Karina Author, Book, Literary Award, Prize

Klara du Plessis is die wenner van die Breyten Breytenbach-prys vir digkuns vir haar bundel ‘Ek’t Act’

Netwerk24 kykNET Rapport Breyten Breytenbach-prys vir digkuns 2026

Wenner: Klara du Plessis vir Ek’t Act (Karavan Press)

Commendatio: Ronelda Kamfer

Klara du Plessis se Ek’t Act verteenwoordig ’n belangrike verskuiwing in die nuwer diaspora-literatuur. Dit breek weg van die sentimentele, voorspelbare gegriefdheid en nostalgie van Suid-Afrikaners wat in die buiteland verlang na ’n idolized verlede wat in werklikheid nooit so bestaan het nie.

Wanneer die beoordelingskriteria vra of ’n bundel die leser met ’n helder stem betower, is die antwoord ja. Dit is egter ’n betowering wat gestroop is van pretensie en goedkoop sentiment. Afrikaans word ontwortel en in ’n vreemde, meertalige konteks geplaas waar dit moet veg vir eie meaning. Die leser word gedwing om die ongemak van verplasing self te ervaar. Du Plessis gebruik taal as ’n argitektoniese materiaal, die wyse waarop Afrikaans, Engels en die stiltes tussenin bots, getuig van ’n deurtastende begrip van die meganika van vertaling en taalkundige hibriditeit. Dit is ’n bundel wat Afrikaans uit sy selfbesorgde isolasie haal en in gesprek plaas met globale debatte. Dit is nie ’n museumstuk nie, maar ’n lewendige, buigsame medium.

Hierdie werk herinner ons aan wat poësie wesenlik behoort te wees. Antjie Krog het eenkeer gesê:

“om te kan skryf moet ek myself binne kom
deur my te buite te gaan
ek verlaat die daglig
die sleur van gefabriseerde stemme
en gaan ondergronds”

’n Ingetoë, noodsaaklike proses van selfondersoek en dokumentasie. In ’n era waar die cult van prestasie en verhooggeraas die inherente betekenis van die kunsvorm dikwels overshadow, moet digters kies om die dokumentering van menslike ervaring bo die spektakel te stel.

As digters moet ons leer om terug te staan, die gaze moet uitzoom sodat ons weer stil waarnemers kan word van die wêreld wat ons bewoon. Ons moet krities vra of die literatuur steeds in die regte rigting groei. Want op die mees fundamentele vlak is poësie nie ’n loud performance  nie, dit is ’n fluistering, soos die wind, met stil krag wat net gehoor word wanneer ons ophou om te roep.

Klara du Plessis speel met daai stilte en krag. Vir haar moed, tegniese vernuf en visie om Afrikaans sonder om verskoning te maak in die wêreld te herbepaal, behoort die Breytenbach-prys aan haar. Dit is ’n ereloon wat die nalatenskap dra van Breyten Breytenbach, ’n skrywer wie se eie geskiedenis van exile en isolation en internasionale relevansie die verhoog geskep het waarop Afrikaans as ’n wêreldtaal van verset, vryheid en genuanseerde menslikheid kan staan.

Karina Author, Book

Karavan Press title: Please, don’t call me moffie by Zubayr Charles

After viewing a viral online video of a brutal homophobic attack in an unknown country, five men in their late twenties reflect on their experiences of growing up, grappling with their identities and confronting toxic masculinity in Cape Town, South Africa. The play then shifts its focus to a surprise birthday party for Mushfeeq, planned by his group of friends, where the presence of an unwanted guest creates friction and conflict. Through a series of uncomfortable truths, Mushfeeq must come to terms with his own biases and prejudices.

Following successful runs at various local festivals and Artscape Theatre, the critically acclaimed Please, don’t call me moffie is now available in print and includes never-before-staged Acts 2 and 3.

ISBN: 978-1-0671781-6-1

Publication date: September 2026

ZUBAYR CHARLES is a UCT Master’s in Creative Writing graduate and multi-disciplinary writer from Cape Town. He is known as the playwright and theatre-maker of hit plays such as Mercy, this bra’s a psycho, The Battered Housewives’ Club and Brasse, Tot Laat Toe. He was part of the Baxter Theatre’s How to Write a Musical Workshop under the mentorship of David Kramer in 2019, attended LitNet’s and The Jakes Gerwel Foundation’s Kommadagga Nonfiction and Short Story Writing Residency under the mentorship of Rachelle Greeff in 2020, and completed his Master’s in Creative Writing cum laude under the supervision of Imraan Coovadia in 2022 at UCT. His first novel, Haram, and his first poetry collection, the sad boy’s starter pack and other poems, were published in 2026.

Karina Author

Author: Zubayr Charles

ZUBAYR CHARLES is a UCT Master’s in Creative Writing graduate and multi-disciplinary writer from Cape Town. He is known as the playwright and theatre-maker of hit plays such as Mercy, this bra’s a psycho, The Battered Housewives’ Club and Brasse, Tot Laat Toe. He was part of the Baxter Theatre’s How to Write a Musical Workshop under the mentorship of David Kramer in 2019, attended LitNet’s and The Jakes Gerwel Foundation’s Kommadagga Nonfiction and Short Story Writing Residency under the mentorship of Rachelle Greeff in 2020, and completed his Master’s in Creative Writing cum laude under the supervision of Imraan Coovadia in 2022 at UCT. His first novel, Haram, and his first poetry collection, the sad boy’s starter pack and other poems, were published in 2026.

Karavan Press is proud to publish Zubayr’s play Please, don’t call me moffie.

Karina Author, Book, Literary Awards, Prize

Malika Lueen Ndlovu’s Griefseed shortlisted for the UJ Prize for South Africa Writing

The University of Johannesburg Prize (UJ Prize) for South African Writing has announced its shortlists for books published in 2025.

Debut Prize:

Buried in the Chest by Lindani Mbuyunza-Memani

Not This Tender by Sarah Uheida

The Fragile Mental Health of Strong Women by Michelle Myeko Kekana

Main Prize:

Griefseed by Malika Lueen Ndlovu

Song of a Slave Girl by Ashraf Kagee

The Nightwatchman: Representing Black Men in Colonial South Africa by Hlonipha Mokoena

The announcement of winners is scheduled for 28 September, while the ceremony will be held on 22 October 2026.

Congratulations to all nominated authors! Special literary hugs to Malika Lueen Ndlovu who published Griefseed with Karavan Press in February last year.

For more information about the shortlists, see: Brittle Paper

Karina Author, Book

Karavan Press title: Aggressiewe Water by Erika Viljoen

Jy skryf so genoeglik, ek sal graag sien dat hierdie briewe ’n wyer gehoor bereik.
– A N D R É  P.  B R I N K

Een dag was daar … ’n mama en ’n papa en twee kindertjies wat uitgewyk het na ’n stuk veld in die Klein-Karoo waar niemand anders nog permanent gewoon het nie. “Julle doen nou dit waaroor ons almal maar net droom,” het ons vriende vir ons gesê. Dit was ’n droom, ’n werklikheid, ’n kosbare skat. Ons het geswoeg en gesweet, ons het geval en opgestaan. Die diepe vreugde van die veld sal altyd deel van ons sielslandskap wees. Die naaktheid waarna ons gesoek en wat ook van ons geëis is, het ons almal vir altyd verander, ten goede.

ISBN: 978-0-6399942-4-6

Publication date: September 2026

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ERIKA VILJOEN kom van ’n skaapplaas in die Noordoos-Kaap, van goeie ou Afrikaner-afkoms, waar sy niks anders as die eenvoud van die plaaslewe geken het nie. Toe word sy ’n swerwer, ontdekker, woordvraat, verloopte Afrikaner, huisskepper, moeder. In haar diep middeljare weet sy dat daar geen groot uitbarsting van wonder en faam is waarop ons kan reken nie, die ou lewe ry jou soms bloots, maar vir vrede in jou hart kan jy nooit genoeg dankie sê nie. Nou is sy ’n trotse “crone”, ’n mama van twee vlieënde arende, ’n voornemende boerin, ’n stoepsitter met haar Geliefde.

Karina Author

Author: Erika Viljoen

ERIKA VILJOEN kom van ’n skaapplaas in die Noordoos-Kaap, van goeie ou Afrikaner-afkoms, waar sy niks anders as die eenvoud van die plaaslewe geken het nie. Toe word sy ’n swerwer, ontdekker, woordvraat, verloopte Afrikaner, huisskepper, moeder. In haar diep middeljare weet sy dat daar geen groot uitbarsting van wonder en faam is waarop ons kan reken nie, die ou lewe ry jou soms bloots, maar vir vrede in jou hart kan jy nooit genoeg dankie sê nie. Nou is sy ’n trotse “crone”, ’n mama van twee vlieënde arende, ’n voornemende boerin, ’n stoepsitter met haar Geliefde.

Karina Author, Event

Story Seller HQ with Cathy Park Kelly

Sell your story, not your soul

Story Seller HQ is a supportive community for authors who are tired of figuring out audience-building and book marketing on their own.

It’s a place to learn from people who know the industry, create the content you’ve been putting off, share the wins and the cringe-worthy moments, ask the questions you’re too embarrassed to ask elsewhere — and get a little encouragement to keep going.

Because writing your book is only half the story.

What is Story Seller HQ about?

It’s a community of authors who are working to overcome their self doubt, build their audience and get copies out into the waiting hands of readers.

Just a bunch of writers showing up, sharing ideas, celebrating the wins, commiserating about the cringey moments and helping each other keep going.

It’s not another writing workshop.

It’s the bit that comes after: finding your readers and building the connections that help your book find its way into the world.

A place to ask, “How do I…?”
A place to say, “I tried this and it completely flopped.”
A place to celebrate, “Someone actually bought my book!”
And a place to get on with the things that help people discover your work.

Because you shouldn’t have to figure out how to sell your story all by yourself.

You don’t need a massive marketing budget.

You don’t need to make endless Reels.

You just need to connect with others who are doing it, then give it a go.

Writing the book is only half the story. The rest of the story can happen with support and encouragement.

What will Story Seller HQ look like?

  • One Inside Track online interview per month (I’ll be chatting to authors, publishers, publicists and literary agents about all things book promo-related.)
  • Two online Content Create-along sessions per month. We’ll gather in the Zoom room, choose marketing content we need to create — a newsletter, a few social media posts, a book-launch invitation, an author bio or whatever is currently sitting on your I really should get around to that list — and actually do it together.
  • These monthly community sessions will be a chance to share marketing challenges, successes and ‘I can’t believe I posted that’ moments.

And best of all, this first month of Story Seller HQ is fully free! So you get a seat on our Inside Track webinar and two content create-along Zoom sessions in September… for mahala!

Please click here for details: NOTES FROM MY DAYBED

Karina Uncategorized

The Book Lounge launch of 185: The Janine van Wyk Story as told to Firdose Moonda

Please join us for the launch of 185: The Janine van Wyk Story as told to Firdose Moonda. We will be celebrating this special book at The Book Lounge on 22 September 2026, 5.30 for 6PM. Firdose will be in conversation with Carlos Amato. Because of her commitments abroad, Janine will not be able to join us, but a few copies signed by both Janine and Firdose will be available for sale.

RSVP: The Book Lounge