experts in the areas of transformation,
democracy and development. He holds qualifications in Political Science from
the University of Natal and Wits. He earned his masters and doctoral
qualifications from the Graduate School of the City University of New York. His
latest work is the book South Africa’s Suspended Revolution. He will be
joined by Professor Paulus Zulu, author and Director of Human Sciences Research
Council. A noted writer, academic and community leader, Professor Zulu holds a
PhD from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and has published extensively in the
fields of politics and sociology both nationally and internationally. His
latest book is entitled A Nation In Crisis. This discussion will be
facilitated by Ben Fogel.
Writing in Francophone Africa: trends and issues. The second
panel discussion of the night is entitled Writing in Francophone Africa:
trends and issues. This panel discussion will look at trends in Francophone
literature with a discussion by authors Sami Tchak(Togo) and Tierno Monénembo
(Guinea). Togolese writer Sami Tchak won the Grand Prix of Black African
Literature for the entire range of his work. He has published Femme
infidèle, Lomé (1988), Place des Fêtes, (2001), Hermina (2003),
La fête des masques, (2004), Le paradis des chiots, (2006), Filles
de Mexico (2008). Tierno Monénembo was born in Guinea but has lived in
exile in Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal before settling in France and Cuba. He has
published nine novels and a stage play since 1983. Tierno Monénembo is the
winner of France's 2008 prix Renaudot, which is awarded annually to the author
of an outstanding original novel. He won the prize for his book, The King of
Kahel. The panel discussion will be facilitated by Bernard DeMeyer of UKZN
French department and is presented in partnership with the French Institute of
South Africa.
WRITING THE HISTORICAL MOMENT
Thursday night’s activities open with the panel discussion Writing
the Historical Moment looks at key historical moments shaping the current
South African political landscape. This panel will take the form of an in-depth
interview that will feature activist, researcher and political economist
Professor Patrick Bond. Bond is an academic with extensive research whose work
draws from NGO work in urban communities and with global justice movements in
several countries. He is currently the Director of the Centre for Civil Society
at UKZN and is involved in research on economic justice, geopolitics, climate,
energy and water. This panel discussion will be facilitated by Xolani Benedict
Dube.
CHRONICLING THE CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN STORY
Time of The Writer has a strong history of spotlighting young talented
writers dealing with contemporary topics. The festival aims to create an even greater
focus on stories from the younger generation and this is highlighted in the
second panel of the night. Chronicling The Contemporary African Story brings
together two South Africa authors, Kgebetli Moele and Niq Mhlongo. Kgebetli
Moele’s debut novel, Room 207, was published in 2006 by Kwela books and
was short-listed for the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize for Best First Book
(Africa) in 2007. It was the joint-winner of the Herman Charles Bosman Prize
for English fiction as well as joint-winner of the University of Johannesburg
Prize for Creative Writing in the debut category. His second novel, Book of
the Dead received the South African Literary Award in 2010. He released his
third novel Untitled-A Novel in 2013. Niq Mhlongo is a Soweto born
journalist and author. Mhlongo has presented his work at key African cultural
events, including the Caine Prize Workshop, and was a 2008 International
Writing Program fellow at the University of Iowa. He released his debut novel Dog Eat Dog
in 2004, which has been translated into Spanish. He has since released two more
novels, After Tears( 2007) and the highly praised Way Back Home in
2013. The panel discussion will be facilitated by Duduzile Mabaso.
STORY-TELLING PROGRAMME
Understanding the rich history that storytelling carries on the
continent, The Time of The Writer festival is excited to present a
story-telling programme, in collaboration with the Gcinamasiko Arts &
Heritage Trust, taking place on March 21. This will see two storytellers, Nomsa
Mdlalose and Mshai Mwangola, in a panel discussion that will look at the art of
storytelling. Mdlalose is a South African storyteller with years of experience
and is the Managing Director of Kwesukela Storytelling Academy with a Master’s
Degree in Storytelling. Through her work at the Academy, she promotes the
ancestral oral tradition as a heritage of sophistication, wisdom and
philosophy. Nairobi-native Mshai Mwangola is talented performance scholar,
storyteller, and oraturist. She has performed, conducted performance workshops,
researched and worked with and for diverse performance ensembles and
individuals in four continents with a career spanning over 25 years in acting,
directing and story-telling. She is the chairperson of the Governing Council of
the Kenya Cultural Centre. The panel will be facilitated by Dr. Gcina Mhlophe.
FROM THE MOUTH OF BABES
The second panel of the night will focus on youth literature, From
The Mouth of Babes, featuring youth literature writers, Lauri Kubuitsile
(Botswana) and Khulekani Magubane (South Africa). Lauri Kubuitsile is a writer
living in Botswana who has published three children’s books, two detective
novellas and three collections of short stories for children co-written with
two other Botswana writers. She has published three romance novels with
Sapphire Press -Kwaito Love, Can He Be The One?, and Mr Not
Quite Good Enough. Kubuitsile was the 2007 winner of the BTA/ Anglo
Platinum Short Story Contest and the recipient of the Botswana Ministry of
Youth and Culture’s Orange Botswerere Award for Creative Writing in the same
year. In 2009 she won the Baobab Literary Prize (USA) in the junior category
and in 2010 in the senior category. She was on the shortlist for the 2011 Caine
Prize. Khulekani Magubane is a South African journalist and author. At the age
of 23 has published more than 18 books in the past 8 years. Although he is a
children’s author his work deals with issues such as class, race and religion.
Saneliswe Ntuli will facilitate the panel discussion.
In addition, Time of The Writer and the Gcinamasiko Arts & Heritage
Trust will host a special matinée for children to be held at the UKZN Elizabeth
Sneddon Theatre on March 22 at 14h00 to 16h30. The matinée will feature
Mdlalose and Mwangola where they will be joined by Gogo MaBhengu and Lwazi
Thwala.
NEW AFRICAN WOMEN WRITERS RISING
The final day of the festival features a discussion entitled New
African Women Writers Rising, will focus on the stories and work being
produced by young female writers from Africa. This panel discussion will
feature prolific authors, Hawa Jande Golakai(Liberia) and Chibundu Onuzo
(Nigeria). Born in Liberia, Hawa Jande Golaka moved around extensively with her
family due to political and economic unrest. She lived in Togo, Ghana and
Zimbabwe before coming to Cape Town as a student in 2003. She trained and
worked as a medical researcher in immunology. Her first novel The Lazarus
Effect is a gripping fictional drama set in Cape Town. She will be joined
by Nigerian author Chibundu Onuzo, a young author whose debut novel The
Spider’s King Daughter has received critical acclaim. She has been
shortlisted for this year’s Commonwealth Book Prize and the 2012 Dylan Thomas
Prize as well as longlisted for the Desmond Elliot prize in the same year. This
panel discussion will be facilitated by writer Sandile Ngidi.
Finding the
South African Funny Bone features
South African writers, Sarah Britten and Zukiswa Wanner. Britten is a former
journalist, artist and author from Johannesburg. She has been published
extensively and wrote her Master’s research report on South African humour
(with a focus on Madam & Eve) and has a doctorate in Applied English
Language Studies. She has published three novels focussing on the colourful and
unique art of South African insults, The Art of the South African Insult,
McBride of Frankenmanto: The Return of the South African Insult, More South
African Insults. Zukiswa Wanner is a journalist, author and blogger.
Wanner’s works include The Madams: A Wildly
Provocative Novel( 2007) , Behind
Every Successful Man (2008), Men of the South (2010). Her
latest work is Maid in SA: 30 Ways to Leave Your Madam (2013). She is a
founding member of the ReadSA initiative, a campaign encouraging South
Africans to read South African works. The panel discussion will be facilitated
by writer and radio personality Ndumiso Ngcobo.
SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS
In addition to the nightly panel discussions at the Elizabeth Sneddon
Theatre, the festival’s Community Outreach programme features a broad range of day
activities including seminars and workshops that aim to promote a culture of
reading, writing and creative expression. The festival also conducts visits to
schools, and presents a prison writing programme. Book launches take place at
the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre’s Wellington Tavern deck prior to the evening
shows, from 18h45.
The International Festival of Writers runs from March 17 to 22. Tickets R25 (R10
students) for the evening sessions booked through Computicket or at the door
one hour before the event. Workshops and seminars are free.
For more details about this year’s Time of the Writer, visit www.cca.ukzn.ac.za or call 031 260
2506.
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